Extralinguistic Communication: A Theory
Synchronicity is the timing signal of the universe.
There are perhaps many ways to explain the phenomenon of telepathy, ranging from the spiritual to a bucketload of metaphors. While the truth may be stranger, let us here explore a theory which runs close to the lines of modern-day scientific understanding, and which may thus be acceptable to your average spherical scientist in a perfect vacuum.
Piece One: Our Current Understanding
Let’s start with a primer in communication: Obviously something is happening as I type this, and as you read it. Communication. Communion. Exchange of information.
The Serial Duplication Method (Real-Life Ctrl-C + Ctrl-V)
At one level, we can see communication as a transferrence of symbols involved with the deconstruction and reconstruction of mental models. We can call this the “serial” model.
You’ve Got a Brand New Key
Another way of viewing communication might be to consider thoughts as shared mind-space items and words as the keys. This I would name the “kingdom” model, or perhaps the “internet” or “net” model, where words are the “keys to the kingdom” or simply the “url”.
Non-Conceptual Communication
A level below words, we have body language. Signs, tells, micro-expressions, twitches, gestures and gaze. This is more of an intuitive level which is less about the “what” and more about the context and the who.
The Medium
At the base of communication we have the medium. (Like where this was first published.) Jokes and kylego aside, the primary ways we access speech, writing and body language are through sight, sound and touch. All of these are sent as electrical signals through nerves to the brain, which then sends other electrical signals back to produce new sights, sounds and vibrations.
Piece Two: Radio Waves — The Missing Medium
At the heart of our physically observable selves, we communicate by electrical signals. The signals in the brain itself are just strong enough to be detected with sensitive instruments. The heartbeat can be detected from a bit farther away, as the signal is quite a bit stronger.
A Snowball’s Chance of… Snowballing
Aside from the brain itself, there’re also muscles and nerves which transmit signals throughout the body, even transforming them into movements. What starts as a minuscule signal in the brain quickly dominoes into something which can affect the whole body. Being startled is a prime example, as a single input can cause the whole body to tense up.
Piece Three: Muscle-Tone — The Key to Reception
Creating electrical signals is literally a no-brainer: even our heart does it. But what about receiving and interpreting them? The obvious answer, considering our nerves as antennae, is the same way we send them! There’s a small caveat: the walkie-talkie principle. Push to talk!
The Push
Muscle tension, while great for doing stuff, is not so great for being receptive. Modern day stress anyone? In order to receive, we must also learn relaxation.
You’re Not Crazy
Hearing faint voices and other things while falling asleep is a common enough phenomenon. In the hypnopompic and hypnogogic states which occur near the edge of sleep, there’s very little background chatter from the brain to jam incoming signals.
Piece Four: Signal Synchronisation
How about learning to live near the hypnogogic edge? This is flow-state. In this state we operate efficiently for three reasons:
- Outgoing signals are precisely timed and tempered for what is needed, no more and no less. There’s no sense of trying, which is actually just doing and then immediately checking the result to judge and recalibrate the doing by mental effort. Flow-state means that the doing is auto-calibrated simply by not tripping up on mistakes.
- Incoming signals are met with a context prepared to receive them as opposed to just catching them and piling them up in your inbox for later processing, thus no build up of inbox-inertia.
- The signals going in each direction are synchronised in a dance of sorts that keeps everything flowing smoothly. This happens in that the outgoing signals are spaced in such a way as to make room for the incoming signals and by means of the incoming signals being processed immediately.
Synchronicity: Maybe also a little bit important?
As a slight departure from the scientific-ish theory, but one which I find important to mention is the phenomenon known as “synchronicity” or random occurrences which seem to match in an oddly meaningful way, often with the experience of others following similar trains of thought, or paths in life. I find this important because acknowledging them seems to be related to the synchronization of our signals. Almost like a universal timing signal?
Putting It All Together
Someone once told me, in passing, in an elevator, rather synchronistically, that hearing voices is more common than people think. Out of the blue. Just that. This, is my permission slip for you. Combine the pieces how you like.
Thanks and kudos to:
