Language is one of the main aspects that keeps us firmly rooted in our regular worldview. It is our main tool for expressing ourselves, for analyzing the world and the situations we find ourselves in, and it can be marvellously helpful in relaying information to others. However, it can also seed a lot of confusion ;)
While our society hails language as a grand achievement for human development, on a psychedelic trip one becomes keenly aware how insufficient language is to describe actuality in an appropriate manner.
Let's back up for a moment.
Caught up in projection
The trouble with language as we know it is that its interpretation is always dependent on the listener. The word apple is an easy example. What do you think of when you hear that word?
Well, most kids might picture a red fruit dangling from a tree. Others might imagine a green one, maybe because they were always more the sour type in matters of taste. And most "modern" people associate the word instantly with a certain corporation.
But as opposed to our mind's image, an image of actual apples may look more like this
Now imagine how great the confusion would be if we were talking about something even less tangible than an apple. What about the word "love"? What about "fairness", "justice", "law"? What about the word "you"?
Society at large assumes these things to be objective and unanimously agreed-upon terms but we do recognize that it can't be quite that simple: After all if we all agreed on what fairness is and that we want it why are so many people of the opinion that "life is unfair" or that the world is in desperate need of "social justice"?
Because obviously from their point of view, fairness has not been achieved.
"...worth a thousand words"
On a psychedelic trip then, especially on the first one(s) it is utterly amazing to witness one's own inability to speak plausibly, even to close friends. At first, one is not quite sure if this is due to an overloading of the language centers in the brain, or due to the experience itself being so novel and fresh that it can't be described with any word we are yet familiar with. At least if we want to describe the scene we are witnessing and not our interpretation of it. The word "weird" could mean anything.
As the trip progresses one may feel quite silly using language, because of the repetitive impression that it somehow does not do reality justice. The more we talk the more we feel we are fooling ourselves. And we become aware how deeply rooted the use of verbal communication is in our habits and conventions in interpreting life, despite their lack in accuracy.
When we come out of the trip and our mode of perception slowly shifts back to "normal" we are greatly enriched because of this experience.
Never before had I questioned language as an accurate tool to describe, portray and relay my inner experience to others around me. But the more I got familiar with the sensation of language being insufficient to nail what is going on, I have let go of the need to utilize it on a trip by default.
Instead, sensitivities are so heightened and awareness is so sharp that language becomes an utter roadblock to clarity, not only because the insufficiency of the words themselves, but because our words are not only heard by others around us but also by ourselves the moment we utter something. We suddenly hear how insufficient our description is in light of what is clearly observable in front of us - there is a certain vibe of insecurity that swings in our voice which is plainly audible for others on this open state of mind, and that says way more about what's going on in us than the words we chose. On a trip others will see through your words directly to the vibe behind them (for lack of a better word, lol).
It really is not about the words themselves any longer when we talk. And on a trip this can come as quite a shock because we are so used to language being the universal tool for any task.
As we are getting more and more familiar with a non-verbal and ultimately superior form of communication between people on a trip, we begin to doubt the validity of language as the unshakeable pillar of society at large. If words can be used to deceive those who only listen for content and not for vibe, we have a great case for an ultimate tool of society-control that is hardly ever questioned in the Western world.
On the other hand, if words and language had never established themselves in our human realm there would be no way for me to relay to you the idea how insufficient words are to explain what is going on^^
I dig language endlessly. That said, I have learnt that language is not a great tool for all situations, in some it's quite a detriment to clear communication. I claim: Words don't carry any meaning - rather, we assign meaning to unanimously used words. Hence, all the confusion.
I just don't understand what you're implying
If you have never been on a trip but want a taste of what that insufficiency of language feels like: It's like getting ready to have sex with somebody and all they do is talk all the time. Though it may not be part of our regular awareness in everyday-life, most people I have talked to about this are keenly aware that talking before and during sex seems odd and somehow out of place.
Rather the experience speaks for itself, and describing it verbally while it happens doesn't only take the magic of the moment away, it may turn your partner off completely.
I have turned girls off many times because I felt the nervous need to talk when there was no need to fix anything through talking. Wanting to fix it is what broke it, and I felt the inappropriateness as much as she did in that moment.
Talking itself became the obstacle - whenever I tried to use the verbal tool for a non-verbal job ;)
Not exactly the time for discussion
To be continued
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