Guitars and Connecting with Others

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And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:14, ESV).

At one leading university, scientists had two guitarists play a particular musical score. Both musicians were connected to an array of sensors, which made them look more like aliens than classical musicians.

The scientists were measuring brainwaves, dilation of the eyes, pulse, and breathing. As the guitarists played, their readings were different from one another until their music score segued into a duet. Then their brain waves began to mimic one another, they began breathing at the same rate, their eyes dilated similarly, and their heart rates became the same.

The two guitar players had connected.

Studies in connectivity reveal that the same phenomenon can happen between two people in a conversation, during a sermon as the audience connects with the preacher, and with two people who have lived together for a long time.

When I began reading about this study — and other related material — I thought, “Wow, God really did create us to be one.” Now I have a different understanding of the following verses of Scripture …

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31-32).

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common (Acts 4:32).

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me (John 15:4).

We are made to connect with God, our spouse, and church members — physically created by God for connection. This joining allows for unity and support, enabling exponential impact for our efforts. As it reads in Psalm 133:1, “How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along!” (NLT)

It is interesting that when the guitar players stopped their unifying chorus and began their individual scores again, all the connectivity of the brain, eyes, breathing, and heartbeat stopped. With this connectivity and non-connectivity in mind, let’s consider the following …

• Have you ever felt an instant connection with someone over a simple conversation?
• Have you ever felt uplifted and unified with an entire congregation during amazing worship?
• Have you ever disconnected with someone, and then a conversation restores the relationship?
• Do we better understand the importance of regularly connecting with family and friends?

I read a book that had this quote …

When we “click” with someone, our eyes often start to dilate in tandem; our pulses match; we feel the same emotions, and start to complete each other’s sentences within our heads. This is known as neural entrainment, and it feels wonderful. Sometimes it happens and we have no idea why; we just feel lucky that the conversation went so well.

The spontaneous “sometimes” mentioned above can also be planned and learned by adopting Biblical communication patterns. Connecting with others is a discipline of the Spirit, which is why Paul writes, “Make every attempt to maintain the unity of the Spirit” (Ephesians 4:3).

Note: My favorite guitar players are Jimi Hendrix and Steve Puterbaugh (from Fellowship worship team in Springfield, Ohio).