After a winter of rather deary isolation, a few events appeared on the horizon this month that have reminded me of just how invigorating the energy of a group of people can be. They also highlight the different aspects of the biofield that are activated differentially, depending on the nature of the event. So here they are, in chronological order, with a discussion of the unique energies of each type of gathering (this could be a chapter in the MoLE sequel….):
1. Sporting events – I’ll start by confessing that my enthusiasm as a fan for the Boston Red Sox baseball team reached a peak after completing my documentary film about them in 2012 (The Joy of Sox can be viewed online here). In recent years, the team has changed so much that I don’t recognize any of the players. But when I had the opportunity to attend the Opening Day game in Fenway Park earlier this month (thank you, David P.), I jumped at the chance. The group energies were powerful, for several different and complementary reasons.
• Anticipation – The newly reconfigured team was finally regrouping after the 6-month off-season, and no one really knew what to expect of them. We were about to find out, so there was a fair mix of anxiety and excitement here in the crowd’s energy.
• Tribal identification – the gathering of the clan, the coming together of 35,000 people wearing the same logos and T-shirts and caps. This process of setting boundaries had a bit of “Us vs. Them” energy, but mainly it was a reunion, a coming together, rather than the exclusion of The Other. The one attempt to generate some of this antagonistic energy came via the notorious “Yankees suck!” chant (all the more out of place because we were playing the Cardinals!), but it went nowhere. It was good to see that the positive energies outweighed the negativity of anger and resentment that used to be the primary emotional fuel of Red Sox fans.
• Nostalgia – a heart-centered 50th anniversary pre-game ceremony honored the stars of the 1975 team that almost won the World Series. They were now mostly white-haired old(er) men, several stooped over with age. The biggest cheer was for 85-year old Carl Yastrzemski – he seemed immortal during his MVP year of 1967, but is apparently human like the rest of us – an important existential reminder to us all.
• Excitement – some very exciting plays gave the fans a chance to cheer early and often. The first inning saw a big home run by the Sox, followed on the very next pitch by another home run. This unusual sequence triggered the biggest and loudest cheering I can ever remember at a sporting event. That was joy and hope, released in one contagiously euphoric blast (in contrast, a lab demonstration of emotional contagion in silence(!) is shown in the film here).
• Music – The Star-Spangled Banner wasn’t the most emotionally engaging musical moment of the day. That came during the 8th inning break, when the crowd joined in with a traditional sing-along of the Neil Diamond chestnut “Sweet Caroline”. It was still surprisingly emotional after all these years, and I was reminded why it could even register on computers measuring fan attention (that rather miraculous process is explained here).
Appreciating the old-timers
2. Political gatherings – Western Massachusetts has a very strong progressive Democratic flavor, and so in response to the recent actions by our current President, there has been an impetus to “Do something, anything” in response. Our small town participated in the nation-wide “Hands Off!” actions with a gathering of about 50 people who braved the cold drizzly weather to come together for common cause. The energy was hopeful, a sort of coming out of hibernation, both figuratively and literally, and a connection with other folks with shared values (another gathering two weeks later drew 120 people).
“Hands Off!” in Shelburne Falls
3. Musical performances – One of my favorite singer-songwriters, Joan Osborne, came to town this week and I had a chance to see her live. Many types of energies were evoked at this concert, but the most striking were the physical resonances I felt in my body as I hummed along with some of the familiar songs – my body was one of several hundred tuning forks that were all vibrating simultaneously. And combined with the deep breathing that goes along with singing (and chanting, and toning), it set up the sort of energy release process that so many healing practices share. Her encore performance of “What if God was one of us?” ( Watch it here) was spiritually transcendent, opening our heart and crown chakras.
Great seats in the 10th row!
4. Religious ceremonies – During this season of Judeo-Christian holidays, our family’s Passover Seder dinner had a different tone than usual. Still celebratory, but with an undertone of sadness about how the post-Exodus “promise” of a Promised Land has turned into a tragedy in Palestine, where the 10 plagues occur daily. The Seder has very mixed vibe when the symbolic elements of the Seder plate are revisioned in this light – the salt water “tears of sadness” are being shed every day in Gaza; the parsley of the harvest is in contrast to the uprooted olive orchards in the West Bank; the matzoh that cannot be baked because food deliveries are being blocked by the IDF. And so on – this Seder linked us to a global emotional web of sadness and grief.
The food items are symbolic to us, but all-too-real for others.
5. Zoom – It’s the favorite form of group meeting for those with Social Anxiety Disorder, but not for anyone else, probably because there’s so little tangible energy produced. Although if everyone is happy and is showing it – like these Spaulding work colleagues – it’s not so bad.
Happy Zoomers
6. Animals – Of course, animal groups are admired and awesome (herds, flocks, schools, etc.), and my wife and I were fortunate to have a newborn calf join the crew in the field across from our home. This multi-generational group (Grandma, her son and daughter, and two grandchildren) showed cohesion, cooperation, comfort and the ability to enjoy Spring – role models for us humans!
Another type of communal meal
7. Meditation group – My weekly meditation group isn’t seasonal – it’s been ongoing since before Covid. It’s conducted silently and in person, and yet somehow the group energy is as tangible as any of the above formats. Another mystery of life energy!
The Mystery of Life Energy 
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