The Pendulum Trap: How to Stop Feeding the Beast

The Pendulum Problem

There’s a haunting quote from Vadim Zeland’s Reality Transurfing:

“A pendulum is an invisible, cold, merciless shadow. It is not endowed with conscious awareness, nor does it have the power of intention. It does not have a heart or a mind, the opposition of which generates feelings, impulses and weaknesses. You can never get the better of a pendulum just as you can never outrun your own shadow. The pendulum observes your movements knowing you have no escape. The shadow can never be defeated and playing with it is meaningless. So what can you do? Either abandon the dangerous game or create your own venture and become a pendulum’s favourite.”

Spooky, right? Like something you’d expect to hear in a fantasy novel, whispered by the wise mentor before the hero sets out on their journey. But here’s the thing: this isn’t fiction. This is life. And you’ve met pendulums many times before, even if you didn’t realize it.

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Listen to the podcast episode here:

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So What’s a Pendulum, Anyway?

No, it’s not just the swinging weight on your grandfather’s clock. In Reality Transurfing, a pendulum is any collective thought structure or energetic field created by people focusing on the same idea, belief, or movement.

Think about it like this:

• Politics? Pendulum.

• Office gossip? Pendulum.

• That friend group drama that pulls you in even when you don’t want to pick sides? Yep—pendulum.

• Sports rivalries, Twitter feuds, corporate cultures, even the pressure of "hustle culture"? All pendulums.

Pendulums feed on energy. They grow stronger the more attention you give them—especially when you’re emotionally hooked. Whether you’re for them or against them doesn’t matter. They thrive on conflict, on energy swings. Like a shadow, they are always there, watching and waiting to pull you back into the game.

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Hello, World!

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Why You Can’t Defeat a Pendulum

Reality transurfing. Steps I-V

By Zeland, Vadim

Here’s the tricky part: you can’t actually “beat” a pendulum. It’s like trying to outsmart your shadow on a sunny day—it’s always going to be there, following along.

Pendulums don’t have hearts, minds, or intentions. They’re not evil masterminds plotting your demise. They’re just structures, kind of like energy whirlpools. But once you step into their current, they’ll drag you along unless you consciously step out.

And here’s where most of us go wrong. We try to fight the pendulum. We argue louder. We work harder. We resist. But resistance itself is food. Every ounce of attention, whether positive or negative, makes the pendulum stronger. It doesn’t care if you’re screaming “yes” or shouting “no”—you’re still playing its game.

That’s why Zeland calls it a dangerous game.

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Storytime: Office Pendulums

Let’s bring this into the real world. Imagine you’re in a workplace where gossip rules the breakroom. Everyone has an opinion about who’s slacking, who’s getting promoted, and who made a mistake in last week’s meeting.

You don’t want to get involved. But then someone pulls you aside and whispers, “Did you hear what happened with Susan?”

Boom. You’re in the game.

The moment you react—even with “I don’t want to talk about it”—you’ve fed the pendulum with your energy. The gossip pendulum doesn’t care if you love Susan or hate her, if you’re pro-management or anti-management. It just wants you in the loop, swinging back and forth.

And before you know it, you leave work drained, anxious, and resentful. Why? Because the pendulum shadow is walking right beside you.

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So What Can You Do?

Here’s the brilliance of Reality Transurfing: it doesn’t tell you to fight pendulums (impossible), and it doesn’t tell you to ignore them entirely (good luck with that). Instead, it offers two choices:

1. Abandon the Game – Stop playing. Walk away. Withdraw your attention completely. This starves the pendulum of your energy. Like a fire without fuel, it eventually flickers out—at least in your reality.

2. Create Your Own Venture – If you can’t escape the pendulum, become its favorite. This doesn’t mean surrendering. It means aligning it with your goals. You ride its energy instead of resisting it. Think of it like grabbing a surfboard—you stop fighting the wave and instead let it carry you toward the shore you actually want.

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Becoming a Pendulum’s Favorite

This part is fascinating, and it’s where your power comes in.

Say you’re in a company obsessed with “hustle culture.” Everyone brags about working 70-hour weeks. You can either:

• Get sucked into the grind (feeding the pendulum).

• Rebel and complain about burnout (also feeding the pendulum).

• Or—you can use the existing energy to create your own lane. You might become the leader who models smart productivity over burnout. You align yourself with the pendulum’s momentum (“Yes, we value results!”) but redirect it in a way that serves you and others.

The pendulum stops fighting you because you’re no longer resisting. You’ve become useful to its survival. But here’s the kicker—you’re also carving your own path.

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Everyday Pendulum Hacks

Let’s make this practical. How do you stop getting hooked?

1. Notice the Hook – Awareness is everything. The next time you feel pulled into outrage, gossip, or drama, pause and ask: Is this a pendulum at work?

2. Drop Importance – Pendulums feed on exaggerated importance. If you can lighten up, laugh at it, or shrug it off, you weaken the grip.

3. Float Instead of Fight – Fighting feels heavy. Floating feels light. Instead of pushing back, step aside and let the pendulum swing past you.

4. Use Humor – Pendulums hate humor because it drains their seriousness. Crack a joke. Smile. It breaks the energetic grip instantly.

5. Redirect Your Energy – Channel your focus into your own “venture”—whether that’s your work, your art, your health, or your relationships. Build something so strong that pendulums become background noise.

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Storytime: Sports Pendulums

Think about sports fandom. A football team wins and the city goes wild. The pendulum is massive, collective, powerful. People feel connected and alive. But what happens when the team loses?

