Our brain waves and our subconscious mind play a key part in our quest for fulfilment ~ Mind Valley Academy
The use of sound to enhance life experience and to heal has been known and used for thousands of years. Chanting, drumming, using Tibetan prayer bowls or singing bowls, native musical instruments such as the didgeridoo are part of wisdom traditions that focus on healing.
Whether it employs ancient repetitive trance-inducing chants, or today’s more specific types of music or precise frequencies and rhythms, research has shown that the use of sound can result in healing, learning, relaxation and shifts in consciousness. The reason for this effect is due to a frequency-following response capability in the brain called ‘brain-wave entrainment’.
Brain-wave Entrainment
Brain-wave entrainment refers to the way in which the brain quickly responds to and matches the vibration of a sound frequency that a person listens to. Brain-wave entrainment occurs when the brain frequency resonates at the input frequency and produces a desired brain/body response.
For example, researchers have mapped the frequencies of various states of consciousness in humans. Sound frequencies lower than 7 cycles per second are known to produce relaxation. When this sound frequency is listened to, the brain begins to vibrate at that level which results in a corresponding relaxation response in the mind and body.
Learn more about the audio technology that is used to create brain-wave entrainment responses through the use of Binaural Beat .
Music, Healing and Breathwork
While more universally accepted, music therapy affects the brain in similar ways to the brain-wave entrainment processes. It is believed that specific music compilations entrain the brain to vibrate in a brain state range, which can produce relaxed, meditative mindsets or focused energised states of being.
According to a article, research has shown that music can heal emotional suffering. The studies suggest that music can be a powerful support for mental health issues as it can help reduce depression, anxiety and chronic pain. It has also been useful in lowering heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels (the stress hormone).
Breathwork processes incorporate music in the protocols because they work synergistically with the breath to produce profound brain states of consciousness that support healing and release. Music and the breath are perfect partners in also encouraging expansion of awareness that allows for transformation in your life.
Additional Benefits of Using Sound in Healing
New therapies using beat, rhythm and melody help patients recover language, hearing, motion and emotion ~ Scientific American
Whether it is in the form of music or other brain-entrainment processes, sound has been enjoying a kind of renaissance in mainstream healing. It is used in many areas to support:
- relief from post surgical and chronic pain and nausea from chemotherapy
- shorter recovery times from medical procedures and illness
- enhanced cognitive capabilities – focus, memory, problem-solving andcreativity
- improved learning skills – (verbal learning with music = better recall)
- people who have had strokes and who have Parkinson’s disease – (improved mobility, mood, and speech.)
- the reduction of stress on the brain and body produced from fear, anxiety depression or grief
- enhanced self-awareness and self-empowerment and transformational change through release and realignment of emotions
- the parasympathetic response to encourage deep levels of relaxation and better sleep, lower blood pressure and heart rate
Listening Exercises:
- for Music: Find a comfortable, quiet place to sit or lie and play relaxing, ‘pleasant to you’ type of music for 15 minutes or longer. Begin with taking focused, deep breaths to bring you present to the moment. Become still and focus your full attention on the music. Do not use it as background music for other activities.
- Brain Entrainment: Using headphones sit or lie down in a comfortable position and listen to your choice of any products designed for specific outcomes such as learning, relaxation, focus, sleep etc. You can explore sources such as Hemi-sync, Holosync or other brain-wave technology providers such as MindValleyAcademy)
NOTE: the use of binaural beat, brain entrainment materials is contraindicated for anyone with epilepsy.
The Future of Sound Healing
These technologies are becoming more accepted and, according to Joshua Leeds, psychoacoustic researcher, they are the future of a new branch of neuroscience he predicts will be the field of frequency medicine.
“. Sound healing is trending up. It’s like where yoga was 15 years ago. People are realising that sound is a viable medium to address distress, enhance learning, even work with an autistic child.” ~ Joshua Leeds
Further Reading:
The Power of Sound by Joshua Leeds
The Monroe Institute – states of consciousness research https://www.monroeinstitute.org/research
