Thursday, May 14, 2015

Languages as different mind spaces

The following post was prompted by the BBC Future article linked below.

In the Iron Druid Chronicles written by Kevin Hearne, the main character, a druid wizard several thousand years old, maintains the notion that a successful druid must be capable of mastering several languages other than their native tongue.

The idea here is that, in addition to the development of concentration and discipline, one needs separate mind spaces that can be held simultaneously so as to hold a focus on other persons one might wish to bring across different magical dimensions.

The magic part aside, it has always been an intriguing thought for me that any given language would create its own mind space, and that this would then have profound resonance for a person's sense of themselves.

The BBC article linked here gives some significant support to this notion.

I would also like to strongly encourage you to check out Mr. Hearne's work. The Iron Druid series is wonderful reading. And let me just say that there is no way you won't enjoy his dog Oberon. What a great side kick.

(Credit: Getty Images)

The mind-bending effects of foreign accent syndrome

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