Non-Verbal Behavior as a Marker of Altered States of Consciousness in a Literary Piece
Vera V. Ganina, Faina I. Kartashkova
RUDN Journal of Language Studies, Semiotics and Semantics October 13, 2026 DOI: 10.22363/2313-2299-2026-17-2-796-812 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Linguistic analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness |
| Keywords | Emotions Communicative behavior Non-verbal behavior Linguistic correlations Comparative approach |
| Key points | Argues that in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, altered states of consciousness are reflected through specific non-verbal behaviors with corresponding linguistic correlates: controlled behaviors (phonation, facial expression, eye contact, gestures) are expressed mainly in adverbial and attributive phrases, while uncontrolled psychophysiological reactions (trembling, heartbeat) are expressed mainly in adverbial phrases and comparative constructions. The analysis also contends that the character's non-verbal signs of negative emotion and growing inadequacy often go undeciphered by those around him. |
Abstract
The problem of altered states of consciousness from linguistic angle is relevant. Attention is focused on the ways in which altered states of consciousness are reflected in a literary piece. The research is delivered on the basis of Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment”. Different types of non-verbal behavior of the main character and the language correlates are discussed. It is demonstrated that in the situations under consideration, typical controlled non-verbal behavior includes phonation, mimics, eye contact, and pantomimics which have corresponding language correlates, the most frequent of them are adverbial and attributive phrases. The main types of uncontrolled non-verbal behavior (or psychophysiological reactions) in cases of altered states of consciousness are trembling and heartbeat, expressed by different linguistic units, adverbial phrases and comparative constructions being predominant. Specific non-verbal actions that mark the character’s negative emotional state and his growing inadequacy often go undeciphered by those around him. The description of how the main character’s emotions are displayed and concealed contributes to the creation of his portrayal.
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Analyzes non-verbal behavior and its linguistic correlates as markers of altered states in a literary character, noting that such signs often go undeciphered by others.
Synthesized