The Unspoken Language

“Emotional feelings, instead of finding expression and discharge in the symbolic use of words and appropriate behavior must be conceived as being translated into a kind of “organ language.” – Past Maclean, M.D.

1. A. Introduction

Body language is all around us. It is a fascinating subject and a thrilling experience – to observe the motion of the ‘intelligent’ body and to analyze the context in which it is represented. Body language plays a significant role in oral communication. It is powerful and indispensable and now it has become a household word due to its popularity and utility.

The human being is the highly evolved perfect design of nature. His spoken language is the most prized possession, but his silence is no less precious. Hence it is said that “Speech is great, but silence is greater.” It is through communication that a human being SHARES and the body, synchronizing with the sub-conscious mind, gives off very sublet signs through choreography without the use of words. ‘Communication is like a dance,’ states Condon, ‘with everyone engaged in intricate and shared movements across many subtle dimensions, yet all strangely oblivious that they are doing so.’ The wise body opens its gate to an astute observer to fathom inner feelings, emotions, attitudes and ideas.

It is believed that a charming person has a pleasant voice, a dynamic person has a vibrant voice and a confident person an assured voice. Body language is often regarded as a secondary product and its value is underestimated. However, it could be primary, it could project even before words have taken their shape and it could be the only language through which a patient can express himself. The body language is not merely a physical manifestation of the spoken words, but, in fact, it has its own independent interpretation of the feelings, irrespective of the meanings and the spoken words being delivered therein.

1. B. The Dimensions of Body Language

Our bodies are ambassadors of our inner self. They convey more than our tongues. Research has shown that 35% of the messages are carried verbally, while 65% are conveyed non – verbally (Birdwhistell). Mehrabian put forward that communication is 7% verbal, 38% vocal and 55% non-verbal. The truth is that more communication takes place by the use of gestures, postures, position and distance than by any other way.
A human being communicates through verbal and non-verbal language. Exchange of words refers to verbal communication while non-verbal communication refers to all external stimuli other than spoken or written words and includes 1. Bodily gestures 2. Postures 3. Facial expressions 4. Personal appearance 5. Eye contact 6. modulations in voice and 7. The use of space and distancing.

Body language and kinesics are based on the behavioral patterns of non – verbal communication. Although a developing science, kinesics has added a new dimension to human understanding. Sigmund Freud observed, “He that has eyes to see and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he chats with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore.”

1. C. Our Bodies, Emotions and Modern Life

Emotions are basic to human beings. Being emotional is a part of being human. A human being has a rich vocabulary of emotion cues showing how he feels about himself and others. In the realm of emotions, the cues are usually unintentional, involuntary and unconscious. Body language and emotions are almost inseparable as body movement is central to emotional expressiveness. The intensity of emotions charges the non-verbal brain to dictate its commands; the body obediently follows the commands and presents its choreography on the screen.

In view of accelerated tempo of life, the modern man has to face with a pronounced exposure of emotional stress. Today the modern man has become a speed merchant, driving the motor of his life. Chronic time shortage, changing patterns of activity, greater load of information and more active interpersonal relationships – have affected the verbal communication. The need to pay attention to non-verbal one has, hence, considerably increased. One of the major aspects of Body Language is the expression of emotions. Emotions refer to such states as happiness, depression and anxiety, and milder ‘moods’ such as feelings of pleasure and displeasure, varying degrees of excitement or drowsiness, and the arousal and satisfaction of hunger, sex and other drives. There are three components in each case: a physiological state, a subjective experience, and a pattern of non-verbal signals – in the face, voice and other areas.

Emotions are recognized from a whole pattern of non-verbal signals, which are usually consistent with each other and with the expectations created by the context. They provide information about intensity, and about the tense versus the relaxed dimension. A tense person sits or stands rigidly, upright or leaning forward, often with hands clasped together, legs crossed, and muscles tense. In such a case, the hands and feet display the emotions while the face tries to conceal.

Infants have their own ‘language’ to express their emotions and moods. A mother recognizes when her child is happy through facial gestures such as bright eyes, bulging (smiling) cheeks, giggles, squeaks and belly-laughs accompanied by joyful sound (monosyllabic). Whereas, when a child is sick, his mouth is twisted into a grimace, cheeks droop and he utters grunts and growls.

2. A. Elements of visible code:

The elements which are visually perceived and which perform role in communication are collectively termed as “visible code”.

Personal Appearance: Everyone wants to be “in the eye of the beholder.” Everyone is concerned with first impression. Every person has its own aura that vibrates, that pervades, that permeates and that renders its unique message to the outer world.

