THE WHIRLWIND

Whirlwind picture by James Neff
Copyright (C) Reverse Speech 21st Century

Over 70% of all language in reverse speech speaks in metaphor and archetype, using pictures and images to describe complex behavioural functions, as well as possibly psychic functions. The most common of these metaphors in the metaphor known as "The Whirlwind." Here are some examples.

• "Saturday Night Fish Fry," a Rhythm and Blues song released in 1949, by Louis Jordon: Now the Whirlwind. Ah, The Garden of Eden. Seen the Mark. They send lil'le children there. See the Wolf annoyed.

• "Chantilly Lace," released in 1958, by The Big Bopper: The Lord God gave the Whirlwind and the thunder.

• "The Battle of Evermore" by Led Zeppelin: Time to fire the Whirlwind.

• From a session in which a Reverse Speech analyst was encouraging a client to express his feelings: "What do you need to um, [need, well what do you want]? Feel the Whirlwind.

• A person discussing grief following the death of a friend: "[Well, er, the day my friend died I,] er, couldn't get out of bed." I did curse against the Whirlwind.

• A person talking about feeling restless: "I get very restless. I can't settle. I'm always [off around the world wishing it could last] forever." Seems so clear, the Whirlwind on my feet.

• A client who was having difficulty working: "I'm basically reasonably talented and [can do my work well but why is there] this great stumbling block?" Resolved my Whirlwind needs it.

• A short example that displays obvious communication in the reversed dialogue: Analyst: "You're feeling [this gap that's] not bridged." She wants it. Client: "[Right.]" Help. Analyst: "And [you're wanting it worked] out." Wire into your Whirlwind.

After becoming familiar with Carl Jung's theories, I began to research historical and religious literature to gain insight into the meaning of "Whirlwind." It is prolific in every culture throughout the ages. Given Whirlwind's many forms of appearance, it is not surprising that Whirlwind is one of the most powerful and frequently occurring structural metaphors in Reverse Speech. Here are some examples of its appearances in literature and mythology:

Biblical literature:

• "Behold he goes up like clouds and his chariots like the Whirlwind are swifter than eagles. Woe to us for we are ruined." (Jeremiah 4:13).

• "It came about when the Lord was about to take up Elijah by a Whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha. . ." (II Kings 2:1)

• "He will sweep them away with a Whirlwind" (Proverbs 1:27)

• "Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whirlwind." (Job 38:1)

• "For they have sown the wind and they shall reap the Whirlwind." (Hosea 8:7a)

• "It shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the Whirlwind." (Amos 1:14)

Eastern religious literature:

The Songs of the South is a collection of ancient (241-233 B.C.E.) Chinese poetry. "Whirlwind" is mentioned as a force that is directly related to movement. The mention of a cloud, or clouds, is common to both the writings of the Chinese poet and the section quoted earlier from Jeremiah. Both sources also refer to chariots that are used for divine purposes.

"Open wide the door of heaven! On a black cloud I ride in splendour bidding the Whirlwind drive before me, causing the rainstorm to lay the dust. In sweeping circles my Lord is descending, let me follow you over the K'ung sang mountain!

"See, the teeming peoples of the Ninelands; the span of their lives is in your hand! Flying aloft, he soars serenely, riding the pure vapour, guiding yin and yang, speedily, Lord I will go with you, conducting High God to the Height of heaven. . . He drives his dragon chariot thunder wheels."

In the Upanishads, a major collection of Hindu scriptures, "Whirlwind" is described as possessing a power with the potential for destruction.

"Vayu ran towards him and Brahman asked:

"Who are you?"

"I am Vayu, the god of the air," he said, "Matarisvan, the air that moves in space"

"What power is in you?" asked Brahman.

"In a Whirlwind I can carry away all there is on earth."

And Brahman placed a straw before him saying: "Blow this away."

The god of the air strove with all of his power, but was unable to move it. He returned to the other gods and said: "I could not find out who was that being that fills us with wonder." (Kena Upanishad, Part 3)"

Cultural references:

• AFRICAN: The tale of Ntotwatsan tells of a chief's daughter who was transported by a Whirlwind to the village of the Matelele.

• AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES: Two creator beings, Pundjel and Pallyan, were carried to the skies by a Whirlwind after they created the first human beings.

• CHINESE: Yin Hung was saved from unjust execution by two immortals who transported him by a Whirlwind to a safe location on the mountain Tai Hua.

• LAPLAND: The Lapps believed that Shamans could fly in the form of a Whirlwind.

• AMERICAN INDIAN: The Whirlwind symbolizes the power of the Great Spirit.

• JAPAN: Whirlwind is a thunder symbol that is associated with the ascending dragon.

• MODERN AMERICAN: The most popular myth of this century has proven to be The Wizard of Oz. Its heroine is transported by a tornado, the Whirlwind, to the land of transformation.

So, what is this mysterious Whirlwind? Is it the Life Force of nature, God, or something else? In Reverse Speech, it appears frequently to describe the state of personal energy or well being. It is spoken about in such a way that it almost seems to be the very basis of existence.

People use Whirlwind under different circumstances in their reversals. For example, it will appear when some people are talking about work, when others are talking about depression and when still others are talking about memories that come and go. It is also used to describe the varying reactions that people have to current experiences.

The significance of Whirlwind varies from person to person and even in reversals from the same person at different times, but it will always depict a state of energy, positive or negative, that is unique to the individual's operating system.

William James' Whirlwind

William James, an early 20th Century author and researcher of the mind who was highly respected by Carl Jung, talks of a "transmarginal field" of consciousness that fluctuates in and out of consciousness, personal unconsciousness and collective unconscious. His description of this field parallels the varying representations of Whirlwind as they appear in Reverse Speech.

It (the transmarginal field) helps both to guide our behaviour and to determine the next movement of our attention. It lies around us like a 'magnetic field' inside of which our center of energy turns like a compass needle as the present phase of consciousness alters into its successor. Our whole past store of memories floats beyond this margin, ready at a touch to come in; and the entire mass of residual powers, impulses and knowledge that constitute our empirical self stretches continuously beyond it.2l

Whatever Whirlwind is, the unconscious mind has adopted it as a primary word, or structural metaphor, to describe energies, concepts, feelings and perceptions that are difficult to put into words or would require too many.

Whirlwind links and reversals

DJO Radio show of May 22nd. Whirlwind is discussed in the first hour. Go to this archive URL to hear it.

Bill Clinton "Have the Whirlwind built / There's fire in the scout ships"

President Truman announces the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima. "Mad. They must have dropped it before the Whirlwind."

A client in session work. The reversal says, "Busted my whirlwind."

Another client in session work. "My new whirlwind save the fun."