On Resonance
What is resonance in all its forms, and how might we focus on cultivating our ability to identify it, orient to it, feel it within ourselves and cast our own signals for others to receive?
Probably 4 years ago, at the turn of the year and as covid was starting to feel like it was receding, I was doing my annual reflection and trying to work out some forward looking goals or hopes for the next year. The world still felt turbulent, unpredictable, and we had seen firsthand that planning based on predicatability was a fool's game.
So instead of trying to focus on resolutions, I turned to the idea of qualities and values that I was hoping for, things which felt like they could somewhat steady the keel - and from that came a new way of ending one year an starting the next. I began trying to boil all the words down to one. A single word which captured my intention for the year - something which had plenty of leeway for intepretation (or to teach me as the year went on, I've learnt), but some form of directionality to help me navigate the choppy waters of the year. Back then, my word was 'coherence' - and it helped me seek out people, opportunities and experiences which felt like they made sense at a deeper level for the way the world was.
Fast forward and the intervening years have been choppy and confusing as well to some extent, but each year I've stuck to this activity, sensing and responding to what my world has been like, and invariably this process and intention word has helped me each year. I don't think I've actually written about them in the past (but went back and shared a reflection last year's word - Coalesce - here), but this year I feel called to for some reason.
My intention framing for this year is: 〰 Resonance 〰
Last year felt like a huge year of learning, exploring, levelling up and trying to bring things together, but it still felt noisey, discombobulating and I was left feeling somewhat burnt out for various reasons.
This year I'm interested in trying to orient towards less.
Less perpetual movement. Less breadth of focus. Less disconnected effort.
To that end, I'm trying to create more space to allow resonance in all its forms.
Resonance is a way of storing energy by vibrating at a particular frequency. And everything — everything — in the universe can resonate.
- Bernie Hobbs
As I understand it (currently), resonance is an interplay between two or more entities and the frequencies they emit and receive. When the frquencies line up, resonance occurs. So seeking resonance for me, is about better knowing myself, and orienting to "frequencies" (people, experiences, work efforts, etc etc) which align with where I've come from, where I'm at now and where I'm heading.
Resonance through a prism
As I was playing with this being my word of the year, this is one of the questions I was asking myself, because it defines - to some extent - how it shapes my year.
I knew of resonance from an acoustic perspective - such as the fabled opera singer breaking a glass with nothing but their voice. I'd also heard of a sort of structural resonance where bridges would undulate if groups of people walked in step together. There's also a form of electromagnetic resonance happening with radios and MRI scanners I believe. Indeed people often also talk about a "felt" resonance - such as resonating with an idea, purpose or values, or sometimes with a person or group.
After a little more research, I also learnt there is a form of Quantum Resonance (which is where Quantum Entanglement comes from), which is an area I'd love to learn more about.
There's also other spin off concepts and ideas which connect to Resonance for me, such as:
- Re-sounding, echoing - such as how ideas or writing can travel and "re-sound" in other places without you being there.
- Interbeing - resonance cannot be achieved alone, thus our interrelationship with other people, places, and frequency-generating sources need to be better understood.
- Signal:Noise - the idea that not all frequencies will match - and thus some will be noise for us, and some will be important signals to listen to / for. There's also an implication here that "hearing signals" requires enough suppresion of noise, or ability to see past the noise to perceive the signals.
- Orbits - the interplay of gravitational pulls (singular or 'the three body problem') and the resulting paths planets or other bodies take.
- Flow state - sometimes we feel like time bends and we are operating in a heightened state of function, clarity or creativity.
- Limbic resonance - a neurobiological term for how we "catch" each other's emotions or feelings, such as when you can feel the energy in a room change without a word spoken. Apparently this is the biological basis for empathy and social bonding.
- Cymatics - a friend was recently telling me about patterns which sounds make, and how these patterns are found as symbols in cultures around the world.
- Ecological patterning and signals - the attunement to Country through which relational patterns, signals and "country talking" can be perceived.
Other words: resonate, resonating, resonator.
When have you felt resonance? What does the word bring up for you? Is there any negatives to resonance, and if so - how can it be resisted? Is there any practices you've developed to increase your ability to experience resonance?
