View source for Torpor

Every Yih week (12 days), Yinrih spend a full Yih day (a bit over 24 hours) in torpor. At no point are they unconscious, but they are sedate. The sensation is compared to the sedatives used in Human cataract surgery. They have delayed reaction time, dulled sensation, and a feeling of detachment, but can still follow simple commands.

Since pain perception is muted during torpor, some minor surgical procedures are conducted while the patient is torpid.

Yinrih exhibit a phenomenon similar to the unihemispherical slow wave sleep seen in birds and cetaceans, except the pattern involves not just the two hemispheres of the brain, but the caudal ganglion as well. During torpor, when one hemisphere of the main brain is &quot;defragmenting&quot; as it were, its corresponding functions are assumed by the caudal ganglion. Likewise, when parts of the caudal ganglion are unavailable, that part of the main brain has no backup.

Among tree dwellers and in primitive yinrih society, the dams go into torpor with their kits when they are very young. The sires all keep watch over the women and children, staggering their own torpor cycles so the moot is always protected. As the kits grow into pups, the dams start to stagger their own cycles so that there are always as many adults alert as possible.

In modern yinrih society things may work differently depending on culture. In more monochronic cultures such as most parts of the Allied Worlds, all the members of a community have a synchronized torpor cycle, with some exceptions for &quot;night shifts&quot;. That makes scheduling events much easier. In more polychronic cultures such as Hearthside, several strategies can be found. Some cultures have a 3-day &quot;weekend&quot; during each 12-day week within which yinrih spend their torpor. An individual moot usually chooses a day within that period to be their torpor period. Other cultures more resemble the primitive strategy of every individual having their own cycle.

Torpor stories are spoken word audio media that can span a range of genres, from what we would call podcasts to fictional narratives to trivia about particular topics. More traditional communities make use of scripture and hagiographies. The goal of torpor stories is to create a mindset conducive to torpor. The stories are usually calming and pleasant, but also interesting enough to help the prospective torpid monkey fox to let go of his daily worries.

There are also specific prayers recited during torpor, which often involve breathing in time with each recitation.

(breathe in) May my soul be a mirror--
(breathe out) reflecting the Uncreated Light.


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