What is the vibe?
Everyone from musicians and athletes to poets and gurus talk about the vibe. Bob Marley sings about “Rasta vibrations” and 2 Chainz raps about “it’s a vibe.” General Motors has a line of cars called “Pontiac vibe” and there’s a chewing gum called “Trident Vibes.” But what exactly is the vibe?
Good vibes. Bad vibes. Ugly vibes. Chill vibes.
Vibrations. Energy. Collective emotionality. The mood of a crowd. The atmosphere of a room. The electricity of a sports stadium. The connection between close friends.
We know what the vibe is, but it's hard to grasp and understand.
For example, how should we define or explain the vibe? What's its nature? Is it real or just a catchy phrase used in popular culture? How does it work? How can we experience it more deeply? How might we refine and advance our understanding of it?
If you find these questions interesting, then this course is for you!
The vibe is commonly associated with new age spirituality, the wellness movement, and hippie culture. This course is sympathetic to these traditions but acknowledges that the vibe is of global and cross-cultural interest. The course is designed to appeal to a variety of people of different backgrounds, levels, and interests.
The course addresses three main questions:
How do people talk about the vibe?
How might we define the vibe?
And what is the nature of the vibe – is it physical or metaphysical, spiritual or scientific, material or immaterial?
The course is intellectual, philosophical, and knowledge-driven. But the course also includes guided meditations and visionary work to help you feel and experience the vibe.
Finally, the course is approximately two hours long, but is divided into 27 mini-lectures, talks, and exercises. You will also get links to external resources, some suggested readings, and a free mini-workbook to aid your study of the vibe.
Let’s vibe, together!
