Comment by vjerancrnjak
1 year ago
It’s quite interesting how these descriptions align with Buddhist or Zen teachings.
I wonder if she was influenced by it or if this is a rediscovery.
The fact that she associates a sensation of contraction in the forehead as thinking is very interesting.
Also the fact of there being no time or no will.
Although she goes further to conclude that she acquired will, instead of illusion of will or choice due to previously experiencing no will or choice.
How does Keller's state pre-language differ from "ego death" and what UG Krishmaurti described as the "natural state" (where there is no continuous thought as part of the control loop)? A lot of the symptoms seems to be superficially similar: timelessness, blurred boundaries between the self and the environment. This following lines in particular jump out at me.
>My dormant being had no idea of God or immortality, no fear of death.
Although one difference I suppose is that while Keller had no option at all of using the faculties of self-modeling enabled by language, UG Krishnamurti described it as something voluntary; clearly he could introspect if he desired to, but he could apparently relinquish this also.
> The fact that she associates a sensation of contraction in the forehead as thinking is very interesting.
Makes sense to me. A furrowed brow is a common trope of thinking hard about something, it'd make sense if the same happens on a smaller barely perceptible scale for other thoughts (supposedly this happens to our vocal chords when subvocalising in our heads). Something about focusing the senses when processing thoughts I would guess.
Blind people smile.