Written By June Milligan, M.Ed., CCHt |
Everything is vibrating. Quantum physics proves that everything has its own vibrational frequency: every color, every sound and every solid object. Even the organs in our body have their own frequencies.
Research shows that sound is “heard” not only through our ears, but through every cell in our body. As a result, chanting can synchronize brain waves to achieve profound states of relaxation. Many healers, holistic practitioners and even some medical doctors, including oncologists, believe that healing can be achieved by restoring the normal vibratory frequency of the dis-harmonious (and therefore diseased) part of the body by music and by certain specific sounds.
Dr. David Simon, Medical Director of the Chopra Center for Well-Being, explains that healing chants and music have a measurable effect on our bodies. The frequencies from chants are chemically metabolized into natural opiates that act as internal painkillers, as well as healing agents.
Dr. Mark Rider, a research psychologist from Southern Methodist University has done a large number of studies proving that the powerfully positive influence of music combined with imagery protects the immune system, fights invading pathogens and helps to regenerate injured tissues.
Dr. Mitchell Gaynor (oncologist) and Dr. Jeffrey Thompson completed pioneering studies proving the positive effects of the sounds of Tibetan singing bowls. Dr. Thompson translated his research into powerful treatments for learning disabilities, as well as a wide range of physical disorders.
In Dr. Gaynor’s book The Healing Power of Sound, he explains that the concept of song goes far beyond just musical content for the Aborigines, the indigenous people of Australia whose creation stories date back almost 150,000 years. He also mentions that ancient Indian holy men understood what modern science has since proven: that the entire cosmos is “an ocean of vibration, the source of all manifestation,” and “The essence of word and sound is OM, a sound so powerful that its utterance alone can bring enlightenment.”
Shamans, who were considered mediators between the natural world and the spiritual realm, were among the very earliest people to use sound-based rituals for healing. The drumbeat, as used by the shaman, actually has transformative effects. Scientists found that shamanic-style drumming creates an altered activity in many sensory and motor areas of the brain; because, the many frequencies within a single drumbeat can stimulate numerous neural pathways.
The Monroe Institute created almost a hundred different CDs to assist in well being and healing. The technology is called Hemi-Sync, which stands for hemispheric synchronization. These are audio guidance CDs to help safely alter brainwaves, and they consist of multilayered patterns of sound frequencies. When the brain hears these sounds, it responds by producing a third sound (called a binaural beat) that encourages the desired brainwave activity. This assists healing during surgery, as well as recuperation after surgery. Some of the CDs are designed to help one enter a deep meditative state, or to go to sleep easily and rest peacefully through the night; or, to increase concentration and/or focus attention when studying.
Dr. Gaynor, a practicing oncologist, uses the sounds of crystal bowls, or Tibetan singing bowls, on a patient’s first visit, to introduce them to a powerful method of healing, before he prescribes anything else. After experiencing those sounds for the first time, many patients purchase their own singing bowls for use during meditation at home. Dr. Gaynor has achieved excellent results by teaching his patients how to combine meditation, guided imagery and the sounds of the singing bowls with some mainstream cancer treatments.
Gradually, modern science is discovering what the ancients have always known–that certain sounds have a powerfully positive effect on healing ailments of all kinds, whether one uses toning, chanting, drumbeats, the Hemi-Sync technology, crystal or Tibetan singing bowls, or traditional music therapy. There are many artists who focus on the use of toning, music and sound, specifically for healing. Also, organizations dedicated to healing through sound and music can be found on the Internet. Some of these healers, books and websites are mentioned in the reference section below.
References:
1. Steven Halpern at www.innerpeacemusic.com
2. Tom Kenyon at www.tomkenyon.com
3. Monroe Institute CDs at www.hemisync.com
4. Jonathan Goldman at Sound Healers Association in Boulder, Colorado
5. Linda Rodgers at Audio Prescriptives Foundation in Katonah, New York
6. The Center for Sound Healing in High Falls, New York
7. Gaynor, Dr. Mitchell. The Healing Power of Sound. Shambala Press. 2002.
8. Shrestha, Suren. How to Heal with Singing Bowls. Sentient Publications. 2009.
For more info, contact June Milligan, specializing in helping people learn how to let go of dysfunctional thinking, at (775) 786-9111 or visit online at www.joyfulchanges.com
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