Monsters of Our Mind: A Visual Bestiary of the Primitive Mind (206 Creatures Illustrated)
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The hesitation before action.
The thought that repeats.
The feeling that won’t leave.
Monsters of Our Mind is a collection of 206 illustrated creatures representing the hidden patterns, instincts, and distortions within the human mind.
Each entry presents a unique entity drawn from fear, desire, memory, identity, and more - transforming abstract mental experiences into detailed visual forms.
This is not a traditional art book.
And not a self-help guide.
It is an illustrated archive.
As you move through the pages, the creatures begin to feel familiar.
Some reflect patterns you recognize.
Others reveal something harder to name.
Featuring:
• 206 original monsters across 12 psychological domains
• Detailed black ink illustrations in a gothic engraving style
• Concept-driven entries exploring the structure of the mind
• A final unclassified section with no explanations — left open to interpretation
This book is for:
• artists and designers
• thinkers and introspective readers
• fans of surreal, dark, and conceptual illustration
• anyone curious about how the mind works beneath the surface
Some creatures are obvious.
Others take time.
Some may not have been in the book at all.
Reader Impressions
About Lark Aakarshan
His work focuses on the intersection of design judgment, meaning, and long-term clarity, often before anything becomes visible.
In 2013, Lark co-founded The AntiAlias Ventures, an award-winning strategy and design practice that helps leaders and their organizations explore, learn, and grow.
His clients include a variety of Fortune 500 companies (Samsung, AMD, BBC, ITC, Orient, Cremica, DLF, Maersk) and organisations including the United Nations, the Estonian Embassy Council American Embassy School and some of the world's most progressive start-ups.
He is the author of over ten books exploring design, perception, systems, and self-discovery, including Designed to Disappear, Paradox by Design, I Love Chaos, The Art of What You Don’t See, Visual Design Without Visuals, Diary of a Designer and The Signerika. His work focuses on the invisible structures that shape how meaning, behavior, and experience are formed.
Alongside this, Lark has served as a board member and advisor to multiple organizations and startups, contributing at the level of strategy, systems thinking, and decision-making rather than surface execution. His role often involves helping teams clarify intent, establish constraints, and build durable design systems that outlast individual projects.
Lark is a writer and lecturer, and previously served as a visiting faculty member at Pearl Academy of Design, where he taught Product Interface Design and developed his Applied Empathy curriculum. His teaching emphasized perception, responsibility, and restraint as core design skills.
His works has been also featured on National Geographic and BBC Publications.
In parallel with his commercial work, Lark maintains a private practice under Fragmant, where he explores what he describes as design conjuring - a reflective, symbolic approach to meaning-making and creative practice. He also leads workshops focused on integrating these traditions into contemporary life and work.
He continues to work globally with founders, product leaders, and senior teams. His practice spans digital platforms, brand systems, interfaces, and emerging workflows, including experimental approaches such as vibe coding and AI-assisted design.
