I really like the image... I see heat and light and "activity" above this darkness that might be interpreted as our primal selves. Of course, I'm also one of those people who can basically "anthropomorphize a toothpick" so in the whitest patch I also see a reclining lady with wild white hair...

As for civilization? Most people seem to believe that our civilization is only a thin veneer... but I suppose it depends on your perspective. As a species, we have the capacity to employ rational thought (not just instincts) as a means of survival... that allows me to make the judgment call to NOT react with whatever I am feeling in the moment, because it might "end badly" for me. Choices have consequences. That's part of what makes us civilized... we understand that. Even if I am UNcivilized, I still understand that if I pick up a weapon and arbitrarily kill you to get your lunch... one of "yours" is probably going to come after me and try to kill me.