Bizarre Times: Exploring the Intersection of Art, Sciences, and Philosophy for Mental Health

Daniel B. Guimaraes, MD, MSc
Professor of Psychiatry and Editor
University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada

“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.” Douglas Adams

In an era of rapid social, technological, and ecological transformations, our understanding of the human mind is evolving beyond the constraints of conventional disciplines. Bizarre Times is an interdisciplinary journal that seeks to unravel the complex and often enigmatic interplay between art, sciences, and speculative philosophy, offering a unique lens through which we can reconsider mental health. As its editor, I am committed to fostering dialogue between diverse fields of knowledge, challenging dominant paradigms, and expanding our appreciation of human subjectivity and experience.

The Vision of Bizarre Times

The journal emerges from a need to address contemporary existential, cognitive, and emotional dilemmas through creative and transdisciplinary inquiry. Traditional approaches to mental health are often limited by rigid methodologies and frameworks that fail to account for the richness of human imagination, culture, and lived experience. Bizarre Times takes an expansive approach, welcoming contributions that transcend conventional academic discourse and integrate elements of artistic expression, scientific rigor, and philosophical speculation.

Our contributors range from neuroscientists to performance artists, from psychiatrists to science fiction writers, from philosophers to digital media creators. The journal serves as a meeting ground for these diverse voices, encouraging a synthesis of perspectives that can deepen our understanding of the psyche and its entanglement with the broader world.

Art as a Mode of Inquiry

Art has long been a means of accessing and expressing the unconscious, allowing for the emergence of perspectives that challenge normative thinking. Through mediums such as literature, visual arts, theater, and digital media, artists give form to the ineffable, illuminating psychological and existential dimensions that remain obscure in clinical and scientific settings. Bizarre Times values the role of art not just as a subject of analysis but as a mode of inquiry—one that has the power to reveal new pathways for therapeutic engagement and social critique.

Sciences: Beyond Reductionism

While neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry provide essential frameworks for understanding mental health, they are often constrained by a reductionist approach that neglects historical, cultural, and phenomenological dimensions of the human experience. The journal welcomes scientific contributions that embrace complexity, interdisciplinarity, and a critical stance towards dominant models of cognition and mental illness. We explore emerging fields such as neuroaesthetics, artificial intelligence, and psychopharmacology, questioning how they shape and redefine our understanding of consciousness and well-being.

Speculative Philosophy: Rethinking Mental Health

Speculative philosophy offers an opportunity to push the boundaries of mental health discourse by questioning foundational assumptions about reality, identity, and the human condition. Drawing from thinkers in existentialism, posthumanism, and metaphysics, Bizarre Times interrogates the philosophical underpinnings of psychiatry, ethics, and subjectivity. How do emerging technologies influence our sense of self? What role does cultural narrative play in shaping mental health? These questions, among many others, drive the journal’s engagement with speculative thought.

Implications for Mental Health

By bridging these diverse domains, Bizarre Times challenges traditional notions of pathology and healing, advocating for a more holistic and creative approach to mental well-being. Through art, science, and speculative inquiry, we open new doors to understanding the mind, fostering spaces for dialogue, innovation, and, ultimately, transformation.

Welcome to Bizarre Times—where boundaries dissolve, and new possibilities emerge.

Daniel B Guimaraes, MD MSc Editor