The Subtle World of Online Sharing

Online Sharing

For the last three years, I have explored the world of online sharing. Initially, in this blog, then on Intent.com, then Facebook, then Twitter. As we enter the world of social networks, we enter a paradoxical realm of great subtlety yet powerful influence. We leave behind the balanced middle ground of real life (RL) and reach into the etheric range of nuances that resonate with our voice. The enveloping element of communication still surrounds us, yet we reach beyond it into the unknown ether into the realm of subconscious thoughts and creativity.

We have passed the half way point in our civilization. In the dance between being alone and being connected, we are now leaving independence to focus more heavily on interdependence. We are breaking free from gravity, free from the way things have always been and from the structures and restrictions of the real world. We are becoming more abstract, yet broader in our scope.

In our early history we concerned ourselves with form, movement, activity, and relationships - things that are easily observed. At this point in human evolution, our attention has shifted to the realm of the subconscious, the part of consciousness that is not currently in focal awareness. Given that there is a limit to the amount of information that can be held in conscious focal awareness, the internet becomes the storehouse for our knowledge; this is now the subconscious of the human race. 

One question that is asked over and over with respect to online interactions is: Are People Sharing Too Much Online? As we align ourselves more and more with the virtual world, we enter the symbolic world of the global mind.

Symbols are the building blocks of consciousness, the link between the physical and virtual. Words, images, and thoughts are all symbolic reflections of RL. Each word we use is a symbol for a thing, concept, feeling, process, or relationship. Each image in our mind is a mental symbol for something real and each thought is a combination of these symbols. With symbols, we can do more with less. I can talk about singing, even though I cannot sing very well. I can describe a quark, even though I have never seen one. In the same respect, I can tell you what I know about my online "friends," even though I have never met them. 

Symbols are part of the subconscious essence of what they represent. They are the building blocks of social communication and consciousness. They are like little sugar packets of meaning that can be stored in our online galleries and shared with others, each packet enhancing the consciousness of others. When someone shares a symbol (word, image, thought) that really speaks to us - when it is full of meaning - this is when we say that it "resonates" with us. 

Resonance

Everything in life has a rhythm. The Sun, the Moon, the Earth, the ocean, even our beating hearts. In the virtual world, each site or server has its own "feel" ... Blogger has a "feel" to it, just as Twitter and Facebook have their own "feel" or vibe. The vibrations of atomic particles within our own cells has a "feel" to them. Without discussing why (or even how), human beings are a mass of vibrations that resonate together as a single system. Our ability to function as a unified whole depends upon the coherent resonance of many subtle vibrations within and around us. The internet is an extension of that vibration. 

Resonance is a state of synchronization among vibrational patterns. All vibrations can be thought of as wavelike movements through space time location. Each wave has a characteristic or individual rhythm (frequency) that describes how frequently the waves rise and fall. For those familiar with music, the pitch of a note can be expressed as a certain frequency with higher notes vibrating more rapidly than lower ones. 

Soul Resonance 

Adriana

When two or more sounds from different sources vibrate at the same frequency, they are said to resonate together. This resonance is often times applied to people. This means that the waveforms from each entity (or sound) oscillate back and forth as the same rhythm. When this happens, the height of the wave is added together (expanding the amplitude) and the waves lock into phase with each other. Once in a phase, they tend to remain that way. 

Oscillating waveforms stabilize when they enter into resonance (just as people reinforce each other's views) because they are, literally, on the same wavelength. This is a state also known as brainwave entrainment, when brainwave frequencies fall into step with a periodic stimulus having a frequency corresponding to the intended brain-state, which purportedly depends upon a "frequency following" response on the assumption that the human brain has a tendency to change its dominant EEG frequency towards the frequency of a dominant external stimulus. 

Individuals with similar activity in both hemispheres of their brain are alleged to be happier, more optimistic, more emotionally stable and less prone to mental illness. Increased levels of synchronization are found naturally in people who meditate regularly and people who are very content with their lives in general. 

We experience resonating waveforms when we listen to a chorus of voices singing in harmony, when out in nature and a sense of immersion vibrates with every cell in our bodies, or when we encounter like-minded individuals in RL or online, an experience that allegedly transcends the virtual boundary, making the virtual world "feel" tangible. 

