From syncretism to reduction: historical transformation of communicative practices

Abstract

This article explores the crisis of modern communication, manifested in the growth of misunderstandings and conflicts in the context of «hypercommunication.» The relevance of this work stems from the identified contradiction between technological progress in communications and the declining qualitative characteristics of human communication. The goal is to identify patterns of sensory and linguistic reduction in the history of communication and to substantiate the need to synthesize traditional and new forms to achieve mutual understanding. Methods. The study utilizes an interdisciplinary approach, integrating linguistics, the philosophy of language, communication theory, cultural studies, and the Indian philosophical tradition. Comparative historical methods, semiotic and pragmalinguistic analysis, and elements of discourse analysis are applied. Analysis. A linguosensory typology of communication has been developed, spanning four historical periods. A consistent trend toward a narrowing of the spectrum of sensory modalities, from the polysensory nature of the ancient world to a reduction to predominantly two channels in the modern digital environment, has been identified. A correlation between sensory reduction and the transformation of linguistic structures is established. A hypothetical «40 % perception» model is introduced to illustrate the scale of sensory losses. The integration of Eastern philosophical traditions is proposed as an alternative model for understanding holistic, sensory-rich communication. Results. The study confirms the hypothesis of a profound gap between technological progress in communication and the quality of human communication, caused by sensory reduction and corresponding linguistic transformations. The theoretical significance of the study lies in the development of an interdisciplinary approach to the study of communication and the substantiation of the potential of multisensory linguistics. It is concluded that overcoming the crisis of modern communication requires restoring the sensory fullness of experience through a synthesis of technological innovations and traditional, including Eastern, models of holistic communication.