Language is an interesting subject. Countless theories and speculation have come about this subject. Whether or not animals actually have a language from the calls of whales, to the chirps of birds. How much of it is an actual language and how much of it is instinct based upon sensory cues?
As I mentioned in my blog post about The Creation, I do believe that in the beginning, before the fall of Adam and Eve, that animals could speak. This would explain Eve's lack of shock as the serpent that Satan possessed spoke to her (Genesis 3:4, Moses 4:6-7). With the ancient understanding of this principle, we can also see why Balaam a prophet from Pethor was not surprised either when his ass (donkey) began to speak (Numbers 22:22-35) when the Lord opened its mouth.
Thus, it is not unreasonable to say that animals might have their own languages for they might simply be confounded with the fall like human language was with the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:4-9, Ether 1:33-37). With the confounding of tongues or languages at the tower of Babel, we have countless languages. I am not a linguist, though I do understand that many of the languages today have evolved from other languages. Like Portuguese from Spanish. English itself is a giant mix of Latin and Greek roots with some entire words stolen from other languages.
Yet, as I talked about in my blog post about Light of Christ and the gift of the Holy Ghost, I recounted an experience I had with feeling the Holy Ghost when someone bore their testimony (witness of Christ) in American Sign Language. It was from that experience that I gained my own testimony of the universal language of the Spirit. The Spirit of God can communicate meanings, thoughts, and feelings directly from one individual to another.
However, if this powerful connection using the language of the Spirit were all that is necessary, why would we also have the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues? Even from the beginning God gave Adam a language, a pure, unaltered, perfect language. "In the beginning God gave Adam a language that was pure, perfect, and undefiled. This Adamic language, now unknown, was far superior to any tongue which is presently extant... This first language spoken by mortals was either the celestial tongue of the Gods or such adaptation of it as was necessary to meet the limitations of mortality; and Adam and his posterity had power to speak, read, and write it." (Mormon Doctrine pg 15 Adamic Language)
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| "Deja Vu" scene from The Matrix |
At very least this shows how important language and literacy is. Indeed, there is the theory that learning a new language changes the way an individual thinks. As with the word "deja vu" it is a purely French word that has no equal in the English language. The concept of deja vu is feeling like your are experiencing again, or reliving a moment. Creating and having a word for such a phenomena changes the way in which we are able to express that idea and that feeling. We are able to break it down and define it more and simply. This is why it is important to learn multiple languages, because often times, a word in one language will have slightly different connotations than another making it uniquely qualified to properly represent the message that someone is trying to get across.
Like with Spanish, all nouns are either male or female, even those for objects. This makes it more difficulty for native Spanish speakers to understand the concept of gender-less English words like "they", "them", or "it".
Now, briefly, I would like to point out that usually learning a language takes repetition, immersion, hard work and dedication. However, there are some exceptions, including the spiritual gift of tongues, and fictionally the Tamaranean kiss. I bring up the Tamaranean kiss simply because it was a fascinating concept from the DC comic book universe. When the Tamaranean Koriand'r (Starfire) came to earth, she kissed Robin (Batman's sidekick) and learned English, allowing her to communicate with the earthlings. Though pure, abstract magic exists within the DC universe, in my mind magic has always been a more spiritual science.
With the notion that maybe this could actually be possible, I have thought about how. I would imagine that some sort of electrical current could pass through the lips and map out the circuits from the brain to the mouth correlating thoughts and ideas to speech. This could be similar to a bio-electrical reading like the sensors that sharks have in their snouts helping them sense movement and animals nearby.
Though Starfire learned English in this manner, there were yet many cultural and understanding complications. Thus suggesting that with the speedy manner of learning some fundamentals of the language remained to be learned more manually.
A movie that created an interesting concept of spoken words was Pontypool. Pontypool is a Canadian "zombie" movie that I have found quite unique. It is a viral outbreak that makes people homicidal, however the dialogue pushes the notions that words themselves are infected, and only words from the English language. Though I like the outside-the-box thinking of the movie as a brain exercise, it inspired me to, like Starfire's language learning ability, think about how it could really happen.
In my mind, it would be an actual viral infection, however, everyone is infected already. The virus is simply dormant within the brain, likely nestled along a neural pathway associated with a word. From the movie, it seemed as though they were different words for different people, and they did not "infect" or rather activate with the use for everyone. With my manner of thinking, this would imply that the way in which the English language shapes the brain is the only corridors of neural activity that the virus attaches to.
The main word that we learn for sure is an infected word was "kill". The doctor talks about how it is only when the word is heard and understood that it activates, implying further that the neural connection expands to the auditory receptors as well. "Kill" itself as a spoken word, the vibrations of those sounds, cannot activate the virus without the continuing connection of the meaning behind the word.
Similarly, the individual who begins to activate begins repeating the word over and over. The doctor compared this to an auto-immune response. Saying the word allows the individual to hear it and comprehend it again, re-triggering the virus almost like they are trying to overheat that location with electrical energy. Much like a normal auto-immune response of swelling and heat.
