CHA TE
The Inner nterpreter
A ll living creatures are continually exposed to in
tra and extra-corporeal stimuli but only we, hu
mans, can put those sensations in to words and
commun icate to others what we feel both physically and
emotionally.
On the other hand, out of the endless number of stimuli
that bombard us simultaneously - visual, tactile, auditory,
olfactory and taste - we only become aware of some of these,
i.e. we select some of them, elabo rate them and transform
them into sensations. The same happens with stimuli pro
duced by processes within our own bodies.
Now, how does this selection occur? What sets this pro
cess in motion? How are stimuli turned into sensations that
we can then "decode" and translate into words?
I will be bold enough to take the interpreter's case and
use it allegorically. Let us imagine for a moment that there
is a witness within us that silently perceives, observes, re
cords and interprets - a witness who can stay silent and
calm . Let us call that witness our inner interpreter. Deep
inside, this in ner interpreter witnesses how thousands of
perceptions of a different nature are permanently being
selected, processed and combined. The inner interpreter
then transla tes perceptual units of one sense into the other
senses, and also instincts, feelings and emotions into ideas,
actions and thoughts.
Out of an enormously rich variety of elements of all sorts
that bombard us , the interpreter within will select and pres
ent some organ ized "units" which he will eventually translate
again, if necessary.
Chapter 21 - THE INNER INTERPRETER I 335
i
As Argemine writer Jorge Luis Borges wrote in Spanish depicting the fru it "naranj a" back in 1926, I
"W fee l a round shape by ro uchi ng, we se a heap of
li ght at d wn , a ri ngl ing fills our mouth with joy and we
m el t rh e due he[erogeneou rh ings in 0 wha t we call
a n r nge ."
Is it surprising to see in a sciem ific vide02 tha t the reconstruction of the process in the brain literally fo llows Borges' poetic and imuitive description? We can, ee in the computerized imulation of the video h w the "fe I", the "colour", "the taste" come from different bra in area and are synthesized in the unifying "word".
It was even more exhilarating to me to find in Jeff Hawki ns' recent book On Intelligence3 (2004) some descriptions of brain functioning that fit my own tentative descriptions of languLlge f unctioning (as revealed wh n we speak under pressures of time-space). Hawkins' hypothese on the neocortex processes encouraged me to dev lop these ideas a litde further.
"When we assign a name to something - says Hawkin we do so because a set of feature consisten ely travel together like in Borges' orange "the rich glow at dawn. the roundnes and the cickling filling our mouth with joy . .. »
Let us imagine then some of the processes that may take place when we are babies. I us the word imagine ince wha( follow is naturally based on inferences. When babies are born, they abandon the warm, liquid. sonorou , intimate environmem of the womb and enter a dry, airy and pr bably (for them) chaotic environment full of new and indefinable
I I I. Borge, El camano de mi esperanz,. BJ/enos Aim. Proa. 1926. Sdx Bamd. 1993.
2 Discovery Channel. 1997. Series o/three [Jideos. T he Brain - Our niverse W ithi n. VHS 24238139140.
3 Jeff Hawkins. On Intelligence. New Yo rk. Times, 2004.
336 I THE HIDDEN SIDE OF BABEL
sensations. Lied by lire getting used to their ne' similar tones and pitch etc., across di fferent sit to travel together. They some similar elements \ uncertain unknown en' some given point in til t ions berwe n differen t tastes , sees, touches, he isolate di ffere n t (fairs al
repeatedly heard simuha ing an internal connecr array of normally pJeasa associated with mother. , cal ob ject in his or b r
Connecting. linking, haps one of the very fi This activity presuppose perceiving, observing, CI
naring, identifying and implies discriminating d ties between the elemenr! When babies - playing' words, tbey learn the res process through which d chat when we learn how Jearn how to relare A or I when the related eJemel differem fields.
