I wanted to ground—if not super-scientifically, at least in terms we can visualize and better understand—what we mean by resonance. It is with great trepidation and amusement that I am bringing math into this blog, but I am doing it for good reason, so please bear with me.
What do we really refer to when we say something “resonates” with us, or “we’re on the same wavelength,” or that we like the “vibe” or a certain place or person? Well, let me refer to the shoddily drawn chart above and hark back to high school trigonometry when we learned about waves. Do you remember that if we have two different waves of x wavelength but different amplitudes (a & b), that if they were to come together, we could calculate the amplitude of the third resulting wave by adding up the amplitudes of the first two (a+b = c)?
I think this is a great visual example of what happens when two things on the same wavelength encounter each other: their existing energy simply gets amplified. Say you’re in a great mood and your friend is in a great mood. What happens when you meet each other? Your great mood ratchets up even more, right?
[This is a side note, but nonetheless interesting: What happens when one of you is in a great mood and the other is so so? Well, depends on who has the bigger energy. If the happy person can really stay centered in herself and not let the person feeling so so bring her down, then she might actually be able to lift her friend’s mood. If her friend, however, is quite depressed, and she is not able to maintain her own energetic state, she could very well be dragged down a bit and comfort her friend at her own expense. She will likely leave the encounter feeling down or drained herself. This is why it’s really good to practice good energy hygiene!]
Being on the same wavelength with something feels like a positive experience. It will either feel comfortable, uplifting, or inspiring. This is the feeling of truth. Your truth resonates in your body in a certain way. Think of a book, film, piece of art, song, or whatever that really resonated with you. Really feel that feeling in your body. Do you remember its effect on you physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually? That is the feeling of your truth. Become familiar with it so you recognize it more and more immediately going forward.
By contrast, think of an experience that you didn’t vibe with. A good example is a person preaching some kind of message that doesn’t feel right. When I walk by them their words feel like they’re assaulting not only my ears, but my entire body. They land at odd angles and don’t sink in.
There are in between cases, of course, where it might take some time to resonate. There is a musical concept here involving two dissonant notes that eventually harmonize, but I won’t pain you with more amateur ramblings on topics I know little about. How about: think of a party that you aren’t in the mood to go to, but after a few minutes of soaking up the music, the people, (and maybe a drink), you warm to the energy. This doesn’t always work, though. If the music’s not to your taste and it’s just not your scene, even a drink might not help you settle in.
So I encourage you to pay attention to resonance and dissonance in your body because those feelings are connecting you directly with your truth in that moment! You can do this in meditation, but I encourage to take these tools for a spin and be mindful about it through your day.
0 Comments