How Negativity Affects Our Physical Reality
“I can’t do this. I am not good enough.”
“You will never succeed, just give up already.”
Has your mind ever started thinking in one of these lines? These are lines of negativity, directed inwards or outwards.
There are times when you question yourself about a task that you are taking up, “Can I complete this?” However, these questions are very different from “I can’t complete this.”
While everyone goes through a period of self-doubt at some time or the other (you are extremely lucky if you haven’t), negative self-talk is what causes harm.
But why should you listen to me or rather read what I write?
Don’t.
Instead, read the experiments of Dr. Masaru Emoto.
A Japanese scientist who first revolutionized the idea that our words/thoughts/ intentions/energy can cause an effect on the physical self. He experimented with water molecules. Each molecule was exposed to a word and observed.
The water molecules exposed to positive words such as Love and gratitude had beautiful symmetric formations, whereas molecules exposed to disgust and evil had “unpleasant” formations.
Emoto’s experiments also received a lot of flak because of its nature. Some call him a pseudo-scientist as well. Regardless, he has spurred a discussion that is still ongoing.
In recent times, a similar experiment called “The Big Apple Experiment” has gained popularity.
Here the apple is cut into two halves. Each piece is kept in a separate glass jar named Love and Hate. The Love jar is showered with positive words and affection, whereas the Hate jar receives only negativity and disgust.
The apple in the Hate jar becomes rotten to the core, but the Love jar apple decomposes slower.
This experiment was carried out by almost 2000 people and, 86% of the people had the Love jars faring better than Hate jars.
You could point out saying that the apple in Love jar also decomposes; duh, the apple is cut and kept in a glass jar, of course, it is going to. It is a natural process. But the key highlight here is that the process is slowed, with positivity.
Is it possible to affect ourselves and the people around us with positivity/negativity?
I do not know the science behind it but; I have seen many instances where a person stops their success by negative self-talk and also; instances where people have succeeded due to other’s positive talk.
Many years ago, I lacked self-confidence. I wanted to do higher studies, but the path involved me writing multiple competitive exams. I wasn’t sure I could do it even if I worked hard.
I was lucky to have a friend who sat by me and told me that it would be tough, but I would still succeed. He told me that I had the ability even though I couldn’t see it at that time.
I started going to coaching classes to prepare. I failed at multiple mock tests. I was upset, but I kept at it. All through it, I had the support and motivation from my friends and family.
Finally, I did well in the exam and, while I didn’t get into the Top universities in India, I still managed to get into an institute that changed me, my life, and my career for better.
This isn’t just about writing an exam. It is also about self-confidence and belief. What if instead of having a person motivate me, I had a person to demotivate me. Without the courage to believe in myself, I would have gone down the rabbit hole into a different life.
Positivity/Negativity has a special place in certain cultures as well.
There is a tribe in Africa with a very different form of punishment. When a person does something wrong, they don’t scold/punish him. They surround him and speak of all the good they have done. The tribe believes that doing this would make them a better person.
In India, we have a saying, “nazar lag jayega.” Translated, it means, “an evil eye will touch you.” Nazar/dishti/evil eye is nothing but negative thoughts and intentions.
Whatever the reason behind those intensions, our elders say they have a way of making your plans go awry. Exactly, like a negative thought that could become a roadblock.
My mother makes me wear a black anklet to avoid the evil eye. I cannot vouch for the success of the anklet, but I have seen positivity and negativity come to play in our physical reality and on our physical self.
But why listen to stories from around the world. Pick your own apple and give the experiment a go.
