The Spectrum of Thinking
It is interesting and clear that there is a spectrum of thinking that goes from images through words.
Someone with brain chops will figure that out and create a theory no doubt, But it seems obvious to me that regardless of how anyone thinks words are the basis of the entire crucial area of existence Wittgenstein called nonsense.
Exclude mystery and supposition and theorizing when no theory can be proven. What I see is just what I saw when I was trying to deal with freedom and will. A language of images and a language of words, verbal and nonverbal communication, are with several other things UTILITIES within consciousness, enablers and can best be understood in that way.
Thus it makes no difference how we communicate and we can give no ontological status to one or another mode. Do they work? Clearly they do. It it matters not that I am at the other end of the spectrum from John. If there were tests for verbal or nonverbal I would get 100 for the former and nada for the latter.
That said, theologically there is no substitute for words. At least in the sense of how we understand them, as written communication. Words in themselves are like anything written. They radically diminish the full sign that existed before the word. I cannot stress how important this issue is. There is no either-or in communication that says words are superior to images or the opposite.. But there is the role of the word in creation itself. Without words we would be literally insensible. As it is we are borderline sensible. That is progress of a sort.