Sound healing has been used to treat mental and physical ailments and injuries, as well as to ease the dying process, in practically every culture since it was developed as a therapy in Australia more than 40,000 years ago and in African cultures.
Although the yidaki (didgeridoo) was traditionally used in sound healing, modern practitioners use a broad variety of instruments and even human and animal vocalisations in their work.
Here you can find supplementary articles discussing the several applications of sound therapy. The didgeridoo is just one example of the many instruments used in sound healing, all of which can be found on in our clinic!
The physiological effects of sound
Sounds produced externally can have dramatic and direct effects on interior systems because a cranial nerve connects the eardrum to every organ except the spleen. Healers use frequencies to restore balance to parts of the body that have become disorganised, obstructed, or out of step with the rest of the organism and its surroundings.
Technology has advanced to the point where sounds outside the range of human hearing—typically between 20 and 20,000 hertz—are being used in modern medicine. In several cases, ultrasound can be used for imaging, diagnosis, and even treatment. Ultrasound equipment, first created in the 1930s and 1940s, emits an oscillating sound pressure wave at frequencies outside the human hearing range, and can be used for both diagnosis and treatment. Ultrasound machines are most commonly known for their usage as a non-radiation imaging equipment; nevertheless, they are also useful in the treatment of pain caused by scar tissue, arthritis, and other disorders. In recent years, research and development of medical devices that use infrasound (sound below the range of human hearing) have begun.
Resonance and vibration
All matter has a unique vibrational frequency via which it can affect and be affected by other matter; this is the primary premise behind the theory of sound therapy. This suggests that resonance links everything on Earth and beyond.
Two prominent hypotheses explain how the use of sound in healing falls under this premise. The first postulates that sickness is more likely to manifest in a structure, like a human organ, that is vibrating at a frequency that is out of sync with its surroundings. Practitioners of vibrational energy can then direct it at specific sections of the body to bring them back into balance with the rest of the organism.
On the other hand, some people believe that the vibrations of sound can help unclog the pathways that carry energy into and out of cells, allowing for more efficient transmission and reception.
Practitioners of sound healing, who may work with clients alone or in groups and who are increasingly offering their services via virtual online sound baths, typically employ a variety of instruments and/or technologies over the course of a 30- to 60-minute session. Some participants/patients prefer to lie on a table or the floor in order to achieve a deeper level of relaxation, while others prefer to sit. Sound is then applied by the practitioner, either as an all-enveloping sound stream ("sound bath") or more specifically over the energy centers (chakras) and other trigger points on the body (using gongs, tuning forks, didgeridoo, singing bowls, drums, etc.).
By visualizing or setting an intention before listening to one's chosen sounds (music, chants, singing bowls, etc.), a person might use sound healing as a form of self-therapy. During this time, some participants prefer to engage in other activities like Tai Chi, Qigong, or Yoga. For more on the role of sound in meditation and how it might heighten awareness, check out this article on the subject. Listen to guided audio sound meditations and observe the calming, soothing, and therapeutic effects on your own system.
Ultrasound and infrared ultrasound are standard medical procedures in hospitals and clinics. The method used differs according to the specifics of the illness and its location.
Positive effects of music on healing
Traditional instruments like the gong, didgeridoo, and singing bowls have been utilised for thousands of years as a form of therapeutic therapy, but only in recent years have their benefits been explored scientifically. The following are condensed versions of several scholarly studies:
Some medical professionals employ the use of soothing harp music in treatment.
Even in extremely stressful situations, listening to soothing music can help reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety. In 2013, researchers in the intensive care unit of a university hospital looked at how patients responded to impromptu harp performances before and after surgery (ICU). One hundred people were split into two groups: the control group and the music intervention group.
In the study, some patients were given a private harp concert in their hospital rooms for 10 minutes, while others were told to rest quietly on their beds. On average, patients in the music intervention group reported a 27% reduction in pain, whereas those in the control group reported no change in pain level.
However, the listeners' breathing rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and pulse rate were not altered by the music. However, the study has limitations, such that the harpist did not play the same music for all 50 patients in the intervention group, which could have contributed to the variation in pain reduction. Instead, she listened to each patient and chose music based on her gut feeling about what would make them feel best. This could be a confounding factor in future studies and should be taken into account.
