As a student of literature, I admit to knowing very little about most aspects of science and math. That’s why, when my electrical engineer friend began explaining how currents work, I expected to be lost. Surprisingly, however, he mentioned something that I could relate to: abstract notions.

In a simple alternating current (as I learned the other night), there exist different types of power: real, apparent, and reactive. While both real and apparent powers are fairly straightforward in their direction of energy, reactive power presents itself to be slightly more complex. According to my friend, one of the largest obstacles engineers find in arranging formulas for alternating currents is the abstractness of reactive power.

The conceptual issues of reactive power lie in the necessity of its presence and, in a sense, its lack of positive purpose. As it is a natural part of the electrical current, it poses problems in that, instead of directing the electrical energy towards the target, it turns the energy back on its source.

Issues of reactive power control existed up until relatively recent times. Currently, the solution for reactive power typically involves devices called capacitor banks, which inject the reactive power, along with certain kinds of filters, to help if a load is too capacitive. However, around ten years ago, negotiations were still being made. The article, “Reactive Power and Voltage Control Issues in Electric Power Systems”, written by Peter W. Sauer in 2005 states “there remain serious issues of how traditional controls impact the interaction between the flow of real and reactive power”(11).

To the average, non-engineer type person, this is an incredibly complex notion (at least to me it is). While I imagine I am missing several key aspects of these theories, I was able to make an obscure connection: this interaction between the flow of real and reactive power exists within the human body.

As humans, we carry reactive power. Not literally of course, but figuratively we conduct unknown energies in ways we don’t always understand. And in the same way that an alternating current inherently consists of reactive power, so do we. We posses the power to be electrical and stimulating, with the potential to emit great amounts of energy. But we also posses the power to return energy back in a destructive manner. Whether this return is expressed in anger, aggression, anxiety, or any other type of electrical emotion exerted, sometimes we are unaware of its existence until we overheat.

Humans are complex, and cannot be simplified in a formula. Yet, paralleling the effects of reactive power in an alternating current in ourselves, many times the presence of this power seems to not exist, and the lack of recognition can be dangerous. In order to positively manage our reactive power, we must recognize its presence, or else run the risk of over heating as our energy actively self-destructs. Following this recognition, much like that of the capacitor banks in the alternating currents, we must find a soluble outlet in which to channel this energy.

Much like currents, the power in humans is abstract. Recognize it, embrace its potential, and then find your capacitor bank. Discover the positive energy within.