What nable us , as two different elements [( life experience, through c srracted and synthesized. i [be proc ss through wl plex whole as when two synrhe ized into a chemi
I
is Borges wrote In Span ish k in 1926, 1
, uching, we see a heap of If mouth with j oy nd we
rh.ings into what we call
ltifi vi de02 tha t the reconin li terally follows Borges'
We can see in the co mpu tw the "feel", the "colo ur",
brain areas and are syurhe
~ me to find in Jeff Hawkins' l) some descriptions of brain ~i e descri ptions of language e speak under pressure of
r n the neocortex pr cesses ea a little further.
pmcthing - say ' Hawkins CO l1 si ten rIy ravel rogether" ~ow at dawn, the roundness
h with joy . . . " the processes thar may take he word imagine since what
cr nces. When babies are luid, onorous, intimate ene a dry, airy and probably fu ll of new and indefinable
~a, fj lll'/l()S Airt'J. PrOd. J926, Seix
IJideo , T he Brain - Our Univer e
d?, Timt!s, 2004.
sensations. Little by li t tle - through expe rien e - they sta rt ge[(ing used ro their new hab itat an d they start recognizi ng similar tones an d pitche of a vo i e, similar smells and tastes , ere., across different ituations. Similar features that seem to travel together. T hey can p ro bab ly [hen tan idenrifying some similar elements with in the e er-changing am biguous uncer ain unknown env iro nmen t. Let us . uppose tha t at some given poin t in ti me, the baby starts making corm ections between differenr types of sensat ions: what helshe feels, ra tes, sees, touches, hears. The baby will then evenruaUy i olate dif eren t traits and will link them to certain sounds repeated ly heard simul ta neou Iy with rhos sen 'ations, making an in te rnal connecrion between - say, "mo m" , and th e
array of normally pleasant protective nouri hing ensation associated with mother. And the s me is true for othe r external objects in his or her "world".
Connecting, linking, binding, associating, relating is perhaps one of the very fi rst mental activities we engage in. Thi activity pre uppo s other "previous" acriv id es such as perceiving, observing, compari ng, di cinguishlng, discriminating, identifying and recogn izing similar parterns which implies discriminating differences and recognizing shnilarities between the elements. Repetitive expo ur surely count . W hen babies - playing wi rh the sounds - acquire their fir t words, they learn the result of the experience and ALSO the proceJS through which the result was obtained. This means chat when we learn how to relar A t B, we simultaneously learn how to relate A or B to omething el e, ay C or J , even when the related element belong in d ifferent levels or to
diffe rent fields.
What enables us, as babies, to create the link, to bind twO different clements together is our own experience. Th is life exptrience, through different processes, is evenrually abstracted and syntbe ized . Let us remember here tha t syntheSis is the process through which separate parts con t i u te a complex whole as when two or more lemenrs in chemistry are synthesized into a hemica l compound .
o 'pt!!r 21 THE INNEI\ INTERPI\ETEJI. I 337
Synthesis paves the way for order, for hierarchies, priorities
and levels. From this point of view, it becomes the opposite
of confusion which dispels, tangles and flattens hierarchies,
priorities and levels.
The results of this will be twofold for the baby: 1) "in the
reality out there" an individualized entity (or unit) will have
been selected out of the continuum of sensations and per
ceptions on the move, and an object - for example, a nursing
bottle - will have been recognized by the baby's brain. And
at the same time, 2) a word, a sign will have been created
which will enable the child ro refer to that nursing bottle or
to any nursing bottle in the world, be it present or not.
A concrete life experience gets thus transformed into the
bar or relationship between the signifier and the signified in
the linguistic concept of the sign, according ro Ferdinand de Saussure's intuitions.
O ur imaginary itinerary leads us to conceive the symbol
izing capacity of man (thinking, reasoning, imagining) as an
ever-growing continually self-organizing network of relations. Man's capacity for abstraction allows for an internal or
gan ization and re-organization of levels of relations in which
his capacity for synthesis plays a fundamental role.
In these simp le acts babies perform when learning their fi rst words, there seems to be a blissful seed: the baby is learn
ing to make a connection, a bond between certain sounds
and o ther perceptions. As a consequence of this relationship
established be tween s me tangible and intangible elements,
a "w rd" will be born. T he wonderfu l part of all this is that
it is not only a word: the word mirrors the entity co-created
outside. As babies identi fy enricies outsid e of themselves,
they si multaneo usly incorp rate names that will enable them
to ri ng back these en titi es whenever they wish, as magic Ab racadabra! in a conjuring tric k.
There is movement, ac tion, life; discovery and wonder
and pleasure in such a simple act as that of a baby learning to talk. T here is creativity involved. As when an adult finds
the right word and the righ t sequence and the righ t means to
I THE HIDDEN SIDE OF BABEL
translate h is fee li ngs/thl
into words. O r when, p
the translato r translate~
tionships (of shapes and into a different networ1
a certain similitude of L
alchemy seems to be at "PubHc speech", as (
only the tip of the iceb< From the public arer
ing to delve inside, expl. in terp teter, "the witness
mate space, the "free-wil
mystics. Ie Jardin secre
space where perception! us co-create "our" worlc
How we select, cho(
from the envi ro nment
ize them is diffic ult to
volved we call "abstrac
some go. Since we do not yet
picture the process wid
lowing the intuitions
leave the beaten track sion of the world".
Fortunately, the ab curring at diffe ren lev
pattern repeating it ell cal level, a very conc[('
before the baby is bo rt
ize other abst racti ng f plac... nta. The placen ta Whatever is no t need
nervous systems select
338
r, for hierarchies, priorities
w, it becomes the opposite
~s and flaHens hierarchies,
)ld for the baby: 1) "in the
'd enti~y (or unit) will have
urn of sensations and per
:ct - for example, a nursing
d by the baby's brain. And
ign will have been created
~r to that nursing bottle or
l, be it present or not.
thus transformed into the
ignifier and the signified in
according to Ferdinand de
us to conceive the symbol
·easoning, imagining) as an
ganizi ng network of rela
'n allows for an internal or
levels of rela tions in which
ndamen tal role.
rform when learning their
ssful seed: the baby is learn
Id between certain sounds
:quence o f this relationship
Ie and intangible elements,
erful part of all this i that
iuors the en ti ty co-created
:ies olltside of themselves,
eames that will enabl e them
never they wish , as magic
life; discovery and wonder
: as that of a baby learning
~ d. As when an adult fi nds
:nce and the right mea ns to
translate his feelings/th o ughts/ideas/emotions and put them
into words. Or when, passing from one language to another,
the translator translates, turning a certain network of rela
tionships (of shapes and sounds, and signifiers and signified)
into a different network of relationships in order to preserve
a certain similitude of values, relations and beliefs. A certain
alchemy seems to be at work to succeed the "pass".
" Public speech", as George Steiner says in After Babel, "is
only the ti p of the iceberg".
From the public arena where we started, we are now dar
ing to delve inside, exploring the private area where our inner
interpreter, "the witness" or "the observer" lives in that inti
mate space, the "free-will" zone, the secret garden of poets and
mystics. Le Jardin secret dont parlait Voltaire. The cognitive
space where perceptions, feelings, and language meet to help us co-create "our" world.
How we select, choose, combine and integrate elements
from the environment to constitute entities and internal
ize them is difficult to describe. The "filtering" process in
volved we call "abstraction". We sift elements: some stay,
some go.
Since we do not yet have instruments at our disposal to
picture the process within, we can only explore the field fol
lowing the intu itions of certain visionaries who dared to
leave the beaten track and defy the "normally accepted vi
sio n of the world" .
Fo rtunately, the abstracting process seems to keep re
cur ring at diffe rent levels as a mantra or a mandala or as a
pattern repeating its elf. In th is manner, even at the physi
cal level, a v ry concrete "abs traction process" occurs even
before th baby is born. Its d escrip tion can help us vis ual
ize o ther abst rac ting processes. Foetuses feed through the
p lacenta. Th p lacenta filte rs w hat it needs from the bl od.
Whatever is no t need d , proceeds. In the sam e way, our
nervous systems select cer tain things and discard others.
Chaprer 11 - THE INNER INTER.PRETER I 339
l
i
l
Attention - Focus The Scientific Orientation In Everyday Life
Since we are taking a look inside, atten tion must be paid to accention itself.
To some spiri tual teachers, attention is the key '0 the piri rual road.
W hat do we choose and decide merits our att nt ion? According to the Oxfo rd Advanced Learner's, attention is
the action of applying one's mind to something or somebody or no ticing som d ing or somebody' special care or action; kind or thoughtful act.
A ttend is to apply one's mind steadily; to give carefu l thought.
Tend is to take care or look after; be likely to behave in a certain way or to have a certain haracteri tic or inHuence; ro take a certain direction.
A very subtle .imernal movement, an imperceptible attirude seem to underlie the direction we give 0 our arremion.
"Attention is an exceptional state which does not last long since it ontradicts the fundamental characterisitic of psychic life: change" said Ribo[.4 And he quotes Maudsley saying:
"He who i incapable of governing his muscles is inca
pable of paying attention".
Also in the 19th century psychologist WilIiam James wrote:
"volitional effort is effort of attention ... effon of at
tendon is th us [he essential phenome non of will " .
In the 21st century, th r res archers point in the arne direction. After having obtained some uccess in the treatment ot patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychiauist
4 Thtodule Ribot. Psycho logie de ['attention. Pari.i, Alcon, 1916
I THE HIDDE' SIDE OF BABEL
Jeffrey Schwarrz5 conten power to reshape itself.
"Atte nt io n can scu
down the rate at which
since we know that firi
makes them grow sero
important ingredient I
From the very outset
plicidy, I have emphasi tion. Attention, focus, co
pie, speakers and listene Listening for implied a tangible and the intang figures, details and back ships, actions and essenl and how he is saying it sitting, who is sitting b Notice how people ueal he smokes.
These and many oth formulate hypotheses a consistency of hjs speec
servation will foster pm terpret and to act.
"Correct predictio[
predictions result in c . ,,7
tentlon .
5 Jeffrey Schwal'tz and Sha/'oJ tieity and [he Power of Men
6 Neuroscientist Jail Robertson
in The Mind and The Brain,
1 Jeff Hawkins, On Inrelligel
340
:ocus
n In Everyday Life
attention m ust be p id to
ion is the key to the spiri
erits our artentio n? :ed Learner's, atten tion is
, somethi ng or somebody
y; pedal care or action;
steadily; to giv careful
; be likely to behave in a 'ae ris tic or infl uence; to
an impe rcepti ble a[tiwde
,ive to our attention. whi h does nor last long
characterisitic of psychic
,ores Maudsley saying:
ling h is muscles is inca-
Igisr WiUiam James wrote:
[tenrion ... e ffort o f at
menon of will" .
h r point in the same di
: sl1ccess in the rreaunenr ivt disorder, psychiatrist
. Paris, Alcan, 19 16.
Jeffrey Schwartz5 contends that attention gives the brain the
power to reshape itself.
"Attention can sculpt brain activity by turning up or
down the rate at which particular sets of synapses fire. And
since we know that firing a set of synapses again and again
makes them grow stronger, it follows that attention is an
important ingredient for neuroplasticity" .6
From the very outset of this book, either explicitly or im
plicitly, I have emphasized the importance of paying atten
tion. Attention, focus, concentration. Paying attention to peo
ple, speakers and listeners, to their history and background.
Listening for implied and hidden messages. Observing the
tangible and the intangible; observing closely forms , shapes,
figures, details and backgrounds, contents, histories, relation
ships, actions and essence. Listen to what someone is saying,
and how he is saying it, and to whom. Look at where he is
sitting, who is sitting by his side, in front and behind him.
Notice how people treat him, how he walks, what he eats, if
he smokes.
These and many other data will enable the interpreter to
formulate hypotheses about the speaker's intent, about the
consistency of his speech and the veracity of his words. Ob
servation will foster prediction. Prediction is necessary to in
terpret and to act.
"Correct predictions result in understanding; incorrect
predictions result in confusion and prompt you to pay at. ,,7
tentlon.
5 Jeffrey Schwartz and Sharon Begley, The Mind & The Brain - Neuroplasti city and the Power of Mental Force, New York, Harper Collins, 2002.
6 Neuroscientist Ian Robertson o/Trinity College Dublin as quoted by Schwartz in The Mind and The Brain, N ew York, Harper Collins, 2002.
7 Jeff Hawkins, On Intelligence, New York: Times Books, 2004.
Ch.pter 21 - THE INNER INTERPRETER I 341
Then the interpreter will check the hypolheses agains t the new data gaLhered through me experience of the meeting and me coma t wi h speakers and through the di course itself. Some of such hypotheses will be confirmed. others rejected andlor rrans fo rmed. and new ones wi ll be elaborated.
What we would like [0 add at this poim is the need for the interpreter - any speaker or human being for that matter - to
also pay attention within. P y a tention inside, [0 what he/she
is feeling, sensing, thinking. wishing. Throughout rhe 20th century we have mos Iy been taught
in the Western world to pay artention [0 rhe outside world, [0 rely on our senses, to demand ve ri ficarion , to expect "objectivity". There is nothing wrong with thar provided we do no t forget to r vise ou r own assump tions and beliefs underlying our search for "objectiveness". Looking inside ourselv s may prove fundamental. It is perhaps the imerweaving of the observarions from within and from without that provides us wi th our mo re reliable [Ools in life.
orne of the humbles t human beings I have met are scientis ts. T hose at the frontier of knowledge know bener than others about the precariousne s and the partiality of their own views.
Thi healthy unpretentious scientific approach , respectfu l of the mysteries of the univer e and conscious of our limitat ions and potentials could easily be applied by all of us in our everyday lives. Indeed, Wendell Johnson8 has sugges ted four bas ic steps to what he calls "the scientific method in everyday li fe":
1. asking clear answerable uestions, 2. observing, 3. reporting as accurately a possible and 4. revising assumptions and belief in light of the observa
tions made and the answers obtained.
8 Wentkll Joh nson, People in Quandaries - The Semant ics of Personal djusrment, USA, Harper and Bros, 1946, 4th priwing, In ternlltional SOCiety fo r General Semantics, 1989.
342 I THE HIDDEN SIDE OF BABEL
We could also tran 1 four following steps: 1)
selves using aU our sen e, fying, 4) formulating hy
This came easily to D
to fo llowing quite a sis swerabl que tions beir way ask: who is ayi o. for what purpose. 2) ol own - hopefully accura language 4) I had to [
eses and beliefs in (he trans lated .
I said that one of th bringi ng about a shift i focus on things or aspel have considered - b tI shift, then, is to pay as ing inside you as you yo u. And in so doing, t ings and emotions, dis and evaluating them iJ
by them . Being able to redire
implie being in comm
+
k che hypotheses against the erience of the meeting and r ugh the discourse i tsel f. confirmed, others rejected
s will be elaborated. th i. point i rhe need for the )1l being for d at matter - to
m rion inside, to what hel he
ng. we have mostly been taught enrion to the outside world, v rificarion, to expect "ob
g with tha t provided we do lption and beliefs underly". Looking in ide ourselves
flaps the inrerweavi ng of tbe )m wichour that provides us e.
b in I have met are scien
fcuge know better chao others Janialicy of their own view. 1 ntiBc approach, respectful lnd 00 dous of our limita( be applied by all of LIS in ddl Johnson8 has suggested s "the scientific method in
,ti n.
)ssible and ~ I ie fs in light of the observaobtained.
I - T he Semantics f Personal Ad4th printing, lntrrnational ociery
We could also translate thi ' ' scientific method" into ch four following steps: 1) observation inside and outside ourselves using all our senses, 2) experimentation, 3) testing, verifying, 4) formulating hypotheses again.
This came easily to me since, a an interpreter. I was used to following quite a similar path at work: 1) the clear aoswerable questions being the imple questions I hould al ways ask: who is saying what to whom , when, where and for what purpose. 2) obs rving, 3) my "version" b came my own - hopefully accurate - real-rime reporting in a differen language, 4) I had to revise my own assumption, hypotheses and beli fs in the light of what I had heard, se nand translated.
I said hat one of rhe aims of this book is to sue eed in bringing about a shi ft in attention, making you, the reader, focus on things or a peets of things you wou ld not normally have considered - both externally and internally. The first shi ft, then, is to pay as much auention co what is happening inside you a you do to what is happen ing outside of you. And in so doing, try to navigate thro ugh your own fe lings and emotions, distingUishing them from one ano ther and evaluating them instead of imply being carried away by them.
Being able co redirect o ur attention and hi ft its targets implies being in command of our own selves.
+ .:.• +
Ch.pter 21 - THE INNER INTERPRETER I 343