Language as the Expression of Consciousness

‘Where there is no equivalent in language there is for mankind no equivalent in consciousness’.

Human consciousness understands and expresses only that which it knows; it lives and manifests according to that which is familiar. The ideas and experiences gained over time are perfectly encapsulated in what we call our language. The range of vocabulary and the manner in which we express ourselves as a race are direct reflections of what we know about the universe so far and what we have come to understand about ourselves. This knowledge is ever limited to the stage we have reached on the long evolutionary cycle.

The discoveries in the realm of consciousness which we are all experiencing in varying degrees are regulated under universal law by a long series of expansions in consciousness. From the cave man experience to the present state in which we find ourselves, we know instinctively (or should I say, intuitively) the enormous range of expansions we have experienced over time, and that with each expansion we gained something new, something which at first appeared strange, until we brought it into the known. We bring the unknown into the known by creating new words to describe the experience, new words which become part of our vocabulary, and therefore, a part of our sum total of experience.

Consider for a moment the new words we are now creating in relation to our experiences in the field of technology. Our concept of time, for example, is quite different now to what it was a few decades ago. The computer age, as it continues to grow more powerful, is shifting the way we think and feel, and in particular, our experience of time. Life appears to be speeding up considerably and there is so much more occurring within a single second than ever before. We may not be fully aware of the distinct shifts that are shaping the quality of our consciousness, but they are occurring. The technological age is an experience of expansion for mankind and is having a fundamental effect on our collective point of view.

For many people language is seen as a mode of communication, and a very necessary expedient in the round of daily living, and of course, it is, but in truth it is far more than this. Before speech occurs on the tongue, sound must first register in the mind; the sound then manifests as an idea in the mind and the inner ear hears it when consciousness becomes attentive to what is occurring in the mind. Before the sound manifests in mind as an idea, it exists as sphota in a realm beyond mind. It is here, within this higher perceptual space, where all sphotas abound, many of which we have not yet experienced. Every sound in the universe is causal at its source. All sound is held on causal levels as a sphota (स्फोट) of knowledge before it manifests as an idea in mind and as speech in the vernacular.

Sphota (स्फोट) is a word in Sanskrit which explains the eternal and imperceptible element of sound; its essential significance becomes an idea which bursts or flashes in the realm of mind when the sound is registered by consciousness. Think on it. It is said that the entire universe is built upon sound: ‘In the beginning was the word and the word was God . . . ‘ as proffered in ancient teachings and given to mankind for his enlightenment. We speak and we create with our words, but it is the quality of the speech which dictates the power of the word.

It is truly a wonderful world in which we live, even if present conditions sometimes obscure that truth. The possibilities for expansion and growth in consciousness remain ever available. On the surface, we are facing real challenges to our collective harmony, and many conflicts still call for resolution; it is understandable that some fear a return to the appalling conditions of the last century’s great wars. Yet alongside these tensions, many today are beginning to touch higher realms of thought—registering fresh, untouched sphotas for which no new words yet exist. For those not yet sensing these expansions, it is only a matter of time. There are always those who move more quickly out of the old and into the new, becoming quiet beacons of light that help others find their way.

As new impressions enter human awareness, we will need new language to hold them. Until then, they remain sensed but not fully known. The next expansion may arise from our willingness to look inward with greater depth, attuning to the new sounds seeking resonance across humanity. What is the subtle note now emerging through us, and how might we meet it, sound it, and give it form? Behind the worn patterns of our physical, emotional, and mental life stands the new paradigm, quiet and unwavering. Its emerging sound carries what is fresh and transformative, opening the way for the next movement in our collective consciousness.