One would generally say that successful communication happens when one is able to find oneself in the same conceptual place or understanding as the other once the communication has happened.  The Oxford Dictionary defines it as follows:  “communicate verb (SHARE INFORMATION) to share information with others by speaking, writing, moving your body, or using other signals.”  What this definition does not deal with is the outcome, it deals only with the action.  Surely, we communicate in order to meet each other conceptually?

 We all know of the reality of the ‘broken telephone’.  This generally happens when we give one person a particular message to pass on down the line to others.  The message at the end of the line is generally completely different from the original message.  This is one form of problem with communicating.

 I am trying to communicate with you right now.

• What should one be conscious of in the process so that one can give it a greater chance of success?
• What are the consequences in real terms of successful communication?

In dealing with the first question first, it can be addressed in the following way:

The human soul is alive and active all the time, just as our breathing is while we are living.  We sense the activity of the soul in our immediate responses to all the stimuli we receive from our sense organs. We are either sympathetic or antipathetic towards each and every one of these.  In a world of so many impressions, we swing from sympathy to antipathy at very small intervals.  This is confusing for our souls.  Effective and successful communication hinges on allowing the souls interested in the communication a chance to find a common topic and to stay focused on this common topic.  For example, if one is talking cycling, and one stays with the concepts and vocabulary such as pedal, pedals, gears, balance, saddle, handlebars, brakes, tyres, fitness and so on, the soul of the receiver in the communication can slowly find more and more sympathy with the topic and be able to come towards the giver with their confirmation or debate on the matter of cycling. This enables successful communication, not out of a rule, but out of a reality that each soul is alive and well and can be consciously addressed in a way connected to this absolute reality. (Of course, this is not so simple when a person has never been exposed to a bicycle at all. This does not detract from the correctness of the situation that is described as another concept could be chosen that the person was familiar with.) Taking a risk of negatively affecting this communication with you, let’s, just for completeness, give an example of trying to communicate around cycling in the less effective way.  One person starts with cycling, then moves to kit cleaning material disappointments, then to famous venues and events, then to available holidays in the same area, then to costs of travel and the problems with bike transportation.  One can feel the difference in ones’ soul even after such a simple example?  In the latter example, one feels a lot more uncertain and disturbed.  In this case, successful communication becomes much more hit and miss.

We, therefore, see that successful communication hinges on the giver having the inner knowledge that the soul of the receiver needs to be treated very gently and carefully in order to give it a chance to find harmony of topic and concept. The ability of the giver to sense where the soul of the receiver is, is also key. The receiver can actively participate by wanting to understand – in the attitude of openness and inner stillness and selflessness. In simple, practical terms, hierarchical social arrangements of any kind inhibit successful communication as the soul finds itself in a prejudiced situation from the outset and it is therefore not able to freely associate with what it inherently knows of the Good and the True from its inherent spiritual nature.  Successful communication becomes constrained because of this and ‘kind of’ communications happen.  In organisational life it is necessary today to meet others as human beings and not in titles or positions.  It is only in this way that successful communication can happen. (Hierarchies will form on the basis of skills and capacities in any event and a balanced people will want and accept these.)  Successful communication can be enabled in daily situations if the topic is clearly identified up front and has an aspirational aspect to it.  

In answering the second question above, ‘what are the consequences in real terms of successful communication’, one can say that conceptual clarity between the two arise, certainty between them, community between them, a chance for others to understand and follow and so from this, a healthy evolution for all. One can see this working in any environment, for example builders following a building plan. What needs to be added today to this simple example is that it needs to be made conscious, what is really happening in human souls needs to be made conscious. It is no longer enough to say that you must not build with plans. We need to understand that it is our soul-spirit nature that is truly at work as we make the plans and follow them. We also need to understand what is happening when we wish to communicate and in fact try to communicate

In trying to communicate successfully with you, I have used the written word in a certain way. I have used English, punctuation, tried to stay closely on track with the subject of successful communication. I have inwardly held the concept of the independent life of soul as a reality knowing that while reading this it is approaching your independent life of soul. Where I have felt that it might disrupt your soul with intellectual argument, I have used brackets in general to assist your soul to separate out where a disruption might occur. I hope that you have enjoyed the process and are able to use it practically.

Successful communication is an elevated and complex process requiring great personal discipline but it is essential for modern life in order to bring stability and regeneration of human dignity.

David.