Sound affects the whole being.  That is its nature.  Sound waves travel infinitely through the densest of matter and nothing can stop them.  They pulsate, vibrate, oscillate, at their own particular frequencies creating an endless invisible dance in the cosmos.  Every object has its own resonant frequency, it's own rate of vibration- not only every flower, rock, and shell, but every muscle, nerve, and bone, literally every fiber in the human body.  Every emotion has a frequency and every thought has a frequency.  The denser muscles and tissues of the body have a lower (deeper) resonant frequency than the smaller ones.  The vascular system has a lower frequency than the nervous system, and so on.   How can this simple fact be immediately applied to "healing" or bringing the bioenergetic system back to a state of wholeness? 

Think about the proverbial diva who is singing a high soprano tone and suddenly a wine glass shatters!  Not just any tone can cause this- the note she is singing would have to be so close to the resonant frequency of that glass that it actually begins to vibrate in sympathetic resonance to the note she is singing until it cn no longer withstand the vibration.  Likewise, this idea can be applied to a blockage in the physical body or the more subtle bodies.  By determining the resonant frequency of the problem area we can the direct the appropriate sound or sounds into that area and break up the blockage, restoring a healthy flow of energy.  There are many ways of determining the needed sound and various instruments that can be used to direct the tone or tones into the body, including musical instruments, electronic sound, voice or certain pieces of music.  This book is intended to present possible ways of using this concept on a practical level to promote greater harmony and well-being within ourselves and thereby in our relationships and the world around us.

"There is no greater and more living resonator of sound than the human body.  Sounds has an effect on each atom of the body, for each atom resounds."

-Hazrat Inayat Khan, The Music of Life (1967)

Water is one of the most powerful carriers of soundwaves.  Modern science tells us that the human body is 70% water.  Quantum physics tells us that the body is 99.9999% free space.  It stands to reason then that the human body would be an excellent conductor of sound.  In fact a powerful factor in sound therapy is skin and bone conduction.  An example of how this can be applied is the ability to "tune" the voice of another by using the principles of resonance, entrainment, and bone conduction.  I once observed the renowned sound healer Don Campbell "tune" the voice of a woman who believed herself to be "tone deaf".   First, he sang a note and had the person sing the same note back to him.  On her first try she was unable to mirror the same note. He then laid his palm against her cheek and at the same time rested his own cheek against the back of the hand that was in contact with her face. He sang the note again, and this time, through skin and  bone conduction she was able to duplicate tone the tone perfectly!  When his hand was touching both of their faces at the same time she could feel the resonance of the tone within her own body, and thereby reproduce it.  She did not do this consciously or deliberately.  Her body simply picked up the frequency through the skin and bones and immediately became entrained to that frequency.  By listening with the auditory receptors one may be unable to duplicate the sound but through bone conduction, actually feeling the resonance in one's own body, it is a natural response.  I have since tried this technique with several other people who have told me they "could not sing" and were "tone deaf".  It is a beautiful thing to see their eyes light up and hear the excitement in their voice when they suddenly find that they are right on tonally, after a lifetime of believing that they "couldn't sing".

Several people have done studies on the effects of sound on matter.  One of the early pioneers was a singer by the name of Margaret Watts Hughes who began studying the effect her voice had on various substances in the late 1800's using rudimentary technology.  Her illustrations of this work became known as the "Eidophone Voice Figures".   Hans Jenny later refined this process with his study of "Cymatics", the study of waves, using similar principles, but with 20^th century technology and electronically produced tones, the results of which have been beautifully captured on film.  The studies show that when sound is applied to matter it immediately forms very specific harmonic patterns emerge and as the tones change, shapes change and patterns shift instantly.  These patterns occur on the subatomic level and recur and re-emerge throughout nature and outward to the greater cosmos.  Today in England Dr. Peter Guy Manners uses "applied cymatics" in his healing work to balance the neurological pathways to the brain, and has successfully treated many conditions including rheumatism, arthritis, muscle strain, bone fractures, and paralysis, by projecting the proper frequency into the body to correct the condition being addressed.

