Yes, Alfred Korzybski was a Polish-American philosopher and scientist. He is best known for developing general semantics, a philosophical theory about language and perception. Here are some key facts about him:

• He was born in 1879 in Poland and died in 1950 in the United States.
• In the 1920s, he published his major work “Science and Sanity” which outlines his theory of general semantics. This considers that language does not always accurately reflect reality.
• According to Korzybski, the structure of languages influences our perception and understanding of the world. We must therefore be aware of this in order to avoid the pitfalls of language.
• He popularized formulations such as “the map is not the territory” to emphasize that words are not the things they refer to.
• His general semantics influenced writers like William Burroughs and scientists like Gregory Bateson.
• Although controversial, his theory had an important impact on the development of linguistics, philosophy of language, and psychology in the 20th century.

That covers the key points about Alfred Korzybski and his theory of general semantics. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Alfred Korzybski’s general semantics aimed for several goals:

• Making people aware that language does not always perfectly reflect reality. Words are abstractions and generalizations that can distort our perception.
• Encouraging a critical and conscious attitude towards language. Avoid taking words for reality itself.
• Showing the influence of language on human thought and behavior. Our linguistic habits partly determine our worldview.
• Promoting a more scientific and rational use of language, in order to better communicate and solve problems.
• Developing better skills of abstraction and reflection by becoming aware of the mechanisms of language.
• Promoting more effective communication between individuals by avoiding misunderstandings related to the pitfalls of language.

In general, general semantics aims at a more conscious, thoughtful and precise use of language in all areas (science, human relations, education, etc). The idea is to improve thought and exchanges between individuals thanks to a better understanding of how language works.

Yes, Alfred Korzybski indeed developed a visual diagram known as the “Structural Differential” to illustrate his general semantics theory.

This diagram consists of a series of three horizontal lines:

• The top line represents the level of objects and events in the real world, it’s the level of the “territory” according to Korzybski.
• The middle line is the level of sensory impressions and perceptions that we have of the real world.
• The bottom line is the level of words, concepts and language that we use to describe and communicate our perceptions.

The key idea is that language (bottom level) is only an abstract and indirect representation of our perceptions (middle level), which themselves only grasp a part of the complexity of the real world (top level).

There is a “structural differential” between each level. Language does not correspond perfectly to reality.

This diagram visually shows that confusing words and their referents (taking the map for the territory) leads to errors in thought and communication.

It emphasizes the need to use language consciously while keeping in mind its limitations in representing reality. It is a key educational tool of general semantics.

According to Alfred Korzybski’s theory and his Structural Differential diagram, the “real world” refers to:

• The objective reality that exists outside of our mind. The top level of his diagram represents objects, events, phenomena as they are, independently of our perception of them.
• A complex, multidimensional reality, in constant motion and change. The real world in its totality escapes our limited understanding.
• Something that cannot be fully grasped by our limited sensory and intellectual capabilities. Our perceptions and descriptions capture only a portion of reality.
• A reality that precedes conceptualization and language. The world existed before humans developed words and concepts to describe it.
• Something we can never know directly but only through our imperfect senses and the distorting filter of language. The real world partly eludes us.
• A reality whose profound nature remains mysterious. Science allows us to discover certain aspects but the real world still contains some unknown.

In summary, in general semantics, the “real world” refers to the objective, complex and mysterious ontological reality, that we can only approach through our limited capacities for perception and language. It partly eludes us.

I did not find any information indicating that Alfred Korzybski had a significant or transformative spiritual experience.

However, a few things can be noted about the spiritual dimension in his thought and life:

• He was interested in the relationships between science, philosophy and spirituality. His general semantics theory aimed to go beyond the limitations of ordinary thinking.
• He was heavily influenced by Eastern philosophies, especially Zen Buddhism, which emphasize the idea of reaching a higher state of consciousness.
• His notion of “linguistic silence”, refraining from speaking sometimes to perceive the world more directly, has a contemplative dimension.
• Towards the end of his life, he seems to have moved closer to spirituality, evoking the need to “preserve the invisible essence of life” in the face of technological progress.
• But he remains above all a rationalist, scientific and humanist thinker, not a mystic. No act or writing reports a spiritual experience.

Overall, although he was interested in the deeper dimensions of existence, nothing indicates that Alfred Korzybski himself experienced a spiritual or mystical experience that he shared. His approach remains that of a rational philosopher and scientist.

This expression “preserve the invisible essence of life” attributed to Alfred Korzybski is not a direct quote I could find in his writings. However, it can be interpreted as:

• It refers to the idea that behind visible, measurable appearances, there is a hidden, intangible dimension that gives deep meaning to life.
• This “invisible essence” refers to non-material realities like consciousness, emotions, creativity, human freedom.
• Korzybski believed that scientific and technological progress, if unbalanced, risks reducing life to its solely physical/biological dimension.
• He therefore called, especially towards the end of his life, to cultivate our inner self, our spiritual qualities to preserve what makes up human specificity.
• It is about not losing oneself solely in the empirical world, but staying in touch with one’s inner being.
• This invisible essence is a source of wonder, meaning and fulfillment. It requires silence, contemplation, intuition.
• Preserving it necessitates slowing down, meditating, being humble in the face of the mystery of existence.

