Communication: The First Trap
(The true creator of Man?)
Communication, the single most important scenario in the game called life, is the process of transplanting thoughts and images which are in one's own mind into the mind of another life form. As with all things within The Grand Maya, the laws which govern communication are very specific, although they change from country to country, from time to time, and from people to people.
Basically, the laws state that in the process of communication, it is the speaker who has the responsibility to see that the message that was received was, indeed, the same message that was sent; and, it is the listener who holds the power, in that, it is the listener that will determine if the interaction is a welcomed overture to friendship or if the interaction is an intrusion into private space.
Communication is the single most important scenario in the game called life because the process of communication, at least in the TwinSpecies:Human, is serial in its nature (the thoughts of those who are seeking to communicate may be parallel in nature, but what is spoken is serial). Because it is serial in its nature, the first word in any sentence or communication will limit or otherwise modify every thought, every emotion, and every other word that comes before it and after it. And, so it is with each succeeding word.
It must be remembered that as the individual words in a sentence are serial, and, as each word will color, limit or otherwise modify that which came and that which comes next, so, too, do each of the other proponents of communication.
There is an unusual paring involved as well, in that the first thought will do more than color, limit or modify all succeeding thoughts; by the very nature of the first thought, it will elicit its own emotions which will, in turn, bring about the second thought. This entire process is, of course, the prime steering current of all games.
However, there is much more! Each individual is naturally divided, via the law of duality, into aspects called logical beings and emotional beings. In the process of communication, this seeming split becomes important. It must be remembered that there must always be at least three forces present if something is to be in existence. In this case [in the process of communication], the three forces are:
Of the three, it is difficult to determine which will be the prime steering current in any given situation, as each are, in their own rights, a prime steering current.
While the above statement is true, we must remember that each of the three exists on a different level of communication; as such, each has its own effects to add to the confusion of communication. The difficulty comes when one or more of the three is used deceptively, in which case, truth is usually willingly sacrificed on the altar of the individual's self-satisfaction.
There is, however, a very clear cut method of previewing the effects of each. Denotative language sets the limits such that only one subject matter can be discussed at a time. Connotative language seeks to diffuse, to color, to make less limited the effects of Denotative language. Finally, the Psychosomatic effects of language are always biased to the agenda of the speaker; and, it is always in the form of an undercurrent to the main purpose of the interaction.
While Denotative language is always direct to the point, however flowery the words might be, and, while Connotative language has a habit of beating around the bush, usually to get the most mileage out of the interaction, so to speak, the Psychosomatic effects of language usually are designed to deceive in some way, or, to make the point of the interaction less important in favor of another point.
When a person uses a word improperly, he is, albeit in an unusual way, communicating to himself that word's proper meaning, regardless of whether this is the meaning he has given to the word, or regardless of whether or not he even knows the true meaning of the word. This is so because others around him will react to the word's proper meaning. And, the individual, in turn, must react to those others, thereby reacting to the proper meaning of the word!
As was said earlier, in any given communication, the person originally addressed holds the power to regard the communication as an intrusion, or, to welcome it as a bid for friendship. This holds true throughout the whole interchange, regardless of the level.
The subject of Communication is yet another Steering Current that we must study and understand if we are to free ourselves from the trap of Earth, and come to know Peace. To begin our study of Communication let us examine a monologue on the subject:
"Communication is the single most important scenario in the game called Life. This is so because the process of Communication is a twin continuum--firstly, each word is a part of the continuum of good vs. bad. And, to make matters even worse, while one behavior is said to be good in one situation, the same behavior is said to be bad in another situation. What is considered to be good or bad will depend upon the needs of the situation at the moment; secondly, each word has, at the very least, nine levels of meanings; and, each of the nine levels also have multiple levels of understanding wherein all are serial in nature.
"Because it is serial in its nature, the first word in any sentence or communication will color, limit, or otherwise modify, every thought, every emotion, and every other word that comes after it. Again, Because it is serial in its nature, the second word in any sentence or communication will color, limit, or otherwise modify, every thought, every emotion, and every other word that came before it and that will come after it. And, so it is with each succeeding word.
