Entrainment or “watcha clock!”

Entrainment is the phenomenon noted by the Dutch scientist Christian Huygens, whereby two oscillating bodies to lock into phase so that they vibrate in harmony. Huygens found that when he placed two pendulum clocks on a wall near each other and swung the pendulums at different rates, they would eventually end up swinging in at the same rate. This is due to their mutual influence on one another. It is also defined as a synchronization of two or more rhythmic cycles. At a very deep level, it is natural for us to synchronise with those around us; one example of this kind of thing is women who live together sharing a similar cycle.

So if it is natural for us to harmonise with those we are in close proximity with, how is it that we so often find it is just these people that drive us nuts? Is it a ‘battle of the vibes’ as one person tries to assert their own native rhythm over the encroachment of the new elements from outside? Is it just ego that tries to kid us that if it doesn’t come from us then it can’t be as good (because that would mean that ‘we’ weren’t as good as ‘them’!)?

Of course all of this goes on at a subconscious level and we either find harmonious relationships or fight them, without any mental processing of why. In fact I would suggest that most ‘reasons’ are just different flavours of justification and rationalisation of what is a very deep process; the drive to live in harmony with our ‘neighbours’.

Perhaps if we relax just a bit more, we can allow this process to work its magic in our lives….

 

“Think of entrainment as being “in sync.” When your head and heart, thoughts and feelings, are working harmoniously together, you have more clarity and inner balance–and you feel better.”

 

Resources:

1. Van Morrison “That’s Entrainment”

Tags: entrainment, harmony, rhythm

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2008 at 08:13 and is filed under Hints, Tips & Techniques, Personal Change, Values & Philosophy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.