Interesting Facts about Sound

 "The delivery of amplified acoustic harp music through a vibrotactile device provides a powerful, direct, and immediate effect. The wide range of frequencies and overtones—produced on a harp with a minimum of 36 strings—is capable of vibrating and resonating not only with a patient's dense, physical body, but also with the person's mental, emotional, energetic, and spiritual dimensions. The patient experiences multilevel stimulation and harmonization, thereby activating the parasympathetic nervous system, ¹² and synchronizing the diverse oscillatory systems of the body. This is accomplished through the tempo of the music as well as through the resonant, vibratory qualities of the instrument.

Through rhythmic entrainment (the synchronization of organisms to an external rhythm), the heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), brain waves, and breath begin to work together in a more coherent fashion.¹³ The indices of physical improvement might include decreased respiratory rate; lowered blood pressure; decreased heart rate; and improved HRV, pain, and symptom relief. "

 "One study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine found that an hourlong sound meditation helped people reduce tension, anger, fatigue, anxiety, and depression while increasing a sense of spiritual well-being. The sound meditation used a range of Tibetan singing bowls, crystal singing bowls, gongs, Ting-shas (tiny cymbals), dorges (bells), didgeridoos, and other small bells. People who had never done sound meditation experienced significantly less tension and anxiety afterward, as well as those who had done it before. "

"Music is used to regulate mood and arousal in everyday life and to promote physical and psychological health and well-being in clinical settings. However, scientific inquiry into the neurochemical effects of music is still in its infancy. In this review, we evaluate the evidence that music improves health and well-being through the engagement of neurochemical systems for reward, motivation, stress and immunity. We discuss the limitations of these studies and outline novel approaches for integration of conceptual and technological advances."

"Sound has the power to move us. Studies have shown that sound can stir human emotions and elicit specific reactions. Composers, engineers and sound designers have been discovering and implementing core principles of sound for years, knowing their effect on the mind, body, soul, and human behavior. 

Major and minor chords elicit specific emotions. Specific sound frequencies have been found to demonstrate healing qualities that are able to settle the mind and the body."

"This study examined the effects of sound meditation, specifically Tibetan singing bowl meditation, on mood, anxiety, pain, and spiritual well-being. 62 women and men (mean age 49.7 years) participated. As compared with pre-meditation, following the sound meditation participants reported significantly less tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood. Participants who were naïve to this type of meditation experienced a significantly greater reduction in tension compared with participants experienced in this meditation."