The rhythmic entrainment of the myriad of frequencies that travel through the body form a coherent, central vibration that we experience as a kind of resonant "hum" when we are having a good day. On these days, we feel as if we are in tune with everyone and everything. When an individual "jumps online" during this phase, social interactions seem effortless, the value of the experience in which one is participating "feels" enhanced, and the impact seems to expand further than on days when we feel as if we are out of sorts, out of phase, or simply cannot do anything right. On these days, our communications with others falter, our sense of joy diminishes, and our analytical brains kick in with gusto to tell us all the reasons why we're not enjoying our experience. At the same time, others do not enjoy their interactions with us, increasing the possibility of conflict and basic vibrational incoherence ~ these days suck. 

Just like the strings of an instrument need to be both taut and flexible to make a harmonious sounding note, so too does individual resonance require a certain balance between flexibility and tension. Applying this concept to our online experiences, we benefit most when the sites we visit offer both of these aspects of experience. Facebook, for example, is one of those long, drug out American soap operas. Twitter is like a bunch of commercials popping up during your favorite television show, with some being so "good" that they make it into mashup where you can read your favorites all in one place. Google is like surfing through Comcast's television programming guide. It only shows you what's on "now" (or an hour from now). If you want something specific, you need to search by name. 

All of these random online experiences whereby we send out or bring in information have a "vibe" or "feel" to them. The state of resonance within the body is a statement of our health and vitality. The online experiences we choose often times reflect that statement. Individuals inclined toward Facebook, for example, tend to resonate with those who wish to engage in personal discussions, or who generally believe they are providing a community service by offering valuable insights or information. While the latter is what drove the majority of my posting experience, I find personal sharing in a public forum off-putting. Hence, I left FB. 

Twitter experiences are a different beast. The sharing of 140 character concepts, which mostly consist of links, pictures, or "follow me and I'll follow you back" tit-for-tat declarations, are anything but personal. True, there are individuals who thank each follower and some who may engage further with a particular follower, but these are rare occurrences. When this happens, it is more than likely that the individuals in question share a particular resonance, not necessarily for the format, but for the information being shared. In general, Twitter participants resonate with ideas more than with people. 

While these are only two general examples, notably influenced by my own experiences over three years, they do generally indicate that each site or server attracts its users in a way that heightens a preexisting frequency, harmonizing tendencies with the similar tendencies of others. As these frequencies grow, they attract more like-minded individuals. While an individual might join Facebook or Twitter and participate for a period of time, the experience wanes when the newness of the frequency, which causes an initial surge in the height of the waveform, drops to the point whereby the vibration is recognized as "out of sync". 

We cannot always resonate with the entire world around us. The best we can do is to resonate harmoniously within ourselves and allow that resonance to attract like-minded individuals toward us. This is one of the perceived benefits of blogging, individual websites, and even news platforms. Individuals seeking out a specific experience, form, or concept search through the Internet until they find the frequencies that best match their interests or resonance needs. Over a period of three years, the only advertising I have done for this blog, for example, was to share the post links on Twitter which, in turn, are linked to my FB page. The rest of the visitors presumably make their way to this blog via word or image search. 

It is my opinion that finding the right online platform in which to engage with the world - to receive and transmit information - is key to keeping us in harmony with our own resonance. When we find the right mix of online platforms that resonate with us, our heart rate, breathing, and brain waves all settle into a deep, rhythmic entrainment. A discontinuous experience will disrupt that balance and sometimes interfere with our otherwise harmonious experience, but at the end of the day, if the online experience truly resonates with us, we will remain. If the online experience is not perfectly matched to the individual, it is best to bid a fond Adieu to those with whom we engaged, returning back to a comfortable platform or moving onto a new one. 

When an individual is ill-suited for a particular online experience, the body naturally wants to disengage. Returning to what we enjoy helps to reestablish the body's natural resonance. It is here that the body becomes coherent again. When we tire of a non-resonating experience, each vibration is a new demand that further fragments us. However, when comfortable and aligned with a particular online experience, we are better able to meet and greet the day with cheer and good resonance.