To say that something is "ineffable" means that it cannot or should not be expressed in spoken words (as with the concept of true love or some taboo). It is generally used to describe a feeling, concept or aspect of existence that is too great to be adequately described in words, or that inherently (due to its nature) cannot be conveyed in dualistic symbolic human language, but can only be known internally by individuals. In mathematics, an ineffable cardinal is a certain kind of large cardinal number. ... For other uses, see Love (disambiguation). ... René Descartes illustration of dualism. ...

In Zen it is often said^{[citation needed]} that (by analogy) the finger can point to the moon but is not the moon; likewise words and actions can point towards what is ineffable but cannot make another know it. An important aspect of this is that, by focusing on what is doing the pointing (the finger), sight is lost of the moon itself. For other uses, see Zen (disambiguation). ...

Quotations

"Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent." — Ludwig Wittgenstein

"The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name." — the Dao De Jing

"What can't be said, can't be said. And it can't be whistled, either." — F. P. Ramsey

"What cannot be spoken in words, but that whereby words are spoken." — Kenopanishad

"We shall grapple with the ineffable, and see if we may not eff it after all." — Douglas Adams in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

"I'm in the business of effing the ineffable." — Alan Watts

"You can't second guess ineffability, I always say." — Aziraphale in Good Omens

Wittgenstein redirects here. ... The Tao Te Ching (道德經, Pinyin: Dào Dé Jīng, thus sometimes rendered in recent works as Dao De Jing; archaic pre-Wade-Giles rendering: Tao Teh Ching; roughly translated as The Book of the Way and its Virtue (see dedicated chapter below on translating the title)) is an ancient Chinese... Frank Plumpton Ramsey (February 22, 1903 - January 19, 1930) was a British mathematician and logician. ... Kena Upanishad, also known as Kenopanishad, is one of the top ten Upanishads among the sacred Hindu texts. ... Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author, comic radio dramatist, and musician. ... Dirk Gentlys Holistic Detective Agency is a novel by Douglas Adams. ... From The Essential Alan Watts Alan Wilson Watts (January 6, 1915 – November 16, 1973) was a philosopher, writer, speaker, and expert in comparative religion. ... Aziraphale. ... Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (1990) is a fantasy novel written in collaboration between Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. ...

Things said to be ineffable

Things said to be essentially incommunicable

• The nature of qualia (sensory experiences), such as colors or flavors
• The nature of dreams
• The nature of spiritual experiences, e.g. Søren Kierkegaard's analysis of Abraham in Fear and Trembling, Problemata III, and in particular the mystic's realization of nonduality
• The human soul (see also sentience and the Hard problem of consciousness)
• The musical experience, following Theodor Adorno, Vladimir Jankélévitch, among others
• The psychedelic experience is largely considered ineffable to psychologists, philosophers and psychonauts alike
• The composure of Jeeves, described by P G Wodehouse as "that subtle master of prudence, good taste, and ineffable composure" (in 'Carry on, Jeeves')
• The name of some god or gods, in some religions^[1]
• The experience of birth
• The Dao.

Redness is the canonical quale. ... Dreaming is the subjective experience of imaginary images, sounds/voices, thoughts or sensations during sleep, usually involuntarily. ... Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. ... Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (pronounced , but usually Anglicized as ;  ) (5 May 1813 – 11 November 1855) was a prolific 19th century Danish philosopher and theologian. ... For other uses, see Abraham (name) and Abram (disambiguation). ... Fear and Trembling Fear and Trembling (original Danish title: Frygt og Bæven) is a philosophical work by Søren Kierkegaard, published in 1843 under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Realization is a sport climb in Ceüse, France. ... A nondual philosophical or religious perspective or theory maintains that there is no fundamental distinction between mind and matter. ... This article is about modern humans. ... For other uses, see Soul (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with sapience. ... Unsolved problems in cognitive science: How is it possible to resolve the Hard Problem? The term hard problem of consciousness, coined by David Chalmers[1][2], refers to the hard problem of explaining why we have qualitative phenomenal experiences. ... Max Horkheimer (front left), Theodor Adorno (front right), and Jürgen Habermas in the background, right, in 1965 at Heidelberg. ... Vladimir Jankélévitch (* 31 August 1903 in Bourges; † 10 April 1985 in Paris) was a French philosopher and musicologist. ... A psychedelic experience, or trip, is characterized by the perception of aspects of ones mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ordinary fetters. ... This article is about people who explore their inner psyche, and related practices; for other uses, see Psychonaut (disambiguation). ... For the search engine, see Ask Jeeves. ... P. G. Wodehouse, pictured in 1904, became famous for his complex plots, ingenious wordplay, and prolific output Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse KBE (October 15, 1881 – February 14, 1975) (pronounced WOOD-house) was an English comic writer who enjoyed enormous popular success for more than seventy years. ... For other uses, see Birth (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Chinese character and the philosophy it represents. ...

Things said to be incommunicable due to incomprehensibility

• The pre-big bang universe.
• The pre-birth experience.
• The concept of Infinity.
• A square with 3 sides or any other illogical proposition.

For other uses, see Big Bang (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Infinity (disambiguation). ...

Things said to be too great to be uttered

• The Tetragrammaton, or Yahweh (by orthodox Jewish tradition)
• The "Will of Bob" in Mostly Harmless, part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

It has been suggested that Yahweh be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Yahweh (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The front cover of the US first hardcover edition of Mostly Harmless. ... The cover of the first novel in the Hitchhikers series, from a late 1990s printing. ...

References