• the social network, consisting of the individual’s personal contact, friends, and professional ties
• the spatial network, consisting of the individual’s spatial contiguity
• the mass network that links the individual to the mass media

The communication going on within these networks is considered to be basically verbal in nature.  Nonverbal meaning is given a secondary role.  “While verbal communication may play a major role in many situations, nonverbal exchanges is also pervasive and often complementary to the verbal.” (Lin – 1973)

The theories of information transfer and human communication to date have been preoccupied with the direction of information flow and how segments of the population may be influenced.  In 1948, Lazarsfel, Berelson, and Gaudet proposed a two-step flow hypothesis of communication in which ideas flow from the mass media to opinion leaders who then tend to influence the less active segments of the population. 

According to Lin this hypothesis has become the focal point for research.  Rogers (1962) states that in any social system there are five categories of people who are involved:  “innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards.”  Each seems to accept the new information in their own time, somewhat on the basis of the prior group and its actions.

In our current survey of the literature, we have discovered that research is definitely focused in these areas, leaving many problems to be solved.  Four of these problems are:

• What is the role of the unconscious in communication?
• What role does communication play in the creation of new ideas and concepts? 
• What are the characteristics of the information flow before the acceptance by the mass media?  And, What roles does “conviction” play during the influence phase of communication? 

The consideration of these problems could lead to a more complete understanding of how information is communicated, both at the individual and group levels.The possibility that communication may exists at an unconscious level is fairly well documented.  I am going to quote extensively from a study done in 1973 by Arthur C. Hastings of the Stanford Research Institute.

Called the subliminal self by Meyers (1903), and the unconscious by Freud (1899), it refers to the ideas, memories, feelings, and other mental activities which are outside of our conscious awareness. 

Creative process apparently originates in the areas outside of conscious awareness (Kubie, 1961) and becomes known through the medium of dreams, hunches, reveries.  

This meets Lin’s criteria for encounter and exchange.  Many people seem to have experience creative moments when they seem to be in touch with a higher source. Arnold Toynbee and Albert Einstein, among others, spoke of it.  (Pearce, 1973)

Robert Masters (in Avorn, 1973 comments:   

What we call the unconscious mind always has access to immensely more data than the conscious mind and is far ahead in its thinking.  The conscious solution to a problem is often the culmination of a tremendous amount of work by the unconscious.  Often, if you can dip directly down into the unconscious, you find that the solution is already there.

Hastings again,

"Now there is a general realization that many mental processes take place outside of awareness, and these influence our actions, our thoughts and feelings."

Lin’s criteria for influence are met here.

Currently there are indications that a concept of superconscious aspect of mind is emerging.  The superconscious is the name given to the creative, intuitive, inspiring aspects of the mind, those which have positive and self-directing qualities. (Hastings, 1973)

What we observe about the physical nature of man is not enough to explain what we can observe actually taking place within the spirit of humanity.  In Language and Mind Chomsky (1968) reminds us of Descartes and his “second substance” whose essence is thought, and who must exist “alongside of the body.”  Chomsky also felt that there had to be something else to explain the human mind.  Maslow (1970) feels “Man has a higher and transcendent nature and this is part of his essence …” 

It seems that the idea of knowledge and information coming to humanity from another sources, of a higher self, through the medium of people tuned to receive that information is not an unacceptable one.

Could a characteristic of information flow through society, and prior to mass media acceptance, be that it takes place at an unconscious level?  Hastings again,

Telepathy:  Defined as the awareness or knowledge of another person’s mental activities without any sensory means of communication, telepathy includes the transmission of information, ideas, and emotions from one person to another through some means other than the normal channels of sight, sound, etc.

