A new study from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development unveils the deep bodily connections that can form among choir singers
Researchers tracked different physiological variables as a choir sung
and used algorithms to uncover connections between them
Aside from a blending of voices,
they found that choir singers’ heart rates and breathing patterns sync up when performing as a group
This merging was coupled to the vocalization patterns of the singers
The conductor’s hand movements also caused a shared physiological response among the singers
In essence, the work suggests that a choir can be considered a type of coherent physiological entity…
or, as the researchers suggest, a superorganism
Viktor Müller, Julia A.M. Delius, Ulman Lindenberger. Complex networks emerging during choir singing. (2018) Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences