In large social gatherings, this can give rise to a euphoric feeling of oneness-dubbed “collective effervescence” by French sociologist Émile Durkheim-which elicits a blissful, selfless absorption within a community. Synchrony shifts our focus away from our own needs toward the needs of the group. Ingrid Fetell Lee is a trained industrial designer and former design director at IDEO at work on a book called Joyful, expected out in Fall 2018. In Joyful, designer Ingrid Fetell Lee explores how the seemingly mundane spaces and objects we interact with every day have surprising and powerful effects on our mood. The tragic Surfside condo collapse is a stark reminder of the fragility of our seaside communities and the urgent need for a stronger and safer built environment. And when participants rocked in chairs at the same tempo, they performed better on a cooperative task than those who rocked at different rhythms. Eventbrite - The Charlotte Center for the Humanities and Civic Imagination presents Charlotte Ideas Festival presents Ingrid Fetell Lee - Friday, March 31. Robert Fetell, a Water Center MES/MSAG grant recipient, published an op-ed in the Miami Herald about how his hometown of Miami Beach is being impacted by climate change. In studies where people sang or moved in a coordinated way with others, researchers found that subjects were significantly more likely to help out a partner with their workload or sacrifice their own gain for the benefit of the group.

Scientists call this phenomenon synchrony and have found that it can elicit some surprising behaviors. Music seems to create a sense of unity on a physiological level. Similarly, studies of choir singers have shown that singing aligns performers’ heart rates. Here, she shares some alternatives that can help expand your awareness, calm your mind, and sink into the present moment.

“neuroscientists monitored guitarists playing a short melody together, they found that patterns in the guitarists’ brain activity became synchronized. JanuMeditation is great for some people but not for everyone - including author and designer Ingrid Fetell Lee.