hypnolibertarian

One of the comments from my early posts (well, this is still an early post) asked about rhythm, influence (hypnosis), and the political process. Rhythm is amazingly hypnotic; we have all heard of the drums of voodoo priests and the rituals at places like Bali and the jungles of Jamaica.

The most common use of rhythm in political conventions is not to convert the uncertain, but to energize the converted. For this, rhythm is very effective. Remember the chants of the Democratic convention: O–BA–MA!! this continued for minutes, hours. The chant was deafening, and extremely hypnotic. The beat was about 90 to 120 per minute, which matches the brain in high activity.

Let us take a brief tangent to explain this. The brain has a tendency to use frequencies in the “brain waves” that occurs around it. This phenomenon is called “entrainment”, and is used in a variety of ways. When the brain waves of a mob — and there is no other word for people knit together by such powerful rhythms — coincide at a high level, they are extremely suggestible, and it is easy to arouse emotional reactions within them.

The trance caused by such a shared rhythm is much deeper than the trance caused by (for example) The occasional use of language patterns. The brain under that form of entrainment is open to suggestions ways that the person may not have experienced before. In the days of the British Empire, travelers from the west continually were amazed by (and wrote about) the way they were overcome by the rhythm of the drums and the atmosphere they created.

The Republicans were a bit underwhelming in their use of rhythm this year. After all, chanting, “McCain! McCain!” just doesn’t have that same powerful rhythm as “O–BA–MA!!!” Perhaps there is something in a name. But the Republicans did what they could with rhythm in the songs, clapping, stamping together in rhythm.

This does not tend to bring in those outside, who are not ready to participate in the ritual (but keep in mind those British explorers). For the faithful, it is a high that cannot be duplicated by any drug, and one that is addicting. Rhythm is part of any personal appearance, and if it is not, someone on that campaign staff should be fired.

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