Physics
Force-free equilibrium
In plasma physics, a configuration written ∇ × B = λB in which the current density flows parallel to the magnetic field and the Lorentz force vanishes.
Also called: Taylor relaxation, unclenched flow
Limit: A mathematical model of plasma, not a claim that human life can become frictionless or that pain is the sufferer’s fault.
Chapter 2 of our book draws on J. B. Taylor’s 1974 paper (Plate VI) to picture what happens when we stop fighting reality with a clenched, defensive story. When our attention aligns with the actual conditions in front of us, the extra heat of self-important struggle subsides.
We hold this image as poetry for the heart, never as a diagnosis of human suffering. Real bodies ache, real relationships take work, and grief is an expression of love rather than a failure to relax. Read more in Meeting Turbulence.