[Xmca-l] Re: Rhythm

[larry smolucha]

Message from Francine:
Message from Francine:

Larry, Rod, Annalisa, Henry, et al

Here are some thoughts relating rhythm to prefrontal activity:

In the intro to his book The Prefrontal Cortex (p.3), Fuster says that
"Both coherence and coordination {of action} derive from the capacity of
the prefrontal cortex to organize actions in the time domain . . . ." 
The prefrontal cortex enables the individual to act in a goal directed way.
This would include the timing of a speech vocalization. Does it merely
join a chorus of voices, interrupt of flow of speech or a conversation, or
change the flow of speech or conversation. 

The carrier wave analogy is interesting because neuronal discharge can also
become rhythmic with regular brainwave patterns (frequency and amplitude).
Some rhythmic brainwave are OK (like alpha rhythms) others are very bad (like
seizures). Carrier waves as radio waves are modulated and change their pattern
or rhythm. If we view speech as a neuronal rhythm that can also be a shared
interpersonal activity like a dance, is this "group think?" There has to be some
common "group think" or we would not be able to understand each other. Change in the
rhythm, pattern, or habit of speaking (hence thinking) can occur several ways.
One is self-initiated (prefrontal cortex), the other would be an external agent
perhaps a charismatic leader, or a divergent member of the group who randomly
inserts a new element or rhythm (like a jam session among musicians.) 
Nonhuman external events also change the rhythm as do neuro-chemical
changes like fatigue. 

Does this contribute to the flow of conversation on this thread or am I being
too divergent?




> Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 08:06:38 -0800
> From: lpscholar2@gmail.com
> To: xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu
> Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: Rhythm
> 
> Annalisa, Henry, Rod
> 
> The perspective:
> 
>   a shared rhythm, whether at the level of embodied co-movement, patterned
> sound or, over a longer timescale, traditional patterns of activity,
> provides a 'carrier wave' over which very subtle nuances of meaning can be
> communicated.
> 
> The metaphor of "carrier wave" points towards notions of the "ear" and
> "hearing" meaning that Hutto suggests is at the level of "basic"
> cognition.  How is this kind of meaning [thinking and speech within
> "carrier waves"] related to meaning as conceptual [thought and language]?
> 
> The phrase "hearing each other into voice" [even when reading silently] I
> am suggesting is an aspect of "third spaces" as places of socially situated
> intersubjective dialogue. In testimonies, our readings are returned to our
> "interpretive communities" and in this return  "possibilities" open up in
> this third space.
> 
> [posse meaning "can" & ibilas as a suffix changing posse/"can" to an
> adjective].
> So "possibility" [as if] and "can" as action are intimately related within
> "carrier waves"
> 
> Larry
> 
> On Sun, Jan 11, 2015 at 3:59 AM, Rod Parker-Rees <
> R.Parker-Rees@plymouth.ac.uk> wrote:
> 
> > I think your quote from Lashley makes a very useful point - that
> > communication often depends on interventions within a continuing flow of
> > interaction. The meaning is not in the message so much as in how the
> > message is placed in this flow, how it refers back to what the speaker can
> > assume the listener will recognise and relate to and how it refers forward
> > to a possible future state of relationships etc. I think this relates to
> > Annalisa's posting about rhythmic entrainment because a shared rhythm,
> > whether at the level of embodied co-movement, patterned sound or, over a
> > longer timescale, traditional patterns of activity, provides a 'carrier
> > wave' over which very subtle nuances of meaning can be communicated. As an
> > example - when a musician performs a familiar piece of music, which is
> > already familiar to many in the audience, very small variations in how the
> > piece is performed can communicate a great deal about the performer's
> > relationship with the piece. Or - where people are required to wear any
> > form of uniform, small variations in how it is worn may communicate much
> > about the wearer. I suppose this could be seen in terms of the 'yes and'
> > rule in improvisation - go with the flow/rhythm but also add something to
> > it.
> > So while there may be much to be gained from losing oneself in the crowd
> > it is also possible to find distinctiveness among the co-participants in a
> > crowd activity.
> >
> > This reminds me of what I think was an inspired piece of teaching which is
> > presented in the catalogue of the exhibition of children's work from the
> > Reggio Emilia preschools in Northern Italy - in a project focusing on
> > crowds children were asked to choose one person in a photograph of a crowd
> > seen and to imagine what that person was thinking - the children drew their
> > chosen person and added a bubble to show the person's thoughts. In this way
> > the children were encouraged to recognise the individuality of each member
> > of the crowd and this was carried on into their representation of a crowd
> > in clay figures - each figure was given its own unique identity in the form
> > of clothes, shoes, accessories etc. This struck me as a powerful learning
> > opportunity in preschools which were developed with the express intention
> > of preventing any resurgence of fascism in this part of Italy.
> >
> > All the best,
> >
> > Rod
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: xmca-l-bounces+rod.parker-rees=plymouth.ac.uk@mailman.ucsd.edu
> > [mailto:xmca-l-bounces+rod.parker-rees=plymouth.ac.uk@mailman.ucsd.edu]
> > On Behalf Of HENRY SHONERD
> > Sent: 10 January 2015 18:36
> > To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: Rhythm
> >
> > The link proffered by Annalisa has a section on hiving and rhythmic
> > entainment, a phenomenon that I have been interested in for years. I see it
> > in the morning flights of pigeons that fly overhead as I do tai chi and in
> > the migration of geese, ducks and cranes twice a year here in central New
> > Mexico. This morning, as I took part in a dance-exercise class, I took part
> > in a rhythmically entrained activity. I have read about rhythmic
> > entrainment in the interactions of child and caregiver that Vera first made
> > me aware of as a prime aspect of language acquisition. I see it in the work
> > of McNeill on the rhythmic integration of gesture and speech.  Karl Lashley
> > said the following in 1951:
> >
> > "My principal thesis today will be that the input is never into a
> > quiescent or static system, but always into a system which is already
> > actively excited and organized. In the intact organism, behavior is the
> > result of interaction of this background of excitation with input from any
> > designated stimulus. Only when we can state the general charac- teristics
> > of this background of excitation, can we understand the effects of a given
> > input."
> >
> > Whether within an organism, or in interactions between organisms, this
> > suggests a rhythmic pulse underlying activity and development, and that the
> > temporal domain is, in some sense, what underlies all of creation. I would
> > like to propose that this rhythmic entrainment fits nicely with Hutto's
> > radical embodiment/enactive cognition (REC) hypothesis proferred by Larry.
> >
> > I was wondering what others think about rhythm and all that jazz.
> >
> > Henry
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > On Jan 9, 2015, at 11:20 AM, Annalisa Aguilar <annalisa@unm.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hello sundry discussants!
> > >
> > > ?This landed in my email box this morning and figured it was a pretty
> > catchy title that may intrigue others here on the list as much as me!
> > >
> > > I am practicing something I don't like to, which is post a link of
> > something I haven't finished reading, with the risk I may not agree with it.
> > >
> > > However, then I thought I don't have to agree with everything I post on
> > the list, do I? So just to say it is possible that I read it and be remiss
> > that I shared it...
> > >
> > > Still, it can be looked at what kinds of writing are going on about
> > consciousness out there, "outside." It may contribute to further discussion
> > of the ideology of individualism?
> > >
> > > For what its worth? here's the link below...
> > >
> > > Kind regards,
> > >
> > > Annalisa
> > >
> > > Ritual and the Consciousness Monoculture
> > >
> > >
> > http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2015/01/08/ritual-and-the-consciousness-monoculture/
> > >
> > > by Editor on January 8, 2015
> > >
> > > Sarah Perry is a guest blogger who blogs at Carcinisation<
> > http://carcinisation.com> and is the author of Every Cradle is a Grave:
> > Rethinking the Ethics of Birth and Suicide<
> > http://www.amazon.com/Every-Cradle-Is-Grave-Rethinking/dp/0989697290/>.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
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