One’s appearance may put the others into a resistant or even a hostile attitude or induce in them a receptive mood. A physician has to understand how his patient reacts to him: positively, negatively or neutrally. The patient’s appearance and clothing need careful observation. Dirty look, crumpled clothing suggests alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, dementia, schizophrenia etc. Manic patients may wear bright colors, incongruous styles of dress or appear poorly groomed.

Six elements are considered in personal appearance: Clothes, Footwear, Hairstyle, Ornaments, Make-up and Aromas.

Posture: Refers to the way one stands, sits and walks. The movement of the body, the position of hands and legs and other parts of the body reveal individual’s personality-whether he is vibrant, alive and dynamic, nervous and jittery, confident and self-assured, etc. The posture of sitting may exude an air of optimism, or despondency or be indicative of a sense of failure or of inattentiveness. Walking posture may convey whether a person is confident, energetic, withdrawn, diffident or nervous.

Gestures: A gesture is a sign, signal or cue used to communicate in tandem with, or apart from, words. A gesture is the verbal or non-verbal body movement used to express or emphasize an idea, an emotion, or a state of mind. Gesture is defined as ‘visible’ bodily action by which meaning is represented (Kendon, 1983). Each gesture is like a word in a language.

Gestures play a significant role in making the communication effective. A well-timed gesture can drive a point home. Similarly playing with a ring, twisting a key-chain, or clasping one’s hand tightly robs a speaker of the effectiveness of his communication. Sometimes gestures render elementary and short messages such as “yes”, “no”, “come here”, “go there”, “be silent”, etc. However, all oral communications are accompanied by gestures such as shrugging of the shoulders, flourish of the hands, movement of head, etc. In fact, without the accompanying gestures it would be difficult to speak. These gestures add a greater value to what is being said besides exercising a more powerful impact.

Facial Expressions: “Face is the mirror of life.” Our face a. defines our identity; b. expresses our attitudes, opinions, and moods; and c. shows how we relate to others. A face is every human’s visual trade mark, and is therefore, the most photographed part of the human body. Emotionally, the face is mightier than the word. So closely is emotion tied to facial expression that it is hard to imagine one without the other.

A wooden expression on the face may prejudice the listeners and it could also be an expression of parkinsonism, schizophrenia or depression; brightness in the eyes may keep their interest sustained and evoke an enthusiastic response. Biting the lips, blinking the eyes or raising the eyebrows at regular intervals often mar the smooth flow of communication. Anxious patients generally have horizontal creases on forehead, raised eyebrows, widened palpebral fissures and dilated pupils.

Eye Contact: Eyes reveal a great deal about our emotions, convictions and moods. Hess (1975) observes that the eyes give the most revealing and accurate of all human communication signals because they are a focal point of the body and the pupils work independently. Whiteside (1975) describes the eyes as ‘the windows of your soul….. and the mirrors of your heart…… and the gauges showing fleeting feelings and changes.’ One can see the anatomical importance of the eye as “an extension of the brain.” Gazing at another’s eyes arouses strong emotions. ‘The eye can threaten like a loaded and levelled gun; or can insult like hissing and kicking; or in its altered mood by breams and kindness, make the heart dance with joy’ (Emerson).

The eyes can be steely, knowing, mocking, piercing, shifting….. They can level a ‘burning‘ glance or a ‘cold‘ glance or ‘hurt‘ glance or again, they can be wise, knowing, inviting, scary, disinterested, and so on.

Space and Distancing: A fascinating area in the non-verbal world of Body Language is that of spatial relationships or proxemics – the study of people’s appreciation and use of space. Each person maintains a personal territory around himself. He normally does not allow it to be invaded at the time of communication. This has reference also to ‘standing-seated position.’ Space distancing differs from culture to culture, from individual to individual. The amount of space a person needs is determined by his personality.

It is important to observe the way a patient sits in the chair. A puffy, egoistic person having lust for power is not happy with one chair. He may occupy more space by extending his arms. On the other hand, a shy and reserved patient occupies himself in less space.

