HJ: Science is now proving what spiritualists have long known — thoughts are contagious, especially those that are negative. For anyone willing to step back and look at the way the world operates in an objective sense, this is no big revelation as it can clearly be seen in operation throughout nearly all cultures and societies worldwide. This widespread acceptance of thoughts and beliefs with little discernment provides a powerful societal reinforcement structure that influences many individuals to accept this negativity at face value. After all, it is seemingly reinforced nearly everywhere one turns — most news outlets, most family members and friends, coworkers, books, magazines and so on all are victim and purveyors of negativity in some form. However, it need not be so. We must become aware of the energies of others both in verbal, vibrational, mental and etheric form and learn to shield ourselves from that which is not an accurate reflection of the true nature of ourselves and the universe.
Negativity is an illusion first and foremost. It implies that something can be ‘wrong’, which is, in actuality, not possible. The idea of right and wrong presupposes a belief in a way things ought to be and the truth is that the universe does not operate in black and white distinctions of this nature. Everything that is occurring, occurs with purpose and is the result of some previous action or thought. So how then could anything be wrong? Everything is flowing according to the natural order and is influenced in certain ways by the thoughts and feelings of mankind. Something may be more or less desirable to an individual and this is really the crux of the matter in relation to the idea of deflecting negative thoughts. Negative thoughts, for most people, are undesirable, and so it is in their interest to learn to protect themselves from such energies. It is important to also note that succumbing to negative thoughts is not wrong in any sense of the word. The experience is meant to help us learn a lesson about ourselves and the nature of the world around us. Therefore, instead of condemning yourself or another for their role in the negativity, search instead for the reason why you have chosen that experience. In doing so, you will release the negativity from your life. Then, if you are finished with that type of experience, you can use the techniques and understanding offered below to protect yourself in the future from such circumstances manifesting again.
– Truth
Many experts in social psychology have repeatedly stated that we get lured by negative emotions which affect our perception of pain more than positive emotions. A study published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science, showed that the way the people around us respond to stressful events — whether those people react negatively or positively — may be contagious, and that genetic, biological and environmental factors all likely play a role in a person’s level of cognitive vulnerability.
If we look at the physical world, many of us find a way to find negativity present — ordered things have shown the natural tendency to become disordered sooner or later. Some of us think that’s ok and others not. There’s entropy; there’s chaos in the universe.
It is interesting to see that the human mind which is considered to be the most ordered and conscious system in the world is not left untouched by the negative effect of nature. Negativity is all-pervasive, it seems.
The ability to regulate emotions is essential to both mental and physical well-being. Conversely, difficulties with emotion regulation have been postulated as a core mechanism underlying mood and anxiety disorders.
The ability to identify and distinguish between negative emotions helps us address the problem that led to those emotions in the first place. But while some people can tell the difference between feeling angry and guilty, others may not be able to separate the two. Distinguishing between anger and frustration is even harder. Emotions can also become problematic — for example, for people with depression who can’t stop thinking about negative thoughts.
Contagious?
The increased risk of depression that comes with negative thinking also seems to rub off.
In the study in Clinical Psychological Science, researchers looked at 103 pairs of college-freshmen roommates’ “cognitive vulnerability,” which is the tendency to think that negative events are a reflection of a person’s own deficiency or that they will lead to more negative events. Those with high cognitive vulnerability are at an increased risk of depression, studies have found.
“We found that participants’ level of cognitive vulnerability was significantly influenced by their roommates’ level of cognitive vulnerability, and vice versa,” the researchers wrote. All roommates in the study were selected randomly; students did not choose their roommates. Only three months of living together was needed for this contagiousness to be seen.
The researchers also found that those who experienced an increase in cognitive vulnerability during the first three months of college had nearly twice the level of depressive symptoms at six months, compared with those who did not experience an increase in cognitive vulnerability, according to the study. The effect was particularly strong when participants were under high-stress conditions.
Prior to this study, it was thought that cognitive vulnerability didn’t change much once a person passed early adolescence. However, the new findings suggest that during big transitions in life — when a person is continually exposed to a new social situation — cognitive vulnerability can be altered, the researchers said.
They noted that genetic, biological and environmental factors all likely play a role in a person’s level of cognitive vulnerability.
Further research is needed to determine whether cognitive vulnerability may change over time, the researchers said, noting that college freshmen are in a unique social environment.
“Our findings are consistent with a growing number of studies that have found that many psychological and biological factors previously thought to be set in stone by adulthood continue to be malleable,” the researchers said.
Managing The Negative Vibes of Others
Negative energy that a person radiates directly affect his immediate environment and yet the state of the person is also dependent on its immediate environment. Thus, it can be assumed that a person who is troubled would spread disturbances into their immediate surroundings, and as its effect would in turn get more disturbed; and all this would have a chaotic and cumulative effect on the whole environment.
The above clearly tells us why the present state of the world is what it is today. We, the selfish beings of today cannot think beyond ourselves and just want peace for the self, failing to understand that if there is disturbance around us how can we ever be peaceful!
Being at peace is only possible if there is peace all around us. Meditation is a very powerful tool. Here is are some suggestions:
Sit in a comfortable position preferably cross legged on the floor. Closing your eyes and think of a peaceful place or thing in nature. Gently inhale and exhale such that your breathing takes on a soft rhythmic movement. Become aware of the entire creation in front of you. Feel one with the whole creation and focus in a relaxed state.
– Visualize peace in the universe
– Visualize peace on mother earth and our oceans
– Visualize peace in the plant kingdom
– Visualize peace among all life forms
In a 2008 study published in the journal PloS One, researchers found that when meditators heard the sounds of people suffering, they had stronger activation levels in their temporal parietal junctures, a part of the brain tied to empathy, than people who did not meditate.
These studies demonstrate that regular meditation effectively supports mental, emotional and physical health in numerous tangible ways. In building upon this strong body of evidence, researchers are continuing to deepen our understanding of the profound and inspirational benefits of regular meditation practice in everyday life.
Josh Richardson is blogger, healer, and a constant pursuer of the natural state of human consciousness.