The effects of didgeridoo and singing on the respiratory health of indigenous Australians was studied in 2010. The six-month intervention included weekly didgeridoo lessons for males and singing sessions for females, and participants reported an increase in both quality of life and control over their asthma symptoms as a result.
In 2005, researchers recorded electrodermal readings of 40 acupuncture meridians on the hands and feet to assess the electric responses of the body to the tuning and playing of quartz crystal bowls. Energy measurements increased in the left hands of the participants and decreased in the right feet as the bowls were played.
Studying the positive effects of musical expression
The therapeutic effects of music creation have been well documented. In a prospective study conducted in 2003, researchers looked at the relationship between recreational music-making and burnout (defined as emotional tiredness and diminished personal success) among 112 workers at a continuing care retirement facility. The music intervention group met once a week for six weeks with a professional facilitator and half of the participants. In each session, participants used hand drums, bells, maracas, keyboards, and other instruments to make music and engage in social activities and mindfulness practices. The personnel showed less burnout and higher levels of production than the participants who did not undergo the music intervention.
The documentary "Alive Inside," which won several awards, provides compelling evidence that music can bring people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia "back to life." It's an uplifting cinematic investigation of the power of music to revitalize our spirits and reveal our true selves.
Sound resonance therapy (SRT) was proven to be an effective treatment for fibromyalgia in a research conducted in 2006. The vibro-acoustic device used in SRT "stimulates the auditory and the somatosensory system of an individual, triggering long-term memory," and the therapy is said to facilitate the expression of feelings in order to facilitate their logical processing. This has promising implications for the treatment of a wide range of diseases that may have psychological or emotional roots.
Bone fractures can be healed by sound!
The potential uses of sound in clinical settings have been investigated by numerous biologists and other natural scientists, with encouraging findings. Infrasound has been shown in multiple studies to be an efficient rehabilitation therapy. In rodents, at least, postoperative adhesion development can be reduced with the controlled administration of high-intensity, low-frequency sound.
According to research published in 2013, infrasound therapy can hasten and promote fracture healing. Local infrasound was used on a group of rats with femoral fractures for one hour a day for 42 days. The infrared-treated group healed fractures more quickly and with less pain than the control group, and their average bone mineral content and density were significantly higher.
The Study of Cells
In another study, cancer cells were exposed to an infrasound frequency during drug delivery using a generator "intended to simulate the infrasonic emissions recorded during external Qigong treatments." Infrasound was discovered to be a potent inhibitor of glioma tumor cell proliferation when used in conjunction with chemotherapy. To further understand how infrasound-chemotherapy affects cancer cells compared to healthy tissue, more study is needed.
The vibrations of cells are another focus in the realm of sound treatment. Physicist and nanotechnologist Jim Gimzewski invented the name "sonocytology" to describe the study of the vibrational vibrations of cell walls, which can be amplified and then heard by the human ear. Gimzewski showed that a cell's surroundings affects the frequency of the tone it produces; for example, adding sodium or alcohol causes the frequency of the cell's vibrations to drop or increase, respectively. Sonocytology offers promising applications in the early diagnosis of cancer and malaria because damaged cells make a different sound than healthy ones. This is a very long study report about the relationship between sound and cells.
According to the aforementioned research, it is possible for sounds created outside to have an effect on internal biological systems since cells not only make their own noises but also react to sounds in their environment. The applications and underlying mechanisms of sound healing require more study, both in traditional and conventional settings.
In accordance with conventional knowledge
Here at EH Naturopathic Practice, we're of the opinion that modern scientific inquiry is merely retracing the steps of the ancient societies that came before us, the wisdom of our elders. They didn't have access to scientific instruments, so they learned about the advantages of sound by trial and error. Those of us who are of the same generation and have heard gongs, singing bowls, tuning forks, didgeridoos, drums, etc., can readily empathise.
Sound therapy and sound healing are experiential in nature, which is why they are so effective in healing and revealing hidden truths. We provide both online and in-person sound bath events, so you can choose the one that works best for you.
When using sound as a therapeutic tool, it's crucial to emphasise the role that each person's intention (both the therapist's and the patient's) plays in the outcome of the session. The intentional creation of an appropriate flow of energy in response to a certain circumstance.
The ability to "disappear" into the music and go as far and as deep as one pleases is the final step.
