Before we get into how sound can be used in healing (and why it works), We have to understand some concepts about the nature of sound. What is sound?


Measuring Sound


Sound is energy moving through materials that we perceive with our ears (Sensory-neuro hearing) and through our bodies (conductive hearing). 

We measure sound by Frequency (measured in Hertz-Hz) and by amplitude (volume, measured in decibels- Db).  For our purposes here, we not only hear sounds, but can produce them both vocally and with instruments. For now, we will only be discussing frequency or pitch.


The average pitch (or frequency) that a human can hear is between 16 Hz and 20,000 Hz. Any pitch below 16 Hz is called infrasonic. Any pitch above 20,000 Hz is called Ultrasonic.


Stock photo

The average adult male voice has a pitch between 120 Hz and 150 Hz. The average adult female voice has a pitch between 210 Hz and 240 Hz.  For comparison, the   lowest pitch on a well tuned piano is 27.5 Hz. The highest pitch on the piano is 4,186 Hz. 


image courtesy of 30daysinger.com

The Nature of Sound


Nothing in nature produces a pure tone of sound. Instead, sound is complex. We typically represent sound as a wave form like this vibrating string. (Although it is actually more accurate to say that it radiates out in a circle, like a pebble dropped in water).


Say this string is vibrating at 500 Hz. Sound being complex, it is also vibrating at 1000 Hz.


And at 2000 Hz. And so on.


These additional vibrations or “overtones” are called Harmonics. Every tone produces an infinite number of harmonics. 


Because of harmonics, every object produces unique sounds. These differences depend on:



Because of these differences, we are able to recognize objects, people, animals, instruments etc. by their unique sound.[1]


One more important point about sound waves; sound waves are not vibrating air. 


They are a rapid assembly and disassembly of the molecules of whatever medium it (the sound energy) is moving through.[2]


Making the Connection; Sound and Healing


Eileen McKusick, in her book Tuning the Human Biofield States the following:


“Humans being mostly water, any sound we produce reverberates through us,affecting all the structures of our bodies”.3


This not only relates to sounds that come towards us, but also to sounds we produce.


“From the tone of our voice to the words that we speak and the sentiment with which we say them, the sounds we make produce continuous creative structuring in our bodies”[.3]


Cymatics


Cymatics is the study of sound and vibration made visible through a medium such as water in a dish or a flat metal plate (Chladni plate). 


Hans Jenny, a Swiss Medical Doctor,and pioneer in Cymatics, has online videos about this. There are many such videos on YouTube showing the multitude of shapes and designs made with various instruments. 


Dr. Maseru Emoto’s book The Hidden Messages of Water shows the differences in effect of beneficial and non-beneficial words upon ice crystals. 


Hypothetically, because our bodies are mostly water, words affect us in the same way on a physical as well as an emotional level[4]


So both the production and the perception of sound can be used as a healing tool. The instruments we use, (whether this is our voice, gongs, drums, bowls, guitars, pianos,harps) when thoughtfully and intentionally used for healing can be effective tools towards healing the body both physically and emotionally. 


References