The connection between Physical gestures and the thinking process

So, last night in my Information Architecture Class, my professor talked briefly about the connection and enhancement that physical gesture has on the thought process. He used the example that blind people 'talk with their hands.' Not only blind people talking to people with sight, but also blind people who are talking to other people they know are blind. Even more than that, people with and without sight make similar gestures.

It is curious to me, then, how directly this idea is connected to the interior design process, particularly regarding sketching. It is more than mere 'best practice.' There is something cognitive that happens when one sketches and talks instead of simply talking about an idea. I think in this profession people understand this, but they don't necessarily understand why.

Really fascinating. Hearing gesture : How Our Hands Help Us Think by Susan Goldin-Meadow is next on the reading list.