New Books in Sociology Birgit Abels and Patrick Eisenlohr, "Atmospheric Knowledge: Environmentality, Latency, and Sonic Multimodality" (U California Press, 2025)
Nov 7, 2025
Join Patrick Eisenlohr, an expert in sonic practices and ethnography, and Birgit Abels, an anthropologist with deep ties to Pacific cultures, as they dive into the concept of atmospheric knowledge. They explore how nonverbal and sonic experiences shape our connection to places. The duo discusses the significance of latency in understanding atmospheres, the role of sound in oceanic belonging, and how music serves as a medium for indigenous wisdom. Their insights bridge phenomenology, environment, and the emotive power of atmospheres.
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Atmospheres As Pre-Verbal Knowledge
- Atmospheres are pre-verbal, holistic sensations that orient us before conscious cognition arrives.
- They emerge from sound-based and ritual practices and form nonverbal knowledge about environments.
Latency And The Suggestion Of Motion
- Atmospheres tie closely to a temporality of latency: they signal a suggestion of motion pointing toward a not-yet-manifest future.
- That future-oriented hunch gives atmospheres their anticipatory, felt quality.
Voice Quality Matters In Nath Recitations
- In Mauritius, interlocutors emphasized vocal quality and motion metaphors when discussing Nath recitation authenticity.
- They insisted voice motion must align with textual meaning or the performance can 'botch' the recitation.
