Set point theory

In the 1980’s some scientists came up with the idea of an equilibrium point to explain how people who dieted returned to their original weight after finishing their regime, they coined the term Set Point Theory. The body seemed to have a memory of its weight and would return to it after the diet. This idea then was then taken up by others who saw similar things in other areas such as self-improvement, sports training, and health.

Set Point Theory is something I would like to suggest is a natural phenomenon.  A guitar string that is too tight when you de-tune it will sharpened up again as if trying to return to its sharp status, a slack string will do the opposite, going flat after being tuned.

I can see these points in one’s ability to play music, to practice, to become effective as a professional, to focus on something, to read music, to be creative etc. we can look at these ideas as a comfort zone but I think the idea of a Set Point is more organic and not just a state of laziness.

So how do we move the Set Point? Let us return to the guitar string. Putting on a set of nylon classical strings and getting them to settle in tune will take a long time unless you overtighten the string and let it naturally flatten into tune and if you do this a few times it will have changed its equilibrium point. Maybe this is the thing that is needed for weight loss, go beyond the level that you are aiming for and then naturally put weight on to reach your desired goal.  

So for improved practicing maybe a week or two of extreme practice, so when you get back to normal patterns of life you will have increased your capacity to find time and the inclination to learn.

Can breaking one Set Point affect another? Can fasting change one’s ability to play music? On the face of it this is crazy however I am not so sure, if you look at it the mind is causing the patterns in all areas so changing something radically in one area can alter other areas, of that I am pretty confident.

This might explain the effectiveness of ritualistic behaviour, around initiations in particular, for instance rituals change your mind space, that is evident and if you think this is not the case then you have not been through an initiation. Not only do they affect you but also they can affect other aspects of your life, love, family, jobs et cetera you could do something like fasting as well as extreme practicing to break the blocks that control your set point so that it can be reset. Maybe that helps to overwhelm the mind to make changes, this is certainly a technique from hypnosis where sensory overload is used to induce trance.

I know this seems a bit out there but in these days of caution and caveats we need to do something to break the iron cage.

Vic www.bluescampuk.co.uk music summer school for rock blues soul funk reggae ….

You Want It Darker? – Leonard Cohen

Okay let’s go darker from the last article, let us plumb the depths, we had dancing with your shadow, feeding the demons, let us go and feast with them and invite them for a holiday let us look at how music is used for stirring up the aspects of the human condition which is the right of Genghis Khan, and the Marquis De Sade would find embarrassing.

Invoking ideas of as medieval people might have said spirits demons may be a way of changing ones reference point or set point.

There is much to be said that there is an equilibrium or set point in our health, wealth and wellbeing whether it is social or financial situation that we find ourselves returning to. It is often similar to our parents income their health and weight and luck (yes that has been researched). So how do we change that equilibrium point?  The answer might be found in a guitar string.

If you have a new set of strings on a guitar they will need to be retuned to get them up to pitch especially the nylon strings and one thing you can do is to over tighten them so that they settle back down into tune. In the same way we may need to go further than we want to settle into maybe break what you are before remaking, leave the job, the marriage, leave your old self, maybe going to India is not so much are finding yourself and more leaving yourself behind.

So here is where darkness comes in. Take to yourself to a place that frightens you, saddens you, do a survival course that pushes you to the edge, do a marathon. Maybe the Christian idea of giving everything away is more to do with this than charity.

Now what has this got to music? Well everything from music that you use ritualistically if that is your jam, write a song about your intention that you find challenging to put out there. Such as your greatest fears, anger, greed, loss and get them into a song.

Vic

www.bluescampuk.co.uk Music summer school for rock and blues