Beyond the Filtered Mind: Huxley, Shamanism and Metaphysical Languages.
A Look at Yoshtoyoshto Shamanic Language by Yaminahua population.
As seekers of truth, we often discover profound interconnections in unexpected places. Previous discussions illuminated the fractal, multi-faceted dimensions of Vedantic scriptures. Their teachings display scale symmetry - with the whole reflected in each part across levels. This parallels how shamans describe the intricate mythic language of yoshtoyoshto used in healing rituals. Though emerging from vastly different cultures, Vedantic and shamanic languages mirror each other in their recursive unfolding.
"As oil exists within every drop of sesame seed, so the Self exists within every being. As butter lies hidden within milk, so the Self dwells in every atom."
Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1.15
In his seminal work The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley puts forth the idea that the human mind acts as a "reducing valve" or "filter" that limits our perception and experience of reality. He argues that in our normal waking state, our minds filter out much of the sensory data from the external world as well as limit the depth and intensity of our internal experience.
Huxley suggests that beyond this filtered perception lies the "antipodes of the mind," a realm of intensified and unfiltered experience. By using certain psychoactive substances like mescaline, Huxley postulates that one can temporarily disable the brain's filtering mechanisms and gain access to the antipodes. When freed from the limitations and patterns imposed by the rational mind, one can experience reality more directly and with greater nuance.
The antipodes represent the polar opposite of our normal state of consciousness - a realm devoid of abstractions, labels, and linguistic distortions. Unencumbered by the reducing valve of the mind, perceptions take on a heightened intensity and interconnectedness. Colours are vivid. Sounds resonate. Spatial and temporal boundaries dissolve. According to Huxley, this unfiltered experience is closer to the true nature of reality.
The parallels between Huxley's model and indigenous shamanic practices are striking. Shamanic languages like yoshtoyoshto can be seen as tools for penetrating beyond the ordinary mind and accessing the antipodes.
Yoshtoyoshto, used by Amazonian shamans, is a secret sacred language comprised of neologisms, glossolalia, and metaphorical imagery. It is musical, emotionally charged, and mythopoetic. This distinguishes it from everyday language which is literal, referential, and logical.
Shamans use yoshtoyoshto during healing ceremonies and magical rituals. The language helps induce altered states of consciousness in both the shaman and the patient. The shaman uses obscure imagery and wordplay to short-circuit the rational mind. This allows underlying subconscious dynamics to surface. We find this precious information in the book The Cosmic Serpent by Jeremy Narby.
The language yoshtoyoshto could be translated to "twisted-winding language." Anthropologist Townsley interprets this term as meaning "twisted language." The word "twist" shares its etymological root with "two" and "twin." Technically, "twisted" means "double and wound upon itself."
Why do the Yaminahua shamans speak in this intricate, twisted tongue? According to one shaman's explanation mentioned in Narby's book, through his twisted-language songs called koshuiti, he wants to carefully examine things from all angles.
The expression "from all angles" inevitably reminds me of fractals, which I have written about recently. Fractals are objects or mathematical series characterized by a fundamental property: self-similarity. This means that the fractal is formed by parts which replicate the structure of the whole on different scales. In mathematical terms, a fractal presents scale symmetry: enlarging or reducing parts of the object, one obtains details similar to the entire structure. Through recursive self-similarity across scales, fractals mathematically manifest the interpenetration of part and whole. This echoes how the unbounded life vision of total interconnectedness expressed by shamanism, wholly manifests in each fragment of cosmos.
But I will not delve more into this now, I will expand this analysis on other occasions.
In this context, the expression “winding language” refers to a contorted, serpentine, and intricate language. Some other possible translations could be “meandering language”, “tortuous language”, “labyrinthine language”, or “intricate language.” The main idea is that this type of language follows a winding, indirect path around concepts rather than addressing them directly in a linear, conventional way. It “coils” around ideas instead of describing them straightforwardly.
The winding language allows the shaman to approach but not collide with the subject matter. Using normal words would cause him to crash into the subject. But with twisted words, he can circle things and view them.
Like Huxley's antipodes, the shamanic landscape unlocked by yoshtoyoshto is intensely vivid. It is a realm where spirits, psychic forces, and archetypal beings dwell. Knowledge and healing are not derived through deduction or empirical facts but through direct encounters with these forces.
Both Huxley and shamanism suggest that our habitual state of consciousness conceals a greater, interconnected reality. Language conditions our perceptions. Literal, ego-based language reinforces our isolated sense of self. But metaphorical, ambiguous languages can break down limiting patterns and reveal the depths of the psyche.
Temporary access to the antipodes provides vital glimpses into our fuller potential. However, the challenge is to integrate these visionary experiences back into ordinary waking life. Though the mind filters reality, it also allows us to function practically. Completely unfiltered perception would be overwhelming, even pathological.
The antipodes represent a realm of raw, unbounded experience. Yoshtoyoshto is a tool to briefly access this landscape for healing and revelation. But the process requires discernment and wisdom. Huxley and shamanic practices remind us that ordinary consciousness is only one mode and that our linguistic assumptions constrain how we engage with the cosmos. A balance between filtered ordinary perception and unfiltered visionary perception allows us to live more fully.
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