Are Good Vibes and God Compatible?

Short answer: No. But let’s take a moment to unpack this, as there are levels. This question specifically refers to an historically eastern religion of spiritual awakening gaining steam among the western masses. It combines spiritual and metaphysical theories wherein we are beings of energy forces (encompassing our physical, spiritual, and emotional selves) or “vibrations.” Everything in the universe vibrates at its own unique frequency, and the aim is to live in such a way that we dwell in and connect ourselves to higher vibrations. The ultimate virtue of this practice is to recognize that you can elevate your vibrations in order to fully realize your perfected spiritual potential or “God self.” The higher your vibrations, the more “light” comes into your life, your burdens are “lighter,” and there is more order in the flow of things in your life. There, one finds peace, completion, and wholeness. You alone are in control of your life and your fate.

Is there any legitimacy to this religion? Science theorizes that physically, we are composed of atomic particles in constant motion: “matter.” The world is. The movement of these particles gives off energy, which can be transferred. The transference of energy is what puts everything into motion and rest. The closest we get to science in metaphysical spirituality is that physiologically, our body undergoes processes that release neurochemicals such as dopamine and serotonin which can effect certain emotions and behaviors. If they are indeed chemicals, they are “matter.” And this matter is made of atoms that collide and vibrate. Thus, one’s goal can be to endeavor in activities and create an environment that will release good neurochemical vibrations. This theory, in simplicity, is like doing good things to make yourself feel good. Science does not attach feelings and spirituality to its laws of vibration because well, atoms…rocks…metals…water… do not inherently have thoughts and feelings, and science falls short of being able to quantify spiritual attributes in anything. Vibrations of thoughts and feelings cannot be measured in the way we measure energy and matter. So the idea of “matching energies” in metaphysical spirituality is not supported by science.

So that addresses the scientific. But what about the spiritual? God does not submit to science, but we believe in Him so…

The Christian faith establishes that while humans are made of something physical, we are set apart from inanimate objects and other beings because we are alone are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27).

At this point, I’ll make it clear that my further discussion on this topic will be from a Christian perspective. My aim in this post is to use the Word of God to discern the utility and/or risks of Christians ascribing to this spiritual practice I’ve just described.

Maybe you’re thinking that these are just practices and not a new religion for you. You can still be a Christian and supplement your well-being with vibrations practices too, right? First, I want to point out what it means to be a Christian. I am not here to question your salvation. I am using biblical principles to define this. The word “Christian” means “follower of Christ” (Acts 11:26). It’s not solely belief in Jesus being the Son of God who by His death on the cross took away the sins of the world. When we are saved by this profession of faith, we receive the Holy Spirit, Who gives us the ability to discern and decide with the heart and mind of God. This also means we become disciples of the way of Christ. Each day, by God’s righteousness and grace, we become “sanctified”: set apart for God’s use in the world. Our life’s battles become not just physical but specifically against the world (the systemic opposition to God in various forms of thinking and ways of living), the flesh (our inherently sinful nature), and the devil (Satan and his tactics as the enemy of God).

So, what does all that have to do with being a disciple of Christ? It means that when Jesus called the way to the Kingdom of God “narrow,” He meant that there is a specific way, and there are obstacles in the way that detract from that specific way. To be a disciple of Christ means to trust in Him alone for salvation and transformation (Ephesians 2:8-10). We do this by imitating His life (1 John 2:6), meditating on the Word of God, worshipping Him alone (Revelation 4:11), and having no other Gods before Him (Matthew 6:24). Traditionally, the goal of vibrational practices is to become a god.

Maybe at this point, you’re wondering if it’s ok to acknowledge vibration migrations at face value, and remove all the spiritual stuff associated with it. Maybe you believe in God and that you’re not your own god, but the practices associated with “raising your vibrations” has actually been helping. To this, I’ll make a few final points that I hope cause you, my dear brother or sister in Christ, to reconsider yoking yourself to this metaphysical theology altogether. The problem with vibration-based practices is that:

1.     It stops short of fully addressing the issues we face in real life. There are not enough good thoughts or deeds that can solve issues of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12). Some of us have Satan whispering lies about our lives into our ears all day, strategizing the next way to steal, kill, and destroy the life God has for us, and fighting back with the weapons of nature (crystals, plants, incense, etc) is not going to stop Satan from consuming our God-given peace and joy. I don’t mean to say that every single problem we encounter in life is spiritual, but we should be careful to not underestimate the possible spiritual influences that our problems may have.

2.     You are the master of your fate? Isn’t that exhausting? To have to strive to do all the right things (re-arrange your home, eat this, drink that) to find peace in our lives, when we can turn to God and allow Him, purely from His freely given, unearned grace, to be our peace. We can instead practice spiritual disciplines to help us grow in our spiritual journey with God.

3.     It makes things that have no power have more power. Read Psalm 20.

4.     Ascribing to matching or elevating vibrations (a me-first philosophy), is diametrically opposed to the way of Christ (Matthew 20:25-28). Orienting our life around feelings, allowing them to guide our decisions, diminishes the power of the Holy Spirit. The unchanging truth of Jesus is still truth regardless of how we feel about it from time to time. Do emotions matter? Yes. Emotions are responses to stimuli. How we respond to stimulating occurrences helps us assess our emotional health, which is a vital part of our personal growth. Emotions are important, but they should not be the captain of our souls.

5.     “But I’m covered in the blood, so even all of this doesn’t work, what’s the harm? No weapon formed against me shall prosper.” “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” is only part of the truth (Isaiah 54:6-16). The full truth is that no weapon formed against the house that God builds (established in the ways and righteousness of God alone) will prosper. As an example, if we build our lives around Jesus and vibrations, the vibrations remain as impurities (they are false securities of the world). Paul writes that we are like jars of clay: “You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” (2 Corinthians 4:5-7) So If we are the clay in the Potter’s hands, but we leave impurities in the clay, then those impurities, when tested by the heat to form the solid jar, will cause the jar to crack, thereby making it lose its effectiveness. Here’s where and how God steps into this situation: “When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile images and detestable idols. And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those who long for vile images and detestable idols, I will repay them fully for their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” Ezekiel 11:18-21 

While there are some basic practices that “elevate one’s vibrations” that don’t seem all that bad, and actually sometimes even mirror the spiritual disciplines (meditation, acts of service, engaging in edifying community, etc), we have to examine our hearts about what our motives are when we pursue those practices. Are we following our flesh or Jesus? Being a disciple of Christ means that we are not disciples of world views.

In love and veritas,

Chioma

 P.S. Got more questions about this topic? Send me a message! I’d love to hear from you.