A biorhythm (or biological rhythm) is a cyclic pattern of alterations in physiology, emotions, and intellect. "Bio" pertains to life and "rhythm" pertains to the flow with regular movement.
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The theory of biorhythms claims one's lifecycle is affected by rhythmic cycles and makes approximate predictions of cycles of physical, mental and emotional characteristics. A rhythm or a cycle is a characteristic that is periodically repeated in a predictable and measurable way. Biorhythmics is composed of forecasting the synchronized rhythm by division into equal parts by time in one's life cycle. These inherent rhythms are said to control or initiate various biological processes and are classically composed of three cyclic rhythms that are said to govern human behaviour and the innate periodicity in natural cyclical physiological change. In its simplest general form, the theory states that from birth to death every human is governed by internal biophysical cycles: the physical, the emotional, and the intellectual. Others state there are more rhythms than the basic three. Biorythyms are related to bioelectricity and its interaction in the body.
Basic rhythms include certain facets of physiological cycles, though it may include others and the details may vary pending the specific source. The three classical cycles of Biorhythms are endogenous infradian rhythms.
Basic rhythm details:
Theory
The theory's basis lies in physiological and emotional cycles. The cycles are drawn as sinusoidal waveforms. This is a graphical approximate representation of the bioelectric activity. The cycle flow of bioelectric activity undergoes periodic reverses in direction. Since biorhythms are a continuous bidirectional rhythmic cycle of bioelectricity it can be represented as a symmetrical or asymmetrical (though most theories rely on a symmetrical form). A waveform is just a visual representation of the cycle's forecast. The waveforms start, in most theories, with their minimum values at the birth of each individual [neutral baseline (0%)]. Each cycles oscillates between a positive phase (<= 100%) and a negative phase (>= -100%), during which bioelectric activity strengthens and weakens. The purpose of biorhythms is to enable the approximate calculation of critical days for performing or avoiding various activities.
The classical definition (deriveratives of the original theory exist) states that one's birth is an unfavorable circumstantial event, as is the day about 58 years later when the three cycles are again synchronised at their minimum values. According to the classical definition, the theory is assumed to apply only to humans. In the classical theory, the value of each cycle can be calculated at any given time in the life of an individual, and there are web sites that do exactly that.
Biorhythmics is an established interdisciplinary area of scientific endeavor, but is still speculative in many facets. Biorhythms are based upon the study of biological organisms (in particular, the study of human behavior and physiology). Biorhythmics' plausibility is contested (vehemently, sometimes).
Biorhythms have echoes of chronobiology, the study of circadian and other rhythms. Through medical research, doctors have found that there are periodicity and rhythms during a person's lifespan, although few doctors believe they correspond to those described as "biorhythms". Biochronometry has shown that rhythm and cycles such as the circadian (from the Latin circa and dia; literally, "about a day") exist. These discoveries, among others, have shown that people are affected by physiological, emotional and intellectual rhythms (thouigh the exact relationships to the biorhythm cycles are not precisely understood). Studies in this (some say, self-described) protoscience are still being done regarding the effects of biorhythm on the human condition.
The theory is sometimes treated as falsely claiming scientific validity. Biorhythm critic responses range from opposing it as harmful through ignoring it to accepting it as entertainment. Some biorhythm critics raise one or more of the following criticisms for the various theories that fall under the category of Biorhythmics:
The classical theory originated at the turn of the 19th century, between 1897 and 1902, from observational research.
Dr. Hermann Swoboda into the possibility of a rhythmic change in mood and health. (Professor of Psychology, University of Vienna) on periodic variations in fevers. He collected data on reaction to pain, outbreak of fevers, illnesses, asthma, heart attacks, and recurrent dreams. He concluded that there was a 23-day physical cycle and a 28-day emotional cycle.
Dr. Wilhelm Fliess (nose and throat specialist; reportedly a numerologist) independently was researching the occurrences of fevers, recurrent illnesses and deaths in his patients. He too came to the conclusion that there was a 23 and a 28-day rhythm. Fleiss's theories were of great interest and importance to Sigmund Freud during his early work in developing his psychoanalytic concepts.
Alfred Teltseher (professor of engineering; University of Innsbruck, Austria) observed that his students' good days and bad days followed a rhythmic pattern of 33 days. Teltscher found that the brain's ability to absorb, mental ability,and alertness ran in 33 day cycles. Dr. Rexford Hersey (psychologist; Pennsylvania, America) in the 1920s reportedly made contributions to the classical theory also.
These three biorhythms compose the classical theory. The classical theory has been studied, especially in Germany, Japan, and the United States, with conflicting results. Various modern deriviatives exist of the classical theory.
General
Related terminology
Plausibility
History
See also
List of speculative or fringe theories
External links, References, and Resources
Books
Crtics
Calculators