The pendulum still needs energy. It swings the other way—now people are furious, complaining, blaming the coach. Energy is still pouring in, just flavored differently.

A wise fan can enjoy the game, cheer for their team, but not tie their entire emotional state to the pendulum’s swings. That’s the sweet spot. Engagement without entrapment.

Your Shadow Isn’t the Enemy

Here’s the deeper truth: the shadow—the pendulum—will always exist. You can’t outrun it. And you don’t need to.

Instead, think of pendulums as teachers. They show you where your energy leaks are. They reveal what hooks you, what triggers you, what gets you spinning. And once you know that? You gain freedom.

Freedom isn’t about living in a vacuum, untouched by collective energy. It’s about choice. Choosing where you place your focus. Choosing which games you play. Choosing whether to fight shadows… or create your own light.

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Final Thoughts

Vadim Zeland’s pendulum metaphor may sound dark, but it’s actually liberating. You don’t need to win against the shadow. You don’t need to run faster or fight harder.

You only need to wake up, step aside, and play your own game.

Because at the end of the day, the pendulum is just a shadow. But you—you are the source of light.

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About Kathie

Kathie Owen is a heart-centered corporate wellness consultant, mindset coach, and speaker based in Houston, Texas. With over 25 years of experience in fitness, leadership, and personal development, she helps executives and teams reduce stress, avoid burnout, and create thriving workplace cultures.

Kathie blends practical wellness strategies with powerful mindset tools like Reality Transurfing and sports psychology, teaching leaders how to break free from toxic pendulums and build healthier, happier lives—one heart at a time.

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Read More Articles from Kathie

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Transcript

Have you ever felt pulled into drama you didn't even wanna be part of? Like one minute, you're minding your own business and the next you are sucked into gossip, politics, or somebody else's chaos. That my friend is what vadim Zealand. In Reality Transurfing calls a pendulum. We are gonna talk about that today. You're listening to Kathie's Coaching podcast. I'm your host, Kathie Owen. So what is a pendulum? No, I'm not talking about the thing that swings inside a clock. A pendulum is an invisible energy structure and it's created when a group of people focus on the same idea, belief or conflict. Think of it like this. Politics? Pendulum. Office gossip? Pendulum. Hustle culture? Pendulum. Even your favorite sports team? Yep. A pendulum. Pendulums are like shadows. They don't have minds, they don't have hearts, and they don't have intentions. They just exist and they live off of one thing. Your energy. And here's the spooky part, you can't actually defeat a pendulum. Zealand says it like this. You can never get the better of a pendulum just as you can never outrun your own shadow. Ouch. That means the moment you fight it, you've already lost. See, pendulums don't care if you are for them or against them. They don't care if you're cheering or booing. The fact that you're reacting at all. That's food, that's energy, and that's how they survive. By the way, did you know that I include a blog post on every episode that includes bonus resources and more? I also have a Transurfing on Tuesday newsletter that you can sign up for in the description and show notes below. I hope to see you there. Back to the episode. So, let me give you an example. Say you work in an office where gossip runs wild. Everyone whispers about who's getting promoted, who messed up, or who's slacking off. You tell yourself you won't get involved, but then a coworker pulls you aside and says, did you hear what happened with Susan? Boom, you are in the game. Even if you say, I don't wanna talk about it, you've still given energy. You leave work drained, anxious, frustrated, and guess who's smiling in the background? The pendulum. So what do you do? Vadim Zealand says, you've got two choices. Abandon the game. Stop feeding the pendulum. Withdraw your energy completely. No reaction, no resistance. Walk away or become the pendulum's favorite. This one's kind of unique. Use its momentum to your advantage. Ride the energy instead of fighting it. That's where the magic happens. Now becoming the favorite doesn't mean you're selling your soul. It means aligning the pendulum's energy with your own goals. Say your company is obsessed with hustle culture. Everyone brags about working 70 hour weeks. You could get sucked into it and burn out, fight against it, and complain. Or you could ride the wave you position yourself as the person who gets incredible results without the burnout. You become the example of smart productivity. You're no longer resisting. You are redirecting, and suddenly the pendulum is working for you, not against you. Here's another example from sports fandom. When a football team wins, the city goes crazy. The pendulum is massive, collective and powerful. When the team loses, the pendulum still gets fed through outrage, blame and anger, but the wise fan. They enjoy the game without letting their emotions get hijacked. They play along without being controlled. That's what it looks like to dance with a pendulum without getting trapped. So how do you handle pendulums in everyday life? I'm so glad you asked. First of all, you notice the hook when you feel triggered or pulled into conflict. Pause and ask, is this a pendulum? Number two, drop importance. The more serious you take it, the more energy you feed it lighten up. Shrug it off. And number three, float. Don't fight. Fighting feels heavy, floating feels light and keeps you in the flow. Step aside and let the pendulum swing right past. Number four, and one of my favorites is use humor. Pendulums do not like humor. Laugh at the situation. And its grip dissolves. And number five, redirect your energy. Focus on your own venture, your work, your health, your creativity. Build something so strong that pendulums fade into the background noise. So here's the truth. Pendulums are not going away. They're shadows. They will always be there. But here's the good news. You don't need to outrun them. You don't need to defeat them. You just need to wake up, step aside and play your own game because the pendulum is just a shadow. But you, you are the source of light. So the next time you fill that pull, whether it's gossip, politics, hustle, culture, or sports teams or anything else, remember, you don't have to feed the pendulum. You can choose differently, and that choice is your freedom. All right, that's my episode for today. I trust that you found it helpful, and if you know someone who can benefit from this, please share it with them. And until next time, I will see you next time. Peace out and Namaste.