The power of our presence

We influence other people’s health simply by the way we act

By Nehha Bhatnagar (written without AI)

The iconic Framingham Heart Study came up with a stunning conclusion on the way our behaviour influences others around us. Happiness like health, is a collective phenomenon, and we influence people’s health simply by the way we act. Three degrees removed too!

A happy next-door neighbour will up you happiness by 34%, a sibling 1.6 kms away from you by 14% and a friend within half a mile (0.8 kms) by 42%. The effect falls off through the network, with friends’ happiness boosting the chances of personal happiness by an average of 15% and friends of friends by 10%.

Fowler and Christakis, the authors of the study, found that each happy contact increases a person’s odds of happiness by an average of 9%, while an unhappy contact decreases those odds by 7%.

Neuroscientist

Our vibe is everything!

, a PhD from Harvard would agree. “ It’s not as if there is a transmission of some unknown energy, but, rather, simply by the demeanor of an individual, by what they say and how they say it, by their gestures, they can affect, unquestionably, the mind and brain of those with whom they interact. That’s another issue that is addressed in the ethical framework of many of these Eastern traditions— the interdependence that all beings have on this planet. There is a level of interdependence that is very profound, and, when you actually begin to understand this scientifically, it makes perfect sense. The way we think, how we behave, the qualities that we exhibit, very directly affect those around us. We can affect their brains, and we can affect their bodies. To be succinct, we can influence other people’s health simply by the way we act."

Personal Case Study & Example:

My husband and I encountered strange dark energy this weekend that affected us and others we knew, in inexplicable ways.

 At the Farmers Markets we usually shop for our fruits and vegetables at, we visit two organic stalls which sell produce by beautiful human beings. Produce that is grown where bees listen to Classical Music etc! At one stall, my husband was in line to pay our farmer friend. There was this short lady in front of him, with a soft voice, who was questioning him about his produce- harmless questions, slightly annoying, but largely harmless. You know, things like ‘why is the basil not as fresh as last week’ or ‘they sell it for cheaper’ etc. Our farmer friend, one of the friendliest people you can meet, was getting unusually rattled. Suddenly he burst out saying ‘**ck, I don’t need to sell you this actually.’ My husband shrugged, thinking that was uncharacteristic of him.

A short while later we walked into the other organic stall, where I was in line to pay up, where I saw the same lady in front of me. This time she was asking again seemingly innocuous questions to the woman farmer who was uncharacteristically getting rattled. That’s unusual I thought- I have never seen her flustered- in so many years of shopping there weekly! This lady said ‘do you have more information on that other market- I don’t know who else to ask, hence asking you.’ Harmless question right? The woman farmer burst out yelling- ‘please get out. I don’t need to sell you anything.’ And then she started screaming, the kind of shrill scream saying ‘LEAVE leave or I will call the cops.’ I had to close my ears with my hands- she was so loud. So many people came rushing into the stall. This customer lady, the short one, said in a soft voice, ‘you cannot talk to me like this horrible lady’, and she slipped away as softly as she had spoken. The farmer was crying, and my husband consoled her, as did many others.

Shortly after, for a completely random reason, my husband and I fought a rather acrimonious argument, completely uncalled for, and very unlike both of us. My husband is a deeply spiritual man, who tends to be equanimous with his moods, usually😉 The fight was so bitter, that we did not speak for 24 hours or so, and he did not eat either. The next day we were supposed to meet a group of friends for a lunch, but the birthday girl whom we were meeting for, cancelled a few hours before for some inane reason. So, we made other plans. Right before the lunch meet, she wanted to go ahead with the plan. I mentioned how we already had made other plans. She was again, so uncharacteristically mad, that she exited our whatsapp group and deleted us from other common groups too. Another friend reported feeling strange energy too at the lunch that day that some of them attended.

Conclusion:

That evening my husband and I sat down to assess the very very strange and dark weekend that had just transpired. That seemingly soft customer had managed to throw off balance completely anyone she interacted with, and two degrees removed from her too!

The Framingham Study rung true in my mind- an unhappy person can decrease the odds of our own happiness by 7%, if we come in contact with them. Ram Dass said it so powerfully when he said “Become an environment so that when the other person needs it, they can come up for air”- Ram Dass

If this resonates with you and you would like to join a community of science for holistic wellbeing and holistic toolkits- this is for you: www.theholisticshala.com