WHAT IS THERAPEUTIC SOUND?

For many thousands of years, ancient sages, masters and enlightened communities have known about and understood the significance and importance of sound as a sacred instrument of immense capability and potential, not only for healing but also for spiritual development. Ancient civilizations revered sound so deeply that they believed it called the universe into creation. These communities have been working in harmony with and incorporating sound into their rituals, ceremonies, rites of passage, meditations, celebrations, and healing philosophies as far back as the dawn of humanity. Sound has been interwoven into humanity’s psyche as a means of healing, understanding and transforming the body, mind, heart, and spirit. Scientific and modern-day spiritual communities are only now catching up with this mystical wisdom. It is only in the last few decades that ancient sound wisdom of the past has been rediscovered.

Sound tools from across the world have become widely available today, as a result of widespread global travel and the internet. The world in recent years has become a much smaller place and many locations that were both difficult to reach and/or were closed to outsiders are now mostly open to all. The result of our ever-changing world is that therapeutic sound tools from a multitude of countries have been united and we are now beginning to realize their positive potential.

Therapeutic sound incorporates a multitude of tools and instruments as well as the human voice. When one works with these media with devotion and dedication, our positive intentions are absorbed into the vibrations of sound created. When we work in this manner, the sound instruments, tools, and tones become instruments of power. Therapeutic sound is, therefore, created through our inner and outer altruistic intentions. Intention, combined with harmonic resonance, creates inherently therapeutic sounds.

Sound from many instruments and voice techniques can help us to transcend ordinary mental consciousness, can heighten our perceptions and can help us to experience blissful states of being. In this sense, sound can be envisioned as being holy. Therefore, when working with an altruistic intention, we can instill a deep sense of sacredness into sound vibrations.

Therapeutic sound can balance and harmonize us, it can act as an energetic bodybuilder and cleanser, and help us on our journey to spiritual unfolding and wholeness. It allows old, stagnant and unhealthy energies to be cleared away, transformed and replaced with new, clear, pure, harmonic vibrational energies. It restores our natural resonance, bringing us from a state of disharmony, manifesting as stress, tension, and dis-ease; to a state of balance, peace, and harmony that leads ultimately to ease and positive well-being.

It is believed that each atom, molecule, cell, gland, and organ of our bodies has a unique frequency. It is theorized that disease occurs when a unique frequency is altered due to internal or external influences (e.g., genetic, chemical, emotional, physical or mental). Current scientific research hopes to identify the individual frequencies of each aspect of the body to reproduce these frequencies in some form and restore the correct or inherent original frequency.

Research shows that changes take place in the autonomic, immune and endocrine systems through the use of sound or vibration and that every atom, molecule, cell, gland and organ of our bodies absorbs and emits sound at different frequencies.

In the last few decades, scientists have recognized that humans are attuned to the magnetic field of the planet. The vibratory rate of the magnetic field of the earth oscillates at an average rate of 7.83 Hz. This is referred to as the ‘Schumann resonance’. This predominant frequency of the earth’s magnetic field corresponds with the brainwave state in which we are most relaxed, calm and open to creativity. 

We can tap into this frequency by going outside. Numerous studies have proven simply being exposed to nature can improve our overall mood and health. Furthermore, we can transform ourselves by tapping into the Schumann resonance because our own personal biorhythms and energy of our nervous systems and bodies synchronize with the frequency of the Earth. 

I am signing off with this picture I took in Bhutan during a Druk Path Trek on April 19.