Universal Heartbeat

A heartbeat is a telltale sign of life. From an expectant mother listening to the rapid heartbeat of her unborn child to a doctor listening to a patient’s heartbeat to determine heart health, we all know the human heart as an essential organ. Different foods and activities cause our heart rates to speed up or to slow down. And certain actions—like placing our hands over our hearts or practicing focused breathing—can bring peace and connection.

Many life practices exist, where the goal is connection–with ourselves, with others and with Nature. As Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist, once stated, “The goal of life is to make our heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match our nature with Nature.” Forest bathing, meditative practices and energy work help us to understand our unique place—or sense of Oneness within the Universe. It has been scientifically proven that different emotional experiences lead us to connect our hearts with those around us. Amazingly so, we can actually synchronize our heart and respiratory rates with others. And as any Nature lover would attest, this connection extends to the natural world as well.

But do heartbeats only exist inside our bodies?

More than a dozen years ago, scientists discovered a heartbeat in the most unlikely of places—a black hole. This occurs when matter gets sucked into a black hole, releasing surges of energy in repeated patterns. More recently, a gamma-ray heartbeat was observed inside a cosmic gas cloud. Even more impressive, the gas cloud’s heartbeat was beating in unison with a black hole located 100 light-years away. How can a black hole power a cosmic gas cloud’s heartbeat from this impressive distance? Scientists are studying the connection between these two seemingly unrelated objects, but only one answer currently exists: Everything is made up of energy. Energy is what connects us to one another, to Nature and to the Universe in all of its astounding mystery.

Connection is everywhere. Oneness. Unity. Beauty.