Using Sound to Heal

By Gopi Rao

We know that mantras are used to concentrate and heal, but we take the healing properties of sound for granted. Music and sound are a part of everyday life no matter where you are. From the background noise of a bustling downtown city to the music played throughout clothing stores, sounds and music contribute to form a unique atmosphere and experience.

Music has the power to alter moods for better or worse, to bring tears to a person’s eyes in an instant, and to turn complete strangers into friends for a period of time. Music has a noticeable impact in daily life and can cause many different emotions, but it can also physically heal the human mind and body, creating better balance and communication between them.

How Can Sound Heal?

Music and sound are able to heal the mind and body through a process called brainwave entrainment. This idea gained traction when it was discovered that the brain, when stimulated with a slightly altered tone in each ear, produced a separate tone that split the difference between the two original tones. The idea of brainwave entrainment is that the brain strives to keep both its hemispheres in sync, doing so by producing certain brain waves that vary depending on the stimulation.

The brain operates using four different types of waves: beta, alpha, theta, and delta. Each of these waves occurs at different mental states. Beta waves are associated with normal cognizance, alpha with a relaxed state, theta with meditation and day-dreaming, and delta during sleep. By providing the brain with specific sounds and tones, the internal tone generated by the brain can be controlled, causing the brain to exhibit certain wave lengths 

and effects.

How Does it Work?

By controlling the wavelengths that the brain produces and their frequencies, it is possible to attain different mental states to better deal with different medical conditions or other issues. A longer wavelength means that the frequency of the each wave will decrease. The body and mind enter into a more relaxed state when the frequency of brain waves decreases below the beta level, so sound therapy works by causing the brain’s electrical activity to slow down. The body can only heal itself in the alpha, theta, and delta states, so these states are induced during sound therapy.

Many different approaches can be taken during these treatments including the use of voices, various tones, sounds in nature, and certain musical instruments, like drums, tuning forks, and musical bowls. Certain rhythmic patterns can also cause different results during treatments, including trance-like effects.

What Are the Benefits of Sound Therapy?

One of the primary benefits of sound therapy is relaxation, which can be used to help with a variety of conditions, including chronic conditions, recovery after surgery or health issues, and with cancer treatments. Sound therapy’s relaxing effect can also help with sleep disorders and anxiety and stress-related conditions, such as gastrointestinal issues and depression, and can even help reduce headaches.

Tuning forks have also been shown to have specific health benefits in this type of therapy. Localized pain is experienced in the physical body, and tuning forks have been shown to reduce this pain, especially at low frequencies. Specifically tuned forks can be placed at certain pressure points on the body, resulting in muscle relaxation and decreased muscle spasms. Tuning forks can essentially provide a vibrational massage that can affect a person’s muscles, joints, and even bones.

The Healing Powers of Sound

Sound therapy, while not commonly known, is a powerful tool that can exhibit many healing effects on the human body when used correctly. This therapy can be administered with various techniques and through many different mediums and has been shown to have a positive effect on total body and mind relaxation, while aiding in a number of health issues and ailments.

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