Postscript #128 to the "Lanzarote" paper (03/14/99)
'FAQ' #6 ON "RHYTHM BASED COMMUNICATION"

Are there biological survival advantages for RBC?

    Yes, and the answer is very powerful, very clear and absolutely essential to the survival of all ecosystems of Earth. Firstly, RBC requires low biological stress, which has been demonstrated experimentally. Secondly, we believe, based on logic and experience that RBC produces low stress. Thirdly, in theory, RBC should be a near instantaneous carrier of emotional messages. Fourthly, organisms can easily and quickly switch from pure to partial RBC, or to pure "Signal Based Communication" (SBC). Fifthly, we believe that inherent trust, honesty and altruism have evolved into and are associated with RBC in contrast to the inherent distrust, dishonesty and 'survival of the fittest' that have evolved into and are associated with SBC. Expanding these five contentions:
     1) Entering RBC requires 'synchronization' and the exchanging of rhythmic 'passkeys,' (in order to establish additional 'Time' variables). RBC experiences with cetaceans, terrestrial mammals and bald eagles end just before active feeding and we presume that the internal biological stress of hunger switches all such communications from rhythms to signals. 
     2) The logic of the existence of low stress in RBC is the lack of the need of forethought. It truly doesn't matter what the organism does (within a very wide range of acceptable signals); it only matters when the organism does it. An analogy would be in dancing when it does not matter if your signal is a forward step or a side step but it does matter if you follow the rhythm of the music. When we have been "Dancing With Whales" (RBC only) our signal is often chosen from fifty, but chosen at the last moment of the required rhythmic timing. This, we experience, leads to a feeling of low stress and 'nowness.'
     3) We believe that RBC is a powerful communicator of the emotions and if a receiving organism is synchronized (for example by sunrise, motion rhythms, sounds) then the encoding can be in 'Rhythm Based Time,' RBT, and communication thus becomes superluminal or near instantaneous.
     4) RBC and SBC work together like music and dancing. Signals, for humans, most often appear to carry all communication concepts but as stress reduces we unconsciously seem to 'migrate' toward the transmission of feelings without language and with seemingly un-meaningful, SBC, visual, auditory and other signals. Examples are found in eastern philosophy, in reverence and most obviously in sincere love. 
     5) 'Evolutionary theory' now seems correct but not complete. It is Nature with SBC, inherent potential distrust, deception, 'fight or flight' and higher orders of internal biological stress. Another aspect of Nature which surely occupies a part of our biosphere's space-time continuum, possibly smaller, potentially larger, is 'Altruistic theory.' It is Nature with RBC, inherent trust, honesty and lower orders of biological stress. And these two parts of Nature likewise work together, also like dancing and music, as organisms move (with different steps) between the two distinct 'living' rooms which metaphorically describe our biological kingdoms.
     The two theories are compatible for all of the above. Furthermore, RBC leads to strong, potential, evolutionary selection pressures for survival, as follows: a) all organisms should seek lower stress when they get the chance because it produces lower metabolic rate and thus longer life and, b) lower stress enhances emotional communication, thus affection, thus reproduction. The part of life that is altruistic (found profoundly in the cetaceans and in humans) feeds back energy to support neo-Darwinism and the two behavioral theories become separate but complementary. Organisms simply move between the two. The dominant characteristic for each is their mode of communication.