Vibration
Hi friends! Today I hope to give you a deeper look at what Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch were getting at regarding the experience of “Good Vibrations.” Let’s dive in.
A few months ago, Christian and I were enjoying lunch on the patio of our favorite restaurant in the Bishop Arts District of Dallas. We ordered some appetizers and began to sip our coffee when we noticed a shift.
Behind me at another table, there was a young woman and her dog that arrived just after we did. Turns out she was waiting for someone to join her, and this someone came in like a wrecking ball, smashing all the “good vibes” in this quaint atmosphere.
As soon as she entered the patio, the whole space felt different. For me, it felt like an almost “icky” pressure was being applied to the back of my head, neck and back. I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation which was riddled with complaints, aggravation and anger on the part of our new friend on the patio. This poor young woman with the dog did her best, but her silence and posture made it clear that this was not the lunch she had hoped for.
Christian and I looked at each other in amazement at how we both felt this woman’s energy, with her words matching the sharpness of it.
My favorite part of this story is when, after ordering, these two women begin to talk about the restaurant and the area in general. The woman with the dog noted how great the “vibes” are and, to my astonishment, the other woman agreed before adding that “Ugh. My vibes are rancid today.”
Christian and I, still eavesdropping, both heard this and started laughing.
She was correct and we ALL felt it.
That is a hysterical turn of phrase.
But hey, good for her that she noticed her own energy. Do we wish she skipped brunch, sure. But also, if you want to shift your energy, being outside and among others might be the best medicine.
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Resonance and Dissonance
Have you ever walked into a room and felt like the energy was off? You’re not crazy. There is a scientific explanation for this phenomenon.
Everything, and I mean literally everything, is made up of energy. That energy comes together to create mass and thus the physical manifestation of everything that surround us, including people. While this mass may seem to be solid and unmoving, the particles that comprise everything are actually in a constant state of small, microscopic movement or vibration.
In addition to this, every living thing emits electromagnetic fields which vibrate at a given frequency. This frequency can change with shifts to the internal and external environment of the being in question. When two fields meet, their frequencies can complement each other, or create contrast. This is also known as resonance and dissonance.
Resonance is defined as “the reinforcement or prolongation of sound by reflection from a surface or by the synchronous vibration of a neighboring object.” [Oxford Dictionary]
Dissonance is defined as “a tension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious or unsuitable elements.” [Oxford Dictionary]
In simple terms, resonance is alignment between two or more things that builds up, while dissonance is misalignment amongst two or more things that breaks down.
When it comes to the feeling of good or bad “vibes,” what we are really talking about are these forces that attract and repel, driven by vibration. What hangs in the air between two people, a person and a space, or even a person and an idea… this is resonance and dissonance.
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Returning to the patio and the “rancid vibes,” what Christian and I were experiencing was a vibration that was dissonant to our own.
While this was an example of what some might call “negative energy,” it’s important to note that the concept of resonance and dissonance does not equate to positive and negative. It doesn’t mean that one is right or one is wrong, it is more akin to “abundant compatibility vs reductive incompatibility” or “a harmonious relationship vs toxic relationship.”
Have you ever met two good people who bring out the worst in each other? That’s dissonance. Neither one is more to blame than the other, they just aren’t a vibrational match. That’s not to say that it can’t change over time, but that change likely requires time apart due to the reductive nature of dissonant energies.
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So, what does this mean for us?
We can tune into our body’s deeper knowing to ascertain our next move in any environment… toward more joy and alignment, and away from fear and entanglement. Here are some quick steps to consider:
Noticing. Be aware of any shifts you feel in your body and environment. This is often referred to as a “gut feeling.”
Curiosity. Once you’ve identified a shift or feeling within you, get curious about it and what it could mean.
Choose. Knowing what you know and feeling what you feel, you can make a choice to move toward or away from this energy and its vibration.
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The takeaway here is that, in any given situation, you know more than you think you do. When you pair noticing and curiosity with intuition and body intelligence, you have access to meaningful knowing that can lead to more aligned doing.
Much of these learnings were ignited by AliveOS with Suzy Batiz and The Hendricks Institute.
Thanks for reading!
If this post resonates with you, I would so appreciate your sharing it with friends, loved ones, and colleagues.