What becomes increasingly clear from these studies, and many others, is that ALL SOUND CREATES FORM AT SOME LEVEL.  In Hindu scripture, "Nada Brahma".  Simplistically, the world is sound.  In Sanskrit, "nada" means stream or river of sound, and "Brahma" is both the Creator and the Creation, that out which all things are born.  The Christian Bible begins, "In the beginning was the Word..."   The Australian aborigines believe that their ancestors sang the world around them into existence, and Laplanders believe that there is a sound, a melody and a harmony for every object in nature and for the different qualities of these objects- ie., a birch tree, a single-peaked mountain, a snowcapped mountain, a bereaved mother, and so forth- and anyone who can produce these sounds can influence and control the object.  This has evolved into a powerful form of healing practiced by their shamans, known as "Lap-reading", based on their belief that every condition of the human mind and body is related to particular sounds or words.   They have been known to produce an immediate cure on the severest of conditions, for instance the stopping of the flow of blood from a severed artery, considered physiologically impossible without radical medical intervention.

There are four ways of experiencing sound.  The first is to hear through our auditory receptors, as with listening to music.  The second is self-generated- ie, talking, singing, toning, the experience of the sound of our own voice moving through our body and vibrating all our cells.  The third is with our whole body, as in Vibro Acoustic Sound Therapy where sound is broadcast throughout the whole body rather than a specific area.  And finally, we have our "inner listening".  In India this is called "Nada Yoga" the science of sacred sound, which teaches powerful techniques using music, breath, and meditation, to deepen one's listening abilities and learn to hear the inner current of sound.  This yogic practice can lead to a state of transcendental bliss and consciousness- "satchitanand".  Any one or all of these aspects of sound may be used as a path toward healing, wholeness, and transformation.

Most of us are already aware of the effects of sound and music in our lives on a simplistic day-to-day level.  Certain sounds around us may be jarring or irritating, while others can evoke feelings of joy, well-being, sadness, tenderness, etc.  Perhaps you use soothing music to help you meditate, or turn on the radio or your favorite CD to help you get through the monotony of daily chores.  For thousands of years shamans and healers of traditional cultures have used sound and music in ritual ceremonies to awaken people to different realities, to release old patterns, and to facilitate healing.  Through the process of "entrainment" the body rhythms naturally fall into the rhythms being played and thus, old crystallized patterns within the body begin to break up and new pathways are opened for the energy to flow more freely.  Modern music therapists often use a combination of guided imagery and music as a therapeutic tool to help clients get in touch with and release the pain of past wounds and traumas or to reframe them in a way that serves them better.

VibroAcoustic Sound Therapy, or VAST, is a way of introducing sound, or music, into the body by means of a mat or recliner with speakers built into it.  The music is felt throughout the body rather than just being heard.  The tones and rhythms of the music vibrate the muscles and tissues of the body loosening the fibers, producing deep relaxation and often profound relief from pain and trauma that has been locked in the body for years.  The National Institute of Health has been studying has been studying the effect of vibroacoustic music since 1996.  They have found it to be a powerful tool for introducing relaxation techniques to chronic patients with life-threatening conditions, and have found it to effectively reduce symptoms of pain, fatigue, nausea, headaches, and depression.

Sound therapy is becoming a broader and more far-reaching field every day.  Music therapy has been brought into mainstream treatment by psychiatrists and psychologists.  Many hospitals and nursing homes are incorporating music therapy into their hospice programs.  Massage therapists use relaxing and evocative music in their sessions, and energy workers use toning and tuning forks to balance the chakra system and energy fields around the body.  VAST is becoming more and more widely accepted and researched as hospitals, clinics, and spas incorporate vibroacoustic beds and recliners into their programs. 

Edgar Cayce has been quoted many times as saying that sound will be the medicine of the future.  I believe that the "future" he was speaking of has arrived.  As the world around us becomes more mechanized and technologically advanced, we yearn for ways to ground and nurture ourselves and find that music and sound are wonderful tools for bringing our body/mind/spirit into balance and harmony.

In searching for new non-invasive drug-free ways of healing our minds and bodies, sound therapy must be considered as a practical, viable, and powerful healing modality that is within the reach of every man, woman, and child on this planet.  It is as close as our breath.


Rosemary Warburton
Sound Body Wholistic Health Center
5530 1st Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710
727-384-4046

Email:  Rosie@SoundJourney.net

www.soundjourney.net

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