"Now, as the individual words in a sentence are serial in their nature, and, as each word will color, limit or otherwise modify that which comes before it and all words that come after it, so too, do the other proponents of Communication.
"Therefore, the first thought in the communication is the most important thought because it will set the subject of the communication, and therefore the train of thoughts; then, it will recursively color, limit or modify all thoughts that came before it, and all thoughts that come after it.
"By the nature of the first thought, it [the first thought] will elicit its own emotions from the individual's pool of feelings; and, the elicited emotion will tend to support the present prejudices, which will, in turn, bring about the second thought. This second thought, because it was elicited by the first thought's emotion, will usually seek to support the first thought's train of thought. This entire process is, of course, the prime Steering Current of all Games."
"The following example will show how, with each succeeding word, the intended communication is colored as the meaning of the collection of words are modified or limited by the addition of a new word.
"The effect of having each word color, limit or modify the intended and the implied communication becomes even more pronounced when, instead of adding a new word to the collection, one is taken away. As an example, consider the following
"Notice that the presence and the absence of each succeeding word has an effect on the whole communication. With each succeeding word, the communication changes--the mind is led in a different direction as each word is either added or taken away.
"Likewise, in communications to one's self, the words one uses will determine in what direction one leads one's own mind. This, in turn, will determine an individual's limitations with respect to values, behaviors, future thoughts, decisions, and everything else! Everything that runs through the mind is a direct result of the way an individual communicates to himself. It is for this reason that we say, by far, the most important use of communication is not what you tell others, but what you tell yourself. The entire nature of an individual's reality depends solely upon that individual's communications to himself.
"While the process of Communication might be the conveying of information, language is our prime tool to meet the process' needs, the method of communication--both to others and ourselves. Language, itself, controls every facet of our psyche.
"The only language that the Human Mind is capable of using is symbols. Among humans, symbols come in the form of either words or pictures. Both are symbolic representations that allow us to manipulate our data, and therefore, our reality. Without some kind of symbol, the human mind would not be able to think at all.
"The Mind must label a creation or a manifestation of nature before it can even think about it, much less manipulate it. Without language there is no Awareness at all! Again, language is the prime tool of the Mind; everything else is dependent upon it-- its significance cannot be overstated (it was once written by the ancients that language is to the mind as food is to the body).
"Still, yet on another level, Language is the prime Steering Current for all games. This is so because we use both, language and the process of communication to tell ourselves how we feel, what we think on a particular subject, and how we will behave in a given situation, etc.
We even use language to teach ourselves and our offspring the very prejudices that is in the process of destroying not only our dreams, but the very world upon which those dreams depend. It [language or the lack of its ability, the lack of its mastery] determines not only our ability to think, it even determines our thoughts, themselves; and thereby, it determines our illusions; and thereby, it not only determines the nature of our experience, it determines our reality; and thereby, it determines our Karma, with respect to our continuum of Freedom vs. Predestiny--in other words, it determines everything!"
If we master our language, and if we use it to properly communicate to ourselves in an exact manner, it will aid our understanding of Life, and allow us to become more free.
If we use language sloppily, we will have no idea of what values, or beliefs we are trying to communicate to ourselves. We will be trapped by things we have programmed into AutomaticPilot, without ever knowing how or why!
Another important point is that while One's communications to one's self are far more important than communications to others, there is a seeming paradox in that every communication to another is also a communication to oneself!
Let us examine this point more fully. Let us say that you see someone in the street yelling at someone else. You approach him and say Hey! Stop that! You shouldn't act that way! Now, in order for you to say this, it is clear that you must already hold the value that one should not yell at others. Else, why would you have told the individual to stop? Therefore, a good portion of our communications are reinforcements of our own values and belief systems.
In the communication process, there is an intrinsic logic to every situation. What's more, the intrinsic logic is very predictable--there are only four possibilities. Consider them; they are:
As an example, every time we communicate our own beliefs, through interaction, we get either a positive or a negative response. We can use these responses to either keep our present axioms, or to throw away the involved axioms.
This cause & effect type feedback process is, within the bounds of communication, a logical outcome of the growth process. However, this is not to say that everybody will act logically under all conditions; nor should we presume that everybody will have the ability to learn from their mistakes.