This definition meets Lin’s criteria for both the delivery and information systems.  Hastings again,

It seems likely that if there is telepathic communication among persons, whether of ideas or feelings, then groups may be able to be together at a more direct level of integration.  There may develop an ecological, interactive group system in which individual persons retain their identity…

It is even possible that, like body language, telepathy even now functions more or less continually, at an unconscious level, affecting our awareness of another’s ideas and emotions and merging with our stream of conscious attention along with the other subtle impressions…

Hastings is not alone in thinking that something else must be at work within humanity and within each individual, bringing new ideas into the world and spreading them throughout.  It is seen in McLuhan (1964) when he said, “Then might not our current translation of our entire lives into the spiritual form of information seem to make of the entire globe, and of the human family, a single consciousness?”  Also it’s a view of Lilly (1974):  “In the province of connected minds…” And, finally Weatherhead (1952),

… although in many ways men are separate personalities, in a true sense they possess a single mind…  Similarly, human beings are separated from one another in many ways, but it may be that if one goes, as it were, deeply enough into their minds, there will be found a substratum which is common to all.

If people are connected together at some unconscious level would the “strength of conviction” of the communicator have an effect on his ability to influence?

In the province of the mind, what one believes to be true is true or becomes true, within certain limits to be found experientially and experimentally.  These limits are further beliefs to be transcended.  In the mind, there are no limits.  (Lilly, 1972)

Any idea seriously entertained, however, tends to bring about the realization of itself, and will, regardless of the nature of the idea, to the extent that it can be free ambiguities.”  (Pearce, 1974)

Taking the concepts now being developed and adding them to the existing foundation of mass communication theory, we can develop hypotheses for a new theory of mass communication.

• The creation of an idea takes place outside of the physical nature of humanity.
• The encounter takes place at an unconscious level, the delivery system being some sort of telepathy that is dependent upon the receptivity of the receiver.
• The influence is greatly enhanced by the total mind to mind(s) exchange that is accompanied by complete understanding.
• The communication of a new idea or concept is dependent upon the creator’s (the person to whom the original idea was first communicated) conviction of the “truth” of the idea or concept, and his ability to visualize and communicate the “breakthrough” he has experienced. 
• The encounter/exchange between the “creator” and his disciples takes place at the verbal, nonverbal, and unconscious levels and can be either voluntary or involuntary.
• The power generated by the “conviction” of the creator and his growing “army” of disciples begins to influence the “innovators” who in turn influence the mass media and the “early majority.”

At his point those factors that have already been observed begin to have a significant influence.  However, the factors mentioned above continue to operate throughout the communication process.

If recent research suggest it is time for mass communication theory to look at humanity from an aspect other than the physical, this theory is an attempt to do that.  The proofs will not be easy; but neither are they impossible.  Humanity is ready for these concepts; the conviction of their truth is within us; the proofs will come.  It is no wonder we have not been able to develop an “all-encompassing theory” of mass communications, we have not had all of the facts, let alone all of the ideas, necessary.

References

Avorn, Jerry, Robert Masters and Jean Houston.  “The Varieties of Post-Psychedelic Experience.”                                                     Intellectual Digest, March 1973, 16-18.

Chomsky, Noam.  Language and Mind, Brace & World, Inc., New York, NY, 1968.

Hastings, Arthur C.  Psychical Research, Center for the Study of Social Policy, Stanford Research Institute, Menlo Park, CA, 1973.

Lilly, John C.   The Human Biocomputer, The Julian Press, New York, NY, 1972.

Lin, Nan.  The Study of Human Communication, Bobbs-Merrill Co., Inc., New York, NY, 1972.

Maslow, Abraham H.  Religions, Values, and Peak-Experiences, The Viking Press, New York, NY, 1973.

McLuhan, Marshall.  Understanding Media:  The Extensions of Man, New American Library, Inc., New York, NY, 1964.

Pearce, Joseph Chilton.  The Crack in the Cosmic Egg.  Julian Press.  New York, NY, 1971.

Rogers, Everett M.  Diffusion of Innovations, The Free Press, New York, NY, 1962.

Weatherhead, Leslie D.  Psychology, Religion and Healing, Abingdon Press, New York, NY, 1952.

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