Allyson Grey is a well-known psychedelic artist. In 1975 at a party, she met her future husband, the artist Alex Grey. A year later, while on LSD together, Allyson and Alex simultaneously shared a vision of an infinite omni-directional love energy that comprised the foundational scaffolding of the universe. Experiencing themselves as part of this "oneness of God" caused the illusionary veil of the material world to drop away, inspiring them both to focus on the theme of transcendental spirituality in their art. Allyson completed several pieces of art depicting this shared vision as the subject, using embroidery and painting, sometimes creating mandala shapes by repeating the image of a tiny hand with a pointing finger. Eventually she started working with compositions built from many squares, painting her best-known depiction of their shared vision in 1988: Jewel Net of Indra. (Alex depicted their shared vision in his 1981 painting Universal Mind Lattice.) Employing a full spectrum of colors, Allyson continued using squares in the construction of her art, "building walls and breaking them down". The balance of order and chaos depicted in Allyson's art eventually became mediated through a third element, her "secret writing". This writing--an alphabet of 20 letters representing the perennial divinity that all religious texts point toward--acts as a window that allows communication between order (spirit) and chaos (matter).

As well as being artists, the Greys have dedicated their lives to creating sacred space. After a few successful years in New York City with their Chapel of Sacred Mirrors--their non-profit organization dedicated to the idea that art can assist in the positive transformation of individuals and societies--they purchased land to expand onto in upstate New York, where they teach art courses and sponsor gatherings. [Read full biography]