Obviously, not everyone is communicatively logical. Again, this situation is an oversimplification. Our main point is to show the feedback inherent in every communication to another, and, to show that communications to others are inescapably communications to ourselves.
At the cost of repeating something that has already been spoken of, it is significant to note that when a person uses a word, he is communicating to himself that word's proper meaning, regardless of whether this is the meaning that he has given to the word, and, regardless of whether he knows the true meaning of the word.
This is so because others around him will react to the word's proper meaning. And, the individual, in turn, must react to those others, thereby reacting to the proper meaning of the word!
Also, in communications, one must make absolutely sure that the listener gets the intended message. If the intended message does not get through, one cannot say that communication has taken place. Note! The above does not say when communicating to another. It is just as true in communications to one's self as it is in communications to others.
To insure proper communication, one should strive to use only denotative (dictionary) meanings. Connotative meanings should be avoided. Connotative meanings are secondary, private meanings that each individual may or may not give to a word. Obviously, not all people will connotatively give the same word the same meaning.
For example, the term it's cool. Certain people place the meaning it's alright or it's very good on these words, while other people use them only denotatively, to mean that something is moderately free of heat.
If one individual used the words it's cool to mean it's alright, another individual might interpret the communication as being free from heat. Thus, he would not receive the intended message. In such a case, a collection of words pass between the two, but communication did not take place.
Connotative meanings lead to a communication which is not serial, but parallel. In parallel communication, there is no telling what message the speaker intends, nor what message the listener receives. The message will differ according to whatever private connotative meaning each individual places on the words--this is well noted in the communication of subcultures. However, the special type communication is not limited to words; in that, sometime the subculture has a special recognition sign, such as a special handshake.
Connotative meanings have their place, but one must make sure that the listener (and oneself) is aware when connotations are meant and when denotations are meant. For clear communication's sake, connotations are usually best left alone.
Crossed or garbled communications, wherein one party gets a different message from the one intended, can be a source of great misunderstanding and pain. This is yet another reason for mastering the language that one uses.
As the seeker attempts to find a measure of peace within himself, and a measure of peace with his surroundings, it is imperative that he reduce the unnecessary conflict and confusion which is most always caused by poor communication skills. Remember! Communication is important, not because it is a means of transferring our thoughts to others of our kind, but because it is the only tool with which we communicate to ourselves--the communication to the self is that which creates our reality. To those ends, communication is the key toward unlocking a vast, but hidden potential for greater awareness which lies within us all.
If the seeker is to benefit from hidden communicative lessons, regardless of their source, he must take great care not to corrupt nor to alter his incoming information. The difference between the message which was sent and the message which was received is because of his own poor communication skills.
The Psychosomatic Effects Of Language, however, is still totally different. It is on this level of communication that an individual's emotions have their effects during any given communication. It is on this level that one's passion lies. Connotative language and Denotative language are simple tools, but the Psychosomatic effects of language is a very complicated tool. It is on this level [the level of Psychosomatic effects of language] that all the wars of communication exist. It is on this level that the twin continuum of acceptance vs. rejection and agreement vs. disagreement of the point at hand takes place. But, more important to understand is that it is on this level that all overtures of peace and/or war are made.
Thus far we have spoken of the normal, everyday affairs of life; we have not discussed the special situations wherein a individual is seeking to get in touch with a higher aspect of himself.
Never is it more important to fully understand, and willingly accept the strict limitations of language then when an individual is seeking to contact his higher self. Then is the time when each individual comes face to face with his shortcomings, with respect to understanding the laws of his own illusion.
If an individual has the habit of seeking to take shortcuts with his communication skills, especially when dealing with others of his kind, he will soon discover that those shortcuts have, over the years, become barriers to understanding. They have become karmic barriers that will keep the individual within the limited spheres of his physical awareness.
A form of retribution is now at hand. As the individual did not think enough of the others of his kind to spend the necessary time to set the others at ease during their interaction, so, too, his habit of not taking the necessary time to learn will stop him from learning the laws of his newly wanted illusions.