Chapel of Sacred Mirrors

Supported by the community that formed around these gatherings, the first Chapel of Sacred Mirrors opened in a donated space in Chelsea in the heart of NYC's gallery and nightclub district on the autumnal equinox of 2004.

The series was originally inspired by a lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) vision that Alex and Allyson Grey shared in 1976, during which they both claimed to experience the interconnectedness of all beings and things in the form of a "toroidal fountain and drain of self-illuminating love energy, a cellular node or jewel in a network that linked omnidirectionally without end".

[citation needed] Alex Grey defines visionary art as "the creative expression of glimpses into the sacred unconsciousness"[6]: 22  and stated that its purpose is to portray "the mystical experience of spiritual illumination, unity, wisdom, and love".

[6]: 150  Claiming a lineage that includes the ancient shamanic cave-painters, the 12th century Abbess Hildegard of Bingen, Hieronymus Bosch, and the English mystical painter and writer, William Blake, contemporary visionary art is also characterized by the belief that along with traditional methodologies such as fasting, meditation, yogic exercises, breath work, and prayer, "vision drugs"[6]: 121  such as LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, cannabis, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), can also be utilized as tools by artists seeking mystical visions.

The fact that Alex Grey credits the inspiration of the Sacred Mirrors to an LSD experience he mystically shared with his later-wife Allyson makes this series arguably one of the most famous examples of contemporary visionary art, alone with such works as Ayahuasca Dreaming by painter Robert Venosa).

The Greys' popular full moon ceremonies have continued uninterrupted at this new location, along with special events, permaculture courses, and a variety of workshops that have attracted guest presenters such as folk-musician and eco-activist Pete Seeger and tree-sitter and eco-artist Julia Butterfly Hill.