Modulations of voice: Tone of voice reflects psychological arousal. Speech is an indispensable means for sharing ideas, feelings, and observations and for conversing about the past and future. A significant number of voice qualities are universal across all human cultures.

a) Interpretation of voice

• Speaking loudly and rapidly = Anger or lack of interest in the other person’s view. The speaker has run out of the logical support for his view.
• Clear controlled steady voice = Confidence
• Lively, bouncy, well modulated speech= Enthusiasm. Politeness.
• Lowered volume, reduced pitch, rate and intonation = Negative attitude. Nervousness
• To mumble or gabble = Excitement. Fear
• Hesitation = Lower confidence
• Crying, Moaning and Sighing = Sighing. Silent grief. Complaining nature
• Hiss and boo = Disapproval
• The softer pitch = Friendship

b) Reading mind through laugh

Human laughter varies greatly in form, duration and loudness. One can ‘read’ laughter from the sounds that ensue.

‘Ha-Ha’ is laughter that is genuine, coming straight from the heart. It expresses pure joy and self-fulfillment.

‘He-He’ is mocking laugh, usually issuing from a condescending remark or a joke about a person.

‘Hee-Hee’ suggests a secret giggle or a snigger that is emitted when a person is being cynical or spiteful.

‘Ho-Ho’ communicates surprise, even disbelief, by a person who is critical, protesting, or challenging.

c) Speech and psychiatric illness

Speech may be fast, as in mania or slow, as in depression. Depressed patients may pause for a long time before replying to questions and may then give short answers, producing little spontaneous speech; the same among shy people or low intelligence patients. Sudden interruptions may indicate thought blocking or may be effects of distraction. Rapid shifts from one topic to another suggest flight of ideas, while general diffuseness and lack of logical thread may indicate thought characteristic of schizophrenia.

2. B. Basic modes

John Mole (1999) gives graphic description of the four basic modes of Body Language.

There are 4 basic modes- Open, Closed, Forward and Back. In Open mode gestures indicate ‘open’ attitudes – open palms, open arms, open body; (no physical gestures like crossed arms or crossed legs) and face-to face interaction. Extroverted persons show this mode more. In Closed category fall the most obvious gestures and postures, like crossed arms, crossed legs, body turned away. Introverts fall here more. Forward mode involves postures that indicate activity in communication. Leaning forward, strong eye-to-eye contact, pointing the finger emphatically, loud voice etc. In Back category we find leaning-back postures, staring at the ceiling, doodling, or cleaning one’ s glasses, signalling whether the person is passively absorbing or ignoring the message.

There are four combinations of posture groups in four basic modes. The Responsive mode (Between Open and Forward), The Reflective mode (Between Open and Back), The Fugitive mode (Between Closed and Back) and The Fugitive mode (Between Closed and Back).

2. C. Decoding nonverbal messages: some examples

Lifting one eyebrow: disbelief, shock, surprise, feeling of moral/value assault on them, judgement (of a person, what they said, or the situation they find themselves in)

Pointing the finger: emphasis, attacking, assaulting the other person, aggressive move, wants to control the situation between the two people, arrogant, i know more/better than you do

Singing a song / tune: distraction / music–nervousness, unable to relax, feels out of place or not part of what is going on, outside the clique

Enlarging the eyeballs: astonishment– shock, surprise, feeling of moral/value assault on them

Rubbing the nose: puzzlement, wanting time to think or feel more about it, buying time to search for the answer they don’t have at the moment

Shrug the shoulders: indifference–i don’t care, it’s not my responsibility (issue or event that is being discussed or that the person finds herself/himself in), detachment (healthy type in that you know it’s not your business to stick your nose in, or you should not be involved because it isn’t wise/healthy to do so), understanding whatever is the issue/event, it is not mine to get involved with (this is a double-sided comment. If the person is healthy, they realize they shouldn’t be involved. However, if the person is co-dependent/victim personality, they may do this to escape or get out from beneath a controlling/abusive individual/situation).

Tapping of fingers: impatience, hurry up!

Body in motion: anti-rest, nervous (legs crossed, flicking foot back and forth as an example), restless (doesn’t want to sit still for one of a thousand reasons), escape! (Person may feel inadequate, threatened, fears the other individual)

It is important to note that a single gesture may convey many meanings. It is necessary to interpret the gesture in the context of the totality of data and individuality of the patient.

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Ajit Kulkarni

Dr. Ajit Kulkarni - D.H.M.S.(Mumbai),Gold Medalist.D.I.Hom.(London)H.M.D.( U.K .). Dr. Kulkarni is a homoeopath, international teacher and Directorof the Homoeopathic Research Institute, Satara. He is an Assistant professor, Homoeopathic Medical College, Satara and Hon. Emeritus Professor for Post-gr. (M.D.) courses in Homoeopathy at Beed, Pune, Aurangabad, Anand, New Delhi. www.ajitkulkarni.com