The Sixth Sense-Emotional Contagion; Review of Biophysical Mechanisms Influencing Information Transfer in Groups

Abstract

Rioting historically has been known to cause changes in individual cognition, with heightened emotionality, increased excitement and reduced reflective thought. A cross-disciplinary literature review hypothesises emotional states generate corresponding metabolic bio magnetic fields that radiate in patterns reflecting these emotional states. The oscillatory phase of these waves is advanced as being more significant than the power of signal, permitting stochastic effects to magnify signals by appropriating ambient noise. Possible transmission and detection structures in the body are discussed, induced paramagnetic sensitivity in crowd participants in a phase transition process is hypothesised, the effect may be proportional to crowd numbers. It is suspected that positive effects seen in Transcranial Magnetic Therapy used to treat depression may be operating on this mechanism, acting on natural receptors in the limbic system which also capture light and are implicated in mood transitions. A number of paramagnetic neurotransmitters may be implicated.