SOUND HEALING - DOES IT WORK?
by Debee Merrivale
I personally love the sound of gongs and soundbaths! But I’ve often wondered if and how soundhealing works and if its claims to improve health are backed up by science. So I’ve been doing some reading and research on the subject!
We know modern medicine uses sound in ultrasound and auscultation - the use of sound by doctors to diagnose ailments in the body.
Science demonstrates that noise pollution from our modern life - traffic sounds, electronic equipment, mobile phones and modern machines at decibels of 60 hz and more is damaging our health.
Planet Earth has what's known as a “natural frequency.” called the Schumann Resonance, which pulsates at a rate of 7.83 hertz. It surrounds and protects all living things on the planet. This is the frequency we experience when we are in nature, or feel calm and rested.
Sound therapy, sound healing, sonic massage, vibro acoustic massage, audio sonic massage, music therapy - these are all terms used to describe the use of sound, backed up by science, to improve our health and wellbeing. Made famous by Gwyneth Paltrow, sound therapy is shown by science to be as effective as meditation in reducing stress and anxiety and promoting healing.
Sound healing can be traced back to all ancient cultures. More than 40,000 years ago didgeridoos were first used by indigenous Australians for healing. In Tibet, China, India, South America, Africa, and Ancient Greece for thousands of years sound has been used in ceremonies to heal various physical, mental, and emotional ailments, using flutes gongs, drums and various percussion instruments.
As well as listening to our favourite songs, singing, humming, music and sound can all be used to help us feel better.
Modern science now confirms that sound therapy can do much more than this, including releasing trauma, elevating our emotional state and accelerating the healing process from disease. Sound therapists can be specially trained in these areas.
Sound therapy uses musical instruments for entrainment (synchronisation of our brainwaves with external sound) and binaural beats (hearing different sounds in each ear)
Science shows the vibrations from the instruments travel through the air to our body where it is received via the receptors on our skin. As our bodies are composed of 70–80% water and water conducts sound better than air, sound vibrates the liquid in our bodies – our blood, muscles, joints and organs, in fact every cell in our body, so they release metabolic waste or ‘toxins’ from the body. This is why sound therapists recommend drinking more water after a sound healing session.
All humans display five different types of electrical patterns or “brain waves” across the brain cortex. The brain waves can be observed with an EEG (or an “electroencephalograph”) – a tool that allows researchers to note brain wave patterns. Each brain wave has a purpose and helps serve us in optimal mental functioning.
Frequency & Brain states
Gamma
(γ)>35 Hz + Concentration
- The pace of modern life
Beta
(β)12–35 Hz
- Anxiety dominant > active > external attention
Alpha
(α)8–12 Hz
- Very relaxed > passive attention
Theta
(θ)4–8 Hz
- Deeply relaxed > inwardly focused
Delta
(δ)0.5–4 Hz
- Sleep, dream, hallucination, altered states of being, creativity, healing.
Science demonstrates using gongs, singing bowls, sound baths and tuning forks can relax our brainwave Gamma and Beta states, dominant in our modern culture, taking us into relaxed Alpha, Thera and Delta states,
inducing relaxation, trance states and meditative states, and enhance our focus, increase our creativity and result in improved sleep. Studies also show our blood pressure drops and our nervous system resets. Our hearts can relax and open. On a spiritual level we can use soundscapes for journeying and receiving clear intuitions and higher guidance.
Sound therapy or ‘sound healing’ as it is often termed is now exploding as an area of health development. It can be experienced on a group basis such as a group Soundbath, or on an individual 121 or 122 basis.
The advantages of a group soundbath is that it is cheaper and a group experience and enables you to make new friends, which stimulates our brain health and aids well-being, but the level of sound may be too great or too little for you as an individual to benefit greatly. However, a group soundbath can help you to relax and let go of stress. thus improving your health.
A 121 or 122 sound therapy session can be tailored to you as an individual but not everyone is able to afford the cost – proper Sound Healing training is expensive and fully trained sound therapists need to recover their costs as well as live!
So do look for a group Soundbath experience near you! And if you can afford it, improve and support your health and well-being by regular 121/122 Sound experiences with the various instruments and techniques available. On a group basis, Gong and instrumental soundbaths are now becoming very popular and on a 121 basis, gong, singing bowl and tuning fork treatments can ‘tune you up’ and greatly improve your health and well-being.
Debee Merrivale runs a monthly Gong and Soundbath Meditation at Anderida. She is a graduate of the Sound Healing Professional Gong and Soundbath Practitioner Training at the College of Sound Healing (COSH), member of the Therapeutic Sound Association, the Complementary Medical Association and the International Institute of Complementary Therapists. She has attained Level II Reiki and is training in Peter Hess Sound Massage.
She can be contacted at debeemerrivale@gmail.com or 07778 191696 (mobile/WhatsApp) for group or individual treatments and events.
DeBee is a practicing Buddhist