Alas, and as further evidence of my hypothesis, the woman repeating the word "kill" did not infect the man with her using that word. This implies that any or certain words, certain mappings of neural connections, allow the virus to attach and it may not attach in the same location for each individual.
The cure was the cincher for my idea. With the woman repeating the word "kill" the man redirected the immune response. By disassociating the word slightly, it changed the neural pathway, allowing the virus to go dormant again before it fully activated. Grant Mazzy, the main character, tells Sydney Briar, the infected woman, that "kill means kiss". "K" being a strong, definitive sound, it triggered the same electrical pathway, but then derailed or detoured to a completely opposite meaning with "kiss".
Surprisingly, the notion of electrical pathways determining language and thought have been around for quite a while. With computers and their binary code coupled with Morse code for telegrams and emergency signals we see that circuits and space have a correlations with information.
Spoiler Alert!
As with the concept of languages being in different parts of the brain, Arrival took a turn with how learning languages changes the way one thinks.
In Arrival, the aliens brought their language, a very interestingly language, in which they need to know exactly what they were going to say before and after. They compare this to writing a sentence with both of your hands, one from the beginning of the sentence and the other from the end, and then meeting in the middle. The main suspense of the movie is caused with the communication of the idea of "weapon". For them, their language was the only weapon worth sharing because understanding it, being fluent in it, expands the human brain to be able to see through time. Similar to how Dr. Manhattan from the DC universe Watchmen timeline could only see his own direct future, this change only affects the individual, but they can then see their life as the sentence. From the beginning and the end, meeting in the present.
Remarkably, it is interesting how that language, that way of thinking allowed the aliens to anticipate a problem that would require the help of humans, and the humans must have this ability themselves in order to help. Like a continuing cycle for the betterment of life itself.
Yet, we must remember how important it was for God to teach Adam both a spoken language, and how to read and write. With the emphasis in Arrival with the written word, we have to acknowledge the remark-ability of symbols standing for words, sounds, and sentences. In Egyptian, the hieroglyphics represented sounds and yet the pictographs portrayed entire stories. Even in English, though we borrowed Roman lettering we also have braille, dots choreographed to stand for another symbol (a letter). Still, in Chinese, Japanese, and other oriental languages a symbol can represent an entire word, or part of a word.
Often times, cultures associate words with power and meaning. Like in the Chinese mythology Jiangshi (Chinese vampires) could be stopped with talismans. These talismans were originally based and predicated on sealed orders from a shogun or emperor (Chinese Talisman Demystified). Official documents like these became symbols in themselves of power and authority, like the wax seals of European kings on their important messages to troops or for diplomacy.
Episode 6 of a show called FreakyLinks took the idea of words having power one step further. In this episode entitled Subject: The Harbingers, there were inter-dimensional beings seeping through a barrier that we could call a veil. These beings were the Harbingers, and they would possess people, latching onto their backs and encouraging them to be angry and commit violence. However, the book about these creatures itself had power over them, to drive them out of this plane of existence. Much like the concept of a bible burning a vampire who touches it, the premise is that the words simply existing with their meaning has power.
In the church we learn that the scriptures have power and can recharge and even rejuvenate us and our spirits. Allowing us to truly "feast" upon the words of Christ (2 Nephi 32:3). There is even a certain power or special influence that comes from studying the scriptures from a physical book as opposed to simply reading them through electronics. This connection church leaders have acknowledge and is a part of the reason why they still push for people to have and study from an actual book.
Another movie that made an interesting metaphysical correlation between words and power was the 2001 remake of Thirteen Ghosts (Thir13en Ghosts). This movie used Latin words as seals or power to bind and prevent ghosts from passing through walls or floor.
Like irrefutable commandments that the spirits must obey. Even the summoning of the spirits to the center room was done with recorded spoken words commanding and demanding that the ghosts yield and obey.
In reality, the reason why I think that written word has so much more power than digital word is because of how elements and the light of truth work together. With words on a page, you have elements with their own spirits attached, all dedicated to being a substance that will either absorb light (the letters) or reflect light (the paper or material the words are printed on). That light, or lack thereof, portrays a message, the very word of God. Contrary, electronics emit light. Whatever source of florescence, whether light-bulbs or more high tech means, are only temporary. They lack that dedication, that solidarity of always testifying and revealing the truth written upon it. The same bulb that illuminates the name of Christ could deny Him the very next second.
Though that is simply speculation, there is another, less metaphysical theory that people have as to why it is better to study from an actual book. Our minds are designed to experience, not simply observe, and our eyes pick up the sides, the margins, and the location of the words on the page. With these other factors, studying from scriptures we can more easily find a scripture we liked because we vaguely remember where it was on a page. By limiting our field of view to a small screen, we are limiting the level of cementing a scripture or passage can have in our minds.
Summing up, language is fundamental in whatever form it takes, and does indeed have power. For it was by the power of God, His authority and honor (Doctrine and Covenants 29:36), that He was able to speak and the universe was created and organized (Genesis 1:3, John 1:1-3). What we say matters. How we think and what we think about matters. It is important that we gain as much education as we can, and ever reach towards truth, and God, and Christ.
Love,
Jacobugoth
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