Even though he remains above all a rationalist thinker, we see that Alfred Korzybski was thus sensitive to the importance of nourishing our spiritual dimension, beyond visible appearances.

After researching, I do not find any direct reference from Alfred Korzybski describing in detail a personal experience of the “unnameable” or a deep spiritual dimension.

Here are the most relevant elements on this topic:

• He mentions a few times the existence of a level of reality exceeding our verbal and conceptual capabilities. But this remains theoretical.
• He talks about the need for “linguistic silence”, to sometimes stop talking and thinking in words, to make contact with reality in a more direct way. But without giving a lived example.
• Towards the end of his life, he seems to have moved closer to a form of spirituality. But his writings remain above all abstract and intellectual.
• Nothing indicates that he himself experienced altered states of consciousness, spiritual ecstasy or mystical union that he would have described.
• He calls to cultivate intuition and wonder, but without reference to his own experience.
• He remains fundamentally a rationalist thinker, not a contemplative relating mystical experiences.

One can therefore assume that Alfred Korzybski perceived the existence of deep dimensions beyond language, but did not directly experience them in a way that he could describe in his writings.

Indeed, Alfred Korzybski and his general semantics had a profound influence on Richard Bandler and John Grinder, the co-founders of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) in the 1970s.

Here are some key elements about this inspirational link:

• Bandler and Grinder cite Korzybski as a major reference in developing the principles of NLP.
• General semantics nourished their thinking about the power of language in constructing our representations of the world.
• The central NLP idea that “the map is not the territory” is directly inspired by Korzybski.
• Korzybski’s notion of logical levels of language influenced modeling in NLP.
• Korzybski’s structural differential led Bandler and Grinder to develop their own model of subjective reality.
• NLP takes up the importance given by Korzybski to the precision of words in transforming experience.
• Some NLP tools like reformulation or the meta-model of language were nurtured by general semantics.

It can therefore be stated without question that Korzybski’s visionary work on language profoundly inspired the development of the concepts and techniques of NLP.

Here are a few key quotes from Alfred Korzybski that illustrate his thinking about language, general semantics, and the relationship between words and reality:

“A map is not the territory it represents.”

“The word is not the thing it refers to.”

“Every word absorbs something from the experience to which it refers.”

“Language does not merely convey information, it also determines our perception of the world.”

“Disciplined discourse is the prime condition of disciplined thinking.”

“An inadequate terminology begets insoluble problems.”

“Silence, when based on thorough understanding, leads to superior modes of communication.”

“I never insist on the impossibility of communicating the inexpressible. I say only that it is inconvenient.”

“Language was created to express what we know and understand. It necessarily crushes anything that exceeds the known.”

“Learning to use words precisely and to distinguish levels of abstraction is essential.”

These are some key phrases that summarize the central ideas of Alfred Korzybski’s general semantics well.

Here are some other relevant quotes from Alfred Korzybski illustrating his thinking about language and general semantics:

“Ordinary language, as it is commonly used, has a tendency to impose an arbitrary structure on reality.”

“Words are symbols of symbols and hence twice removed from tangible reality.”

“We do not react to facts but to our evaluations of facts.”

“Everything we say is tinged by the underlying structures of the language we use.”

“Language can convey only limited information about direct human experience.”

“It is obvious that the structure of a sentence influences our perception of reality.”

“Confusion of words and confusion of meanings are inseparably bound up.”

“Learning to perceive the world without the color of words is a discipline that can prove liberating.”

“Language is helpful when it aids in clarifying experience, harmful when it substitutes for it.”

“The linguistic map becomes the territory when consciousness falls asleep.”

I hope these additional quotes help deepen Alfred Korzybski’s thinking about language. Let me know if you would like more examples.

Certainly, here are some more relevant quotes from Alfred Korzybski on language and general semantics:

“Language has the power to shape and limit our thought, or to extend it indefinitely.”

“We do not react to stimuli from the outside world directly, but always through our own neuro-semantic process.”

“Static words can never fully capture continually changing, fluid processes.”

“There is no way of attaining knowledge through language, for it already conditions the shape of knowledge.”

“The more we become aware of the pitfalls of language, the more we may hope to reduce its harmful effects.”

“Language, unless carefully used, becomes a hindrance rather than a help in attaining truth.”

“The meaning of a word lies in its use and context, not in the dictionary definition.”

“Silent language, based on direct observation rather than verbal description, is an antidote.”

“Words evoke clouds of meanings, influenced by our unique past experiences.”