For our services of sound healing visit our service page, we also combine sound healing with massages, reiki and even meditation, to visit our healing packages click here. Or simply email or call us for any questions you may have.
By Dr. Sepi Sefy PhD whom specialises in Herbal Medicine of Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese & Western Herbal Medicine, alongside of Yoga, Nutrition and Phytotherapy.
References
Allen, L., & Shealy, N. (2005). An exploration of the effects of toning and quartz crystal bowls on the energetic balance in the body as measured electrically through the acupuncture meridians. Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine Journal Archives, 16(2).
Bittman, B., Bruhn, K. T., Stevens, C., Westengard, J., & Umbach, P. O. (2003). Recreational music-making: a cost-effective group interdisciplinary strategy for reducing burnout and improving mood states in long-term care workers. Advances in Mind Body Medicine, 19(3/4), 4-15.
Chiasson, A. M., Linda Baldwin, A., Mclaughlin, C., Cook, P., & Sethi, G. (2013). The Effect of Live Spontaneous Harp Music on Patients in the Intensive Care Unit. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013.
Cogan, J., Camus, M., Saucier, J. F., Arsenault, P., & Demers, J. (2006). A new application of sound resonance technology therapy for the treatment of fibromyalgia: A retrospective analysis. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 12(3), 206-212.
Colasante, D. A., Au, F. C., Sell, H. W., & Tyson, R. R. (1981). Prophylaxis of adhesions with low frequency sound. Surgery, gynecology & obstetrics, 153(3), 357-359.
Condon, G. (2004, July 25). Sound as a Healing Device Latest in Alternative Medicine. Oakland Tribune.
Eley, R., & Gorman, D. (2010). Didgeridoo playing and singing to support asthma management in Aboriginal Australians. The Journal of Rural Health,26(1), 100-104.
Gaynor, M. L. (1999). Sounds of healing: A physician reveals the therapeutic power of sound, voice, and music. Broadway Books.
Gerber, S. (1998). The sound of healing. Vegetarian Times, 247, 68-73.
Halstead, M. T., & Roscoe, S. T. (2002). Restoring the spirit at the end of life: music as an intervention for oncology nurses. Clinical journal of oncology nursing, 6(6), 332-336.
Keyhani, K., Guzmán, H. R., Parsons, A., Lewis, T. N., & Prausnitz, M. R. (2001). Intracellular drug delivery using low-frequency ultrasound: quantification of molecular uptake and cell viability. Pharmaceutical research, 18(11), 1514-1520.
Long, H., Zheng, L., Gomes, F. C., Zhang, J., Mou, X., & Yuan, H. (2013). Study on osteogenesis promoted by low sound pressure level infrasound in vivo and some underlying mechanisms. Environmental toxicology and pharmacology, 36(2), 437-442.
Pelling, A. E., Sehati, S., Gralla, E. B., Valentine, J. S., & Gimzewski, J. K. (2004). Local nanomechanical motion of the cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Science, 305(5687), 1147-1150.
Rachlin, K., Moore, D. H., & Yount, G. (2012). Infrasound Sensitizes Human Glioblastoma Cells to Cisplatin-Induced Apoptosis. Integrative cancer therapies, 1534735412465641.
Roosth, S. (2009). Screaming Yeast: Sonocytology, Cytoplasmic Milieus, and Cellular Subjectivities. Critical Inquiry, 35(2), 332-350.
Sundaram, J., Mellein, B. R., & Mitragotri, S. (2003). An experimental and theoretical analysis of ultrasound-induced permeabilization of cell membranes.Biophysical journal, 84(5), 3087-3101.
“Ultrasound.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia
Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 19 Jun. 2014.
Wheeler, M. (2004). Signal Discovery?. Smithsonian Magazine, 34(12), 30-31.
Yount, G., Taft, R., West, J., & Moore, D. (2004). Possible influence of infrasound on glioma cell response to chemotherapy: a pilot study. The Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 10(2), 247-250.
Yu, T., Li, S. L., Zhao, J. Z., & Mason, T. J. (2006). Ultrasound: a chemotherapy sensitizer. Technology in cancer research & treatment, 5(1), 51-60.
Zandonella, C. (2003). Dying cells dragged screaming under the microscope.Nature, 423(6936), 106-107.