The Law of Reciprocity

The Law of Reciprocity states that all transmissions of energy result in a return of energy in like kind.

Have you ever experienced audio feedback? Someone with a microphone moves too close to an amplifier or speaker and there is a loud whistle, pop or howl. That is the transmitter receiving back the signal that was sent (the return of like energy).

Some people refer to this law as the law of “karma”. In short, what you put out, you get back. In the law of cause and effect, we determined that for every cause, there is an effect. One of those effects is the reciprocal return of like energy.

Regarding the law of reciprocity, the universe is not so inclined to return energy spent accidentally, it is more concerned with our intent when acting. It is generally our intent that we are focused upon, more so than our deed.

If I give my wife flowers because I expect her to be pleased by that, I am more focused upon pleasing her. The giving of the flowers is just the gesture through which I seek to please.

My intent to please another, coupled with the gesture intended to please, will result at some point in me being pleased by something someone does to please me. That is how it works.

Under the law of cause and effect, we used the example of a child accidentally spilling water which wet the floor, upon which an adult slipped, fell, became angry and scolded the child. We said that everything after the wetting of the floor was an indirect effect of the actual cause, the accidental spilling. Effects that follow a cause are often the result of reciprocity or karma.

Let’s examine the above example under the light of reciprocity. If the adult who fell, had previously tripped a child because he felt that was funny, his slipping would be reciprocity.

We said that the spillage was accidental, so no karmic return would be due the child. But, what if the spillage was intentional? In that case, the law of reciprocity might result in the child later accidentally dropping a much wanted scoop of ice cream. That would be reciprocity. It would also be an effect caused by the intentional dropping of the water.

Having scolded the child as a means of venting his anger, the fallen adult might later be publically chastised for an error at work. That would be reciprocity, and an effect caused by the scolding of the child.

These are fairly obvious examples, where reciprocity is fairly clear. But this law can operate though means more subtle as well. In our example, the fallen man became angry. We don’t always think of anger as a choice, but it is. Not only is it a choice, but it is a transmission of energy which may be returned, since choices are intentional.

Therefore, having displayed anger, this man may not only find himself the subject of others’ anger, but could create more and more opportunities to be angry himself. When we are angry, we are focused upon how we feel. When we display anger, we intend to do so. As a result the universe reads our focus on being angry. It reads our intent to display anger. If we are focused on it, and we act on it, we are due to have it returned. So, the universe returns to us more opportunities to feel and display anger.

When we feel anger, it is important to recognize the feeling, and dissipate it quickly. By not focusing on it, and not acting in response to it, we increase our level of consciousness, we avoid muffling our positive intentions, and we prevent "bad karma" (the reciprocity of transmitting negative energy).

The same is true with fear, shame, guilt, or sadness. But, the law of reciprocity also works with joy, hope, humor and gratitude. The choices are ours to make.

To align yourself with this law, remember two important concepts.

First is the Golden Rule (slightly amended: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you; and, do unto yourself as you would want to continue doing.”

Second, the law of reciprocity is like a karmic “piggy bank”. What you broadcast into the universe, whether it is positive or negative, is a deposit due to be returned to you. Your deposits may be returned quickly, or they may collect and be returned with or without the effects of past and future deposits added.

For this reason, it is wise to bank positive deposits often.