Ever wondered why something feels more important than something else? Why are some events meaningful and others irrelevant? Why do some ideas look possible and others not? Why do you prioritize as you do? What makes the right decision right? There is a common answer: Resonance.
Take these statements:
“The climate challenge threatens to make life on Earth more unpleasant.”
“We must find a way to redistribute and recycle the planetary resources.”
“Equality and inclusion are the most important issues right now.”
“New skills are urgently needed to cope with the many changes at work.”
One or more statements may resonate with you. If they do, you may feel an urge to act and do something about it. If they don’t, you may ignore them and focus on something else in your life you find more important.
Of the 11.000.000 bits per second your brain processes, less than 50 bits can be handled consciously, and even less can be held in focus. What ends up in your mind’s spotlight depends on a complex interplay between brain configuration and mindsetting. The key is resonance.
In acoustics, if something resonates, it produces a deep, strong sound. It resounds and echoes. In psychology, resonance is when people share the same thoughts about something. It reminds you and keeps echoing in your head. It means something personal to you.
Resonance is the opposite of alienation. It is the experience of profound and meaningful connection with the world. When something resonates with us, it invites us to act and promote helpful, supportive behavior. But what does it mean essentially? What is the entity or “I” experiencing the resonance? What is going on behind the scenes of the mental play?
Well, we don’t know for sure. In the one end of a resonating experience, there is a subject. In the other end is an object. When something resonates with me, it feels profound and meaningful. I feel connected and centered. But what is resonating in me?
Here is a theory. The “I”, my present self, is formed from three sources: the perception of sensory input, the conception of ideas, and the reception of form. Object, thought and space. The manifested, the manifesting and the potential…
