SOUNDING A NOTE INTO
THE UNIVERSE
Jump
to a topic:
What is Sound?
What is Music?
What is Color?
What Are Energy
Centers (chakras)?
What is Healing?
What is Sound Healing?
What is Crystal?
What Are
Crystal Singing Bowls?
What is
Intention?
How To
Use Crystal Singing Bowls
Precautions
Hearing the
haunting sound of the crystal bowls seems to awaken
an ancient remembering, touching the essence of the
soul. How can we explain what it is? Is it the
crystal from which the bowls are made? Is it a
refrain from the ethers? Is it our connection with
the source of our creation?
Let’s explore a few
questions. Undoubtedly, more questions will arise
for you, inspiring you into your own study of sound
and vibrational healing.
What is sound?
Everything that
moves vibrates, from the smallest molecule to the
universe itself. As long as it is vibrating, it is
making some kind of sound. We may not perceive the
sound, as it may be below or above the threshold of
our hearing. The human ear can hear sound vibrations
between 20 and 20,000 cycles per second, although we
also perceive sound by skin and bone conduction,
ingesting and consuming it with the whole body.
Many cultures and
religions revere sound so deeply as to believe it
called the universe into being. For the Hindus, all
was dark and quiet in the universe, until the first
movement in the universe created the sound "AUM". It
is the mother tone, containing the frequencies of
all other sounds.
Scientific studies
show that sound can produce changes in the
autonomic, immune, endocrine and neuropeptide
systems. Every atom, molecule, cell, gland, and
organ of the human body absorbs and emits sound. The
entire body, as well as our brain waves in a relaxed
state, vibrates at a fundamental frequency of about
8 cycles per second, literally entraining and
attuning us to the basic electromagnetic field of
the earth itself!
The late Dr. Hans
Jenny, a Swiss scientist, rendered vibrations into
physical forms, using sand, iron filings, and other
materials, creating a multitude of kaleidoscopic
images. This study of patterns and shapes is called
cymatics.
Many modern
scientists and doctors are translating this work
into medical practice. Mitchell Gaynor, M.D.,
director of Medical Oncology and Integrative
Medicine at the Strang-Cornell Cancer Prevention
Center, and author of the new book, Sounds of
Healing, uses crystal bowls and Tibetan bowls in
his practice with cancer patients. He chronicles a
thorough study of sound healing and a holistic
approach to mind-body healing.
Dr. Gaynor refers
to others who are using sound to complement their
medical practice. Among them are Sir Peter Guy
Manners, M.D., an English osteopath, who uses
cymatic therapy to achieve a near-ideal metabolic
state in a cell or organ and Jeffrey Thompson, D.C.,
who practices a technique called "Sonic Induction
Therapy", using primordial sounds and sounds of
nature to promote healing at the cellular level.
What is music?
Music is organized
sound. Virtually all cultures have used the powers
of music therapeutically. For several hundred years,
the role of music became one of entertainment. Only
recently has the use of sound and music reappeared
as a valuable healing mode in our western culture.
Some of the most powerful music does not have a
particularly pleasing melody. The goal of music
therapy is to reduce stress and pain, promote deep
relaxation, develop self-awareness and creativity,
improve learning, and clarify personal values.
What is color?
"There is more
energy released in Sunrise and Sunset and times of
rainbows than perhaps in any other way." Ronald P.
Beesley, Creative Ethers
Sound and color are
both forms of energy, which vibrate. As the
vibration of sound becomes higher and lighter, the
sound is transmuted into color. Steven Halpern gave
a graphic example of the sound/color relationship:
"…vibrations at
1000 cycles per second are easily audible. If you
double the vibrations to 2000 cycles per second,
that is one octave higher. If you double it again to
4000 cycles per second, that is another octave. A
normal piano spans a bit more than seven octaves.
If, hypothetically, we could extend the piano
keyboard another 35 to 50 octaves higher, the keys
at the higher end would produce colors, rather than
audible sounds, when played." (Sound Health-The
Music and Sound That Makes Us Whole, p.
182-183).
An interesting side
note is that if we were playing this keyboard 35 or
so octaves below audible sound, we would be playing
Chi, life force energy!
What are chakras?
As the universe is
composed of spinning wheels of energy, we too, at
the inner core, spin seven wheel-like energy centers
called chakras. They are measurable patterns of
electromagnetic activity, centers for the reception,
assimilation and transmission of life energies. Each
chakra reflects essential aspects of consciousness,
forming the master programs that govern our lives,
loves, learning and illumination. Anodea Judith, in
her book Wheels of Life, delivers a
comprehensive treatise that is scientific, cultural,
psychological, and esoteric. She writes:
"Chakras can be
open, closed or any of the various stages in
between. These states may be basic aspects of
someone’s personality throughout most of their life,
or something that changes from moment to moment, in
response to a situation. An ailing chakra may be
unable to change its state easily, being "stuck" in
either an open or a closed state. Then the chakra
needs healing, by uncovering and removing whatever
is blocking it." p. 23
"…the seven major
chakras are all inseparably interrelated. A block in
the functioning of one chakra may affect the
activity of the one above or below it. For example,
one may have trouble with personal power (third
chakra) because of a block in communication (fifth
chakra) or vice versa. Or perhaps the real problem
may lie in their heart (fourth chakra) and only
manifests in these other areas because it is buried
so deeply. In examining the theoretical System as a
whole…and applying it to your system (lower case) as
it uniquely occurs within you, one learns to sort
out these subtleties and patterns and make
self-improvements according to their goals." p.25
There are times
when we desire our chakras to be open, when we are
receiving information or healing. There are also
times, as when we are in traffic, that we want some
of them to be closed!
