Experience & Communication

Experiencing, Level-4 in the Root Hierarchy, is intrinsic to Communicating. After all the fundamental stimuli-PH5L1 depend utterly on sensation-PH4L1. No sensation = no communicative event.

By placing the Levels of Experiencing directly in relation to the levels of Communication, it is possible to see a direct enabling association at all Levels. This seems to be more than the usual resonance related to similarity of formulae.

The hierarchy of Experience has its own oscillating duality, which is about personal boundaries:

• odd-numbered Levels: diffuse & externally triggered, &
• even-numbered Levels: sharply delineated & internally generated.

In the hierarchy of Communication, the oscillating duality reveals that precision in communicating swings between:

• odd-numbered Levels: indefinite & ambiguous, &
• even-numbered Levels: definite & unambiguous.

The Matrix below shows the correspondence between these two dualities and indicates how the experience elements contribute to communication elements at each Level.

L	Process & Structure	Precision	Self-Boundaries	Contribution of the Level of Experience (PH4)
7	Be Open Openness	Indefinite Ambiguous	Diffuse & externally triggered	Imagination —enables and creates possibilities for communication
6	Mean Meaning	Definite Unambiguous	Sharp & internally generated	Identification —enables assessment of the other's receptivity & ability to comprehend.
5	Name Term	Indefinite Ambiguous	Diffuse & externally triggered	Intuition —enables construction of a name that feels right when used.
4	Symbolize Symbol	Definite Unambiguous	Sharp & internally generated	Idea —enables jumping from one thing (i.e. idea) to another.
3	Signify Sign	Indefinite Ambiguous	Diffuse & externally triggered	Emotion —enables attribution of value to a sign, signal or stimulus.
2	Signal Signal	Definite Unambiguous	Sharp & internally generated	Image —enables creation of a learnable stimulus and its perception-recognition.
1	Stimulate Stimuli	Indefinite Ambiguous	Diffuse & externally triggered	Sensation —enables the reception of a stimulus.

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More Review Options ►

• Focus on words and how they fit within communicative events.
• More focus on receptivity.
• For the diligent: another check for hierarchy.
• Why and how communication usually fails.
• Focus on the communicative event and the role of critical factors, like context and the reference group.
• How precision and ambiguity reveal that communication is often made subservient to other demands.

Originally posted 27-May-2011; Last updated 24-Jul-2011.