Author: Edward T. Hall

Cited by

• Doris Lessing (1)
  • IN: Under My Skin (1995) Non-Fiction, Autobiography, British
    EPIGRAPH: No matter where one looks on the face of the earth, wherever there are people, they can be observed syncing when music is played. There is popular misconception about music. Because there is a beat to music, the generally accepted belief is that the rhythm originates in the music, not that music is a highly specialized release of rhythms already in the individual. Otherwise how can one explain the close fit between ethnicity and music? Rhythm patterns may turn out to be one of the most basic personality traits that differentiates one individual from another ... when people converse... their brain waves even lock into a single unified sequence. When we talk to each other our central nervous systems mesh like two gears in a transmission. The power of rhythmic message within the group is as strong as anything I know. It is... a hidden force, like gravity, that holds groups together. I can remember being quite overwhelmed when I first made cinematographic recordings of groups of people in public. Not only were small groups in sync, but there were times when it seemd that all were part of a larger rhythm.
    FROM: The Dance of Life, (1983), Book, US