Color is visible
sound, and sound is auditory color. Both light and
sound affect the chakras, especially when used in
conjunction. Each of the energy centers is
associated with a specific tone of the musical scale
and with a specific color. Red, the color that
vibrates the slowest, corresponds to the root chakra.
The colors follow a rainbow progression, with violet
as the highest vibration, corresponding with the
crown chakra.
Following is a
simple correspondence
chart of chakras, colors and notes.
Energy Center
|
Location
|
Element
|
Issues
|
Right
|
Color
|
Note
|
1 st Root
|
Base of spine
|
Earth |
Physical needs
|
To have
|
Red |
C |
2nd Sacral
|
Lower abdomen
|
Water |
Sexuality,
emotions |
To feel
|
Orange
|
D |
3rd Solar Plexus
|
Solar plexus
|
Fire |
Power, vitality
|
To act
|
Yellow
|
E |
4th Heart
|
Heart |
Air |
Love |
To love
|
Green |
F |
5th Throat
|
Throat
|
Sound |
Communication
|
To speak
|
Blue |
G |
6th Third Eye
|
Brow |
Light |
Intuition
|
To see
|
Indigo
|
A |
7th Crown
|
Top of Head
|
Thought
|
Understanding
|
To know
|
Violet
|
B |
What is healing?
Healing is the
state of coming into balance and harmony with our
highest purpose. Steven Halpern, composer of healing
music states:
"Our bodies are genetically pre-programmed to be
self-healing instruments-if we give them a chance…In
my opinion, certain music heals by assisting the
body to come into its natural state of balance and
harmony. At this stage of research and development,
it is both politically incorrect and legally
irresponsible to state that a specific selection of
music will heal a specific physical disease. …The
common denominator in the vast majority of
approaches acknowledges that the body heals itself
most effectively in a state of deep relaxation.
Using music to evoke "the relaxation response" is
one of the simplest and most effective ways of
all-but you must choose the right music… our
responses to music are far more complex, subtle and
far-reaching than we imagined." (Notes on Sound,
www.innerpeacemusic.com)
Dr. Larry Dossey,
well known for his studies on healing with prayer,
points out the primary characteristics of "healers"
by stating that they make use of a prayerful,
meditative state of awareness, adopting a
dispassionate, loving, and compassionate attitude
toward the person in need. They go beyond the
individual self-feeling united with each other and
with the All. They have an immense caring and
empathy for the person needing healing.
"During this state
the healer most often does not consider himself or
herself to be the source of the healing, but only a
conduit through which the healing flows from a
higher power". (Healing Words, p.198)
What is sound
healing?
When an organ or
body part is healthy, it creates a natural resonant
frequency in harmony with the rest of the body. When
the vibration of a part of the body is out of
harmony, we have dis-ease. With dis-ease, a
different sound pattern is established in the
affected part of the body. When sound is projected
into the dis-eased area, correct harmonic patterns
are restored.
There are many
methods of healing with sound. Mantras and chants
have been used for thousands of years. Many acoustic
instruments are used in a variety of ways to effect
change. The human voice is perhaps the most powerful
musical instrument.
Fabien Maman, in
his book The Role of Music in the Twenty-First
Century, gives dramatic accounts of the effects
of sound on cancer cells, using various acoustic
instruments and notes, as well as the human voice.
He has incorporated the use of sound, color and
movement in his work, addressing the subtle bodies,
where dis-ease is created.
What is crystal?
Crystals are
fossilized water, formed when water combines with an
element under certain conditions of pressure,
temperature and energy. As a crystal, the element is
able to express itself as a more unified and ordered
being.
Silica sand,
combined with water becomes quartz crystal. Quartz
crystals have many physical properties. They
amplify, transform, store, focus, and transfer
energy. We see the results in microphones, radio and
television equipment, timepieces, laser tools, and
computers to name a few.
Our bodies, too,
are crystalline in structure. When working with
crystals, there may be profound effects on the
organs, tissues, and cells, as well as the
circulatory, endocrine, and metabolic systems.
Thoughts are energy
forms. When thought energy interacts with a crystal,
those thoughts are changed to more harmonic forms,
which change brainwave frequencies, showing possible
alterations in consciousness. Thus, the power of
positive intention or affirmation combined with the
use of crystals provides remarkable healing results.
What are crystal
bowls?
Crystal bowls are
made from 99.992% pure crushed quartz and heated to
about 4000 degrees in a centrifugal mold.
They are available
in clear or frosted bowls in a variety of sizes,
ranging from 6 to 24 inches in diameter. The bowls
emit a powerful, pure resonance. The larger bowls
are much more reverberant, with the tone lingering
longer, simply because of the size and amount of
crystal. The clear bowls, somewhat more expensive,
are more readily available in smaller sizes.
The size of the
bowl does not necessarily determine its note,
although the larger bowls sound lower octaves and
notes. Each bowl is tested with digital technology
to identify its sound. One will have a sense of
which tone "feels" most congruent with individual
needs or desires. The notes, C, D, E, F, G, A, B
correspond with one’s energy centers or chakras.
Some bowls
harmonize with other bowls, and when both are played
simultaneously, the effect is exquisite and
synergistic.
What is intention?
As thoughtforms are
energy, the intention with which one approaches
healing work is of utmost importance. Intention is a
clearly formed thought, a prayer of sorts, and is
the real healer. Of course, group intention is even
more powerful.
Jonathan Goldman,
in a letter to Renee Brodie, writes:
"…Perhaps because
we are all unique vibratory beings, our chakras may
all resonate to different frequencies depending upon
our level of development (physical, emotional,
mental and spiritual) and our intention. Indeed, it
seems that if our intention is clear enough, we can
balance or activate chakras with intent alone.
Thus, any sound
might be useful for chakra resonance when coupled
with