Spiritual contagion

In the intricate tapestry of human existence, the contagion effect, meaning, the widespread transmission of emotions and behaviours, is the key enabler that leads to a ripple effect, weaving a common thread across diversity. If we are surrounded by spiritual beings, our outlook will be positive. Like a ripple in a tranquil pond, positivity emanating from an individual’s spiritual evolution revibrates in those around him.

Through communal acts of prayer, meditation or other spiritual practices, a collective energy emerges, creating an environment conducive to the exchange of spiritual insights.

In Dhyan Yog of the Bhagwad Gita, Krishn says that just as water takes on the shape of the container it is poured in, a person too imbibes the qualities of the company he keeps.

The Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament underscores this and says, ‘Either make the tree good and its fruit good or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.’

The Guru Granth Sahib too echoes this and states, ‘As a person sits with a perfumer, the fragrance of the perfume clings to the person. Similarly, the company of a good person fills the mind with goodness.’

The contagion effect is such a powerful force that it can make a person better or even bitter. In spirituality, the contagion effect weaves a narrative of interconnectedness, with the key message that you become what you are surrounded with. As the Buddha says, what you think, you become; what you feel, you attract.