Uncovering The Hidden Message

The Language Of Buried Metaphors

English has been described as "the language of buried metaphors." As a member of the Indo-European family of languages, its roots can be traced back roughly 8,000 years to an area north of the Black Sea. Derivatives of these original family members have since spread throughout Europe and into many areas of the Middle East and northern India. The descendents of the original family include the Indo-Iranian languages, the Baltic languages, and the Celtic languages. By far most important to the growth of Modern English were the Romance and Germanic languages. Every major language on earth has contributed in some way to Modern English.

Metaphors produce vivid images for the inner eye. When heard they have a powerful impact on our thoughts. The word metaphor is derived from two Greek words, meta meaning with and phero meaning bear which when used in combination mean "transfer" as in "a transfer of meaning." By using metaphor one has the ability to communicate rich tapestries of thought with very few words.

The use of metaphor is a natural tool for influencing people's thought and behavior. It is an essential device used by the media for shaping public opinion on everything from politics to which toothpaste to buy. We are constantly being bombarded with information rich in metaphoric content that cunningly highlights certain aspects of a situation while glossing over others. The term "spin-doctor" comes readily to mind.

A Matter Of Perception

So, why is speech our primary vehicle of communication? The secret may lie not so much with our tongues as with our ears. The ear is the most acute of the physical senses. It can hear frequencies between 20 and 20,000 Hz., twice the range of the eye. Through our ears we perceive both numerical quantity (for example an octave is a ratio of 1:2, a fifth 2:3, and so on) and numerical value (such as the tone of a musical note). Even more remarkable is our ability to transmute physical vibration into consciousness.

...the ears have also always been viewed as the "gateway to the soul." In addition to their measuring ability, there is their ability to sense. The most wonderful thing is how these two faculties are coupled together. In fact, it seems that in this coupling lies the greatest capacity of our ears: their ability to transfer, with unbelievable precision, mathematical quantities into sense perceptions, conscious into subconscious, measurable things into unmeasurable ones, abstract concepts into matters of soul and vice versa, of course. In face, simply by virtue of their existence, our ears constantly demand that these two fields, which appear to our other senses to be so totally different from each other, be related to each other. Even more: they make it irrefutably clear that there is such a relationship.

Joachim-Ernst Berendt
The World Is Sound, Nada Brahama:
Music And The Landscape Of Consciousness

Our Secrets Are No Longer Hidden

An astounding function of our speech is that there is also a mirror language we naturally create each time we talk. It is a heavily symbolic language built on metaphor emerging directly from the unconscious, and one wonders if it rises up from even greater depths. Try to keep in mind that it is a normal function of our unconscious minds to both create the reversals and understand them when we hear them. Naturally occurring during our daily conversations they influence our feelings and add information about the speaker and the situation. Human beings are not only innately symbolic creatures, we are also wonderfully truthful and spiritual at our deepest level. David Oates has found that the truth is always revealed in our reverse speech, no matter how good of a spin-doctor we appear to be on the surface. He calls reverse speech "the ultimate truth detector." It is also the ultimate language of buried metaphors.

For the first time in history we have the ability to consciously hear reverse speech with the aid of modern technology. Hearing it consciously for the first time is a very odd experience, as you will soon find out when you play the audio clips presented both here and on David Oates' web site. Reverse speech has a peculiar sounding accent and is generally spoken much faster than forward speech. In it we hear the whole range of human emotion. The different parts of the self can even speak with different voices. It takes some time and effort to become accustomed to it.

When reviewing the words and phrases of reverse speech, I wonder what is this person trying to communicate. We often get caught up in asking, "What did I say?" because we are often so out of touch with our true self we think we are talking to ourselves. The more telling question in my mind is, "What am I telling people and why?" My feeling is that this path of inquiry can lead us to our very souls.

The Search For Meaning

Reverse speech reflects what the person is speaking about forward and thinking about at the time. The more abstract the concept being conveyed forward, the richer the metaphors found in reverse. For example, here I'm talking to a friend about my research into reverse speech with experiencers. I am trying to convince her that there is merit to it. I say forward, "Well, see, I'm researching this too." In reverse I say, "Then if you see my proof…" The forward statement and its reversal represent a pretty straightforward concept. As you see the reversal adds information to the forward statement. Forwards I am not letting on that I already feel I have proof that it works.

Abstract concepts and descriptions of unusual encounters and spiritual experiences are more difficult to interpret due to their high metaphoric content. When experiencers speak of their encounters with the unknown their reversals are almost totally in metaphor. Though challenging to interpret the reversals add pertinent information in a way very different from hypnosis. One thing is very clear; experiencers always interpret their memories of these significant events in a spiritual way. This stands out even more in their reversals than in their forward speech.

Are the metaphors used in this context analogous to dream symbols? Are all of the metaphors idiosyncratic to the speaker or only some. If so, which ones? Do they only reflect what the person thinks and feels or could it be that at rare moments it is possible to commune with the soul? Can all these metaphors be considered expressions of the collective unconscious?

Examining The Unknown

An understanding of the metaphors of reverse speech slowly develops as an in-depth analysis is done with a particular person or group of people with similar experiences. David Oates has found hundreds of common metaphors in his many years of work as a therapist using reverse speech as a therapeutic aid. I am finding that experiencers tend to use metaphors that I currently believe may be unique them. They are painting a picture for us of their inner life. It's a challenging, spiritual life's journey into the unknown.

Patricia Mason
March 20, 1998