First Language – Summary of Premise and Claim
Originally written March 2018 by Garnet Dupuis
Reviewed & Amended July 31, 2021
Introduction & Definition
The concept of First Language describes the primal human capacity to gain knowledge through direct experience before intellectual thought, symbolic interpretation, or conscious analysis. It proposes that awareness can access subtle states of consciousness where information is perceived directly through internal sensory experience rather than through ordinary thinking.
"The First Language is a new and novel term describing the primal capacity of human beings to directly experience and gain knowledge at a pre-intellectual level when awareness is turned towards the subtle states of consciousness and their internal sensory expressions."
The Ocean Analogy
Imagine the human brain as an ocean.
- The surface represents ordinary conscious awareness.
- The deep ocean represents unconscious processes beyond awareness.
- The middle zone represents the First Language—a bridge between conscious awareness and the deepest levels of the mind.
Just as the ocean functions as one integrated system despite its different layers, the brain operates as a continuous whole where conscious, subconscious, and unconscious processes constantly exchange information.
First Language Is Not the First State
The article distinguishes between the First State and the First Language.
The First State refers to the deepest foundational condition of human existence— described throughout history using terms such as self, spirit, soul, or Atman. The First Language acts as the communication bridge connecting this foundational state with ordinary conscious experience.
A Language of Communication
Rather than spoken words, First Language is viewed as an ancient communication system that allows information to flow throughout living organisms.
According to the article, this communication allows:
- Information exchange between the organism and its environment.
- Global communication throughout the organism itself.
- Communication between living organisms.
The First Moment
The First Language also gives rise to what the author calls the First Moment—an immediate experience of pure presence before reflection or interpretation begins.
The sequence is described as:
- First Moment — direct experience.
- Second Moment — reflection.
- Third Moment — response.
This immediate state has been described in many traditions as "naked awareness," "the here and now," or "the power of now."
From Language to Information
The article progressively expands the meaning of language:
Language → Communication → Information → Organization
Biological organization depends less on energy alone and more on the meaningful information carried throughout living systems.
Light and Sound as the Earliest Signals
The First Language is proposed to have evolved from the most fundamental forms of biological communication:
- Photons — packets of electromagnetic light.
- Phonons — mechanical vibrations associated with sound and heat.
These represent two foundational signaling systems:
- Electromagnetic radiation (light).
- Mechanical vibration (sound).
The familiar senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste are proposed to be later evolutionary expressions of these much older internal communication systems.
Neuroplasticity Has Always Been Active
The article argues that neuroplasticity should not be viewed only as changes occurring inside the brain. Instead, adaptation involves the entire organism—including the brain, heart, gut, skin, and body as an integrated system.
Continuous adaptation has always been fundamental to life and evolution, making neuroplasticity an ancient biological principle rather than a modern discovery.
Rethinking "Inside" and "Outside"
The familiar distinction between internal and external experience is presented as a useful metaphor rather than an absolute reality.
Scientific perspectives increasingly suggest that living organisms operate as continuously interacting systems without rigid boundaries between self and environment.
The Human Being as an Open System
Systems theory describes humans as open systems that constantly exchange:
- Information
- Energy
- Matter
This continual exchange supports self-organization, adaptation, and communication— all fundamental characteristics of the proposed First Language.
Coherence and Nature's Music
The article discusses the work of researchers including Ilya Prigogine, Herbert Fröhlich, Mae-Wan Ho, and others who explored coherent biological organization through electromagnetic interactions.
The author describes the vast electromagnetic spectrum as "Nature's Music"—an energetic alphabet through which living systems communicate and organize themselves.
The Biological Field
Beyond individual structures, the article explores the concept of biological fields, suggesting that communication may extend throughout the organism as a whole and even beyond the body's apparent boundaries.
William James's field theory of consciousness and later research into bioelectromagnetic fields are presented as important developments supporting this perspective.
Religious Symbols and the First Language
The article also explores research suggesting that common religious symbols such as circles, crosses, stars, spirals, and tunnels may reflect innate geometric patterns associated with fundamental states of consciousness.
These recurring forms may represent external expressions of the internal visual language naturally generated by the nervous system.
Conclusion
The First Language is presented as an innate, pre-intellectual system of communication that connects our deepest biological foundations with conscious awareness. Rather than relying on words, it communicates through patterns of light, sound, vibration, organization, and direct experience.
By understanding this subtle language, the article proposes that we may better appreciate how perception, learning, adaptation, and consciousness emerge from the continuous interaction of the whole organism with itself, other living beings, and the surrounding environment.