Sympathetic Resonance

People are attracted to others who emit the same sonic frequency

Resonance is a term commonly attributed to sound and harmonics but is also defined more broadly as the ability to evoke or suggest imagery, memories or emotions. Sympathy is having a common feeling or being in unity with another. Sympathetic resonance therefore is the uniting of being through aligned sonic frequency.

From Google:

Sympathetic resonance is a principle rooted in physics, which states that when an object vibrates at a certain frequency it has the ability to induce vibration in another object that shares its resonant frequency.

A greater explanation in the video below:

This phenomenon is not limited to physical objects but extends to the realm of consciousness. I often use the word resonance to describe the impressions left after holding an asana or completing a cycle of pranayama. For example, a 10 minute headstand leaves a very internal, quiet resonance as the grasping tendencies of the nervous system recede. An intense backbend practice leaves a resonance of heat, energy and vitality, as the nervous system and lymphatic system are stimulated. Nadi Shodhana is a pranayama which leaves a very calming resonance, as both channels along the spine are brought into greater balance. These resonances are as real as any other sensations in the body despite having little in the way of scientific instrumentation to measure such things.

Sound itself is physical and is measured in decibels (loudness) and metered by frequency or wavelength, with a longer wavelength producing a deeper vibration and a shorter wavelength producing a higher pitched vibration. There exist many sonic frequencies well outside the range of the average human ear on both the high and low spectrum, but these frequencies are still accumulated by the nervous system and have significant effects on our state of being. It’s important to recognize the sheer amount of sonic bombardment we absorb on a daily basis, whether it be through electronics, gadgets, appliances, traffic, media and the relentless din of urban areas and other people. Even in many restaurants, where one once went to “rest” or “restore”, there is loud music to distract us from being alone with our own thoughts. Many aspects of modern culture are designed to overwhelm the senses because disorientation leads to suggestibility and suggestibility is good for business.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are subtler resonances such as the rotation of the Earth and its electromagnetic fields which have their own frequencies known as the Schumann Resonances, which are found in the ELF (Extremely Low Frequency) range at between 3 and 50Hz, far below what an equipped human ear can audibly register.

Some people claim to have resonance with these frequencies which are said to create a greater sense of calm and well being. These subtle attunements are more commonly known as alpha states and embody the quality of sattva guna, which is the essence of yoga, and one can shift to this frequency through different yogic practices such as yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, nada, mantra, chakra tuning, sub-vocalization of Sanskrit vowels, sound baths, and kriya among other practices. One who is dealing with psychological distress of any kind would benefit immensely by removing themselves from environments where sound is being used unconsciously. This is probably easier said than done however.

From the view of Advaita (non-duality), everything in existence springs forth from a non-physical dimension of intelligence, the initial perturbation of which is sonic in origin. This is called para vak. Vak means “voice” or “speech,” while para signifies “the divine” or “source”. If your worldview is bound by materialism then this might be difficult to grasp, for this notion views sound not as an effect of matter but irreducible to matter itself. This is much akin to how Advaita views physicality to be a phenomenon of consciousness rather than consciousness as a phenomenon of physicality. Advaita sees sound as the primary medium through which life emerges, which we currently understand through the lens of genetics and physical memory. Whether an amoeba or a human being— All are extremely complex sets of electromagnetic processes held together by sonic reverberations within a conscious field over a certain time. When the physical geometry supporting these processes gives way we break down and die, like an ice cube melting back into an infinite pool of water to be undifferentiated from that which had previously defined our physical boundary.

Para vak would explain the emphasis on sound in the yogic sciences and puts the chanting of AUM in greater context, as AUM is said to be the sound of all creation and contains within it all sounds. When we chant AUM we are establishing resonance within ourselves and sympathy with those around us. AUM is how we redirect the senses from the outward towards the inward, which sets the tone for our practice by neutralizing those frequencies out of sync in order to better reveal the source of creation within. We do this with the intent that the mind will follow so it can thereby be stilled. This is citta vrtti nirodhah, or “stilling the movements of the mind.”

In fact the very nature of transformation itself can be correlated to the accompanying change in both the frequencies emitted by one’s being and the corresponding receptivity to subtler frequencies brought into one’s spectrum of awareness. This change in sonic receptivity accounts for the growth one experiences in yoga, and is more commonly understood through the lens of ego dissolution as the ego is a structure fundamentally composed of sound. One who finds themselves with a quiet mind will inevitably fall out of resonance with many aspects of the modern world. The experience of yoga will grow to take on greater value than anything else and will result in major behavioral shifts— Change in lifestyle, change in diet, abandoning certain relationships, friendships and habits, change of career, moving to a different city, etc. While change is frightening to some, living in a constant state of uncertainty becomes an ultimately inconsequential price to pay to remain on the path of self-transformation.