Abstract
Rioting historically has been known to cause changes in individual cognition, with heightened emotionality, increased excitement and reduced reflective thought. A cross-disciplinary literature review hypothesises emotional states generate corresponding metabolic bio magnetic fields that radiate in patterns reflecting these emotional states. The oscillatory phase of these waves is advanced as being more significant than the power of signal, permitting stochastic effects to magnify signals by appropriating ambient noise. Possible transmission and detection structures in the body are discussed, induced paramagnetic sensitivity in crowd participants in a phase transition process is hypothesised, the effect may be proportional to crowd numbers. It is suspected that positive effects seen in Transcranial Magnetic Therapy used to treat depression may be operating on this mechanism, acting on natural receptors in the limbic system which also capture light and are implicated in mood transitions. A number of paramagnetic neurotransmitters may be implicated.
Highlights
Differences in behaviour in crowd members acting collectively compared to how individuals behave has been widely noted, from Smelser [9], Cannetti [10] and more recently Reicher [11]-[13]
Commonalities in mechanisms of data transfer and processing group behaviours shared between both animals and humans are considered as a central hypothesis, as it appears that humans may have retained physical structures and emotional response structures from more primitive common evolutionary ancestors
Episodic emotionally influenced group behaviours seen in public disorders have been seen in the 21st and 20th Centuries, but for thousands of years under a multiplicity of different political, religious, social and economic systems, sociological explanations do not appear to be able to explain this effect
Summary
Differences in behaviour in crowd members acting collectively compared to how individuals behave has been widely noted, from Smelser [9], Cannetti [10] and more recently Reicher [11]-[13]. While a majority of rioters were persons known to Police, Ministry of Justice data suggested that while 76% of suspects had a previous caution or conviction [14], 24% appeared to be without previous convictions and following their arrest, lost jobs and career prospects; often for the theft of items of minor value. These decisions exposed the rioters to considerable future down sides in their daily lives as well as minimal benefits if they were undetected. Episodic emotionally influenced group behaviours seen in public disorders have been seen in the 21st and 20th Centuries, but for thousands of years under a multiplicity of different political, religious, social and economic systems, sociological explanations do not appear to be able to explain this effect
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