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