Step 1 : Choose Your Subject

Your subject could be an animal in the wild, your pet, a bird on a bird table, or even a houseplant or tree! Choose a time when an animal is not feeding or hunting, and seems to be relaxed and non-stressed; then start sending rhythmic messages.

Step 2 : Attempt to Synchronize

Transmit non frightening, multiple, rhythmic signals of high "rise time" (i.e. starting abruptly like the exhalation of a whale, a click of your fingers, pocket comb or rings). Try between-signal durations of 24 hours for plants, 1-5 minutes for large mammals, 10-60 seconds for small mammals and 1-10 seconds for birds or fish. These are called "alpha rhythms", measured in cycles per units of Time (for example, with plants, make one abrupt watering (one cycle) per exactly 24 hours).

Record identification and behavioural details of any animal that returns a signal "appearing to be" at the same Time as your transmitted signal. Watch carefully. Remember, it's not important WHAT your subject does, just WHEN it is done, so the response may be anything from a a flick of a tail or ear, a sound, or a movement.

Have a time-out for 10-15 minutes if no possible synchronizations occur after 5-10 minutes of trying. And postpone the experiment if active feeding or any stress is shown by your subject.

If you start getting messages back from your subject at the same Time as you are sending them, then you have Synchronization! and you are ready to start communicating.

Step 3 : Establish the concept of Lateness

Now that you and your subject are synchronized, you can transmit and receive messages using combinations of ON-TIME, LATE, OFF-TIME and EARLY messages.

Experimentation has shown that a shared concept of lateness is a key to Rhythm Based Communication. First you need to establish your lateness signature.

If for a humpback whale we use 60 sec as the "alpha rhythm" then: On Time (a) would be from 58 to 02 sec, centred at 12 o'clock, on a clock face. Late (b) would then be 13-17 sec, centred at 3 o'clock. Off Time (c) would be 28-32 sec, centred at 6 o'clock. Early (d) would be 43-47 sec centred at 9 o'clock.

• Use the "alpha rhythm" you have identified for your subject to pick an interval for your Late message.
• Transmit a Late Message. Remember that a Late message needs to be preceded by a full alpha cycle, e.g. if using a sixty second "alpha rhythm", the Time between an On Time message and a Late one would be approximately 75 seconds.
• Transmit a Second Late Message.
• Transmit an On Time Message.
• Observe Subject's Responses. As before, record identification and behavioural details of any animal that returns a signal. Watch and listen carefully. Remember, it is not important WHAT your subject does, just WHEN it is done.
• Give up if subject seems stressed. As before, have a time-out or a postponement if active feeding or any stress is shown by your subject.

If you receive a number of Late-Late-On Time messages back from your subject, you are now more sure of a communication in RBC. If you reach this stage, we'd love to hear about it. We can advise on how to increase your vocabulary with your subject to have meaningful communications. Contact Us

Step 4 : Send a Greeting

Saying hello is done using an Off Time - Off Time - On Time message. Rhythmic mimicry via a return of the hello message is a sign of lowering biological stress and readiness to communicate.

Step 5 : Have an Extended Communication

At this stage there can be experimentation to establish a common vocabulary. When associated with a geographic location, use a specific rhythmic message for the usual learning by conditional response. You can then reverse the RBT direction to change such a noun into a question. The following message types have been shown to be valid during Ceta- Research investigations.

• A Statement of fact: Facts are stated as combinations of Late or Early, Off Time or On Time. An example from our experiments would be Late - On Time - Late - Early to represent "a location"
• A Question: Questions are stated as rhythmic signal combinations, mirror images of facts; an example would be Early - On Time - Early - Late to represent "location?" or "Are you going to such location?"
• Saying Yes: A double signal On Time.
• Saying No: A double signal Off Time.

Step 6 : Say Farewell

A goodbye is an opposite phase message to hello, so the rhythmic coding is On Time - On Time - Off Time

A most important thing to remember in all your experiments is that, when you are both relaxed, and neither of you are worrying about what happens next, you are in RBC communication. You are living in "the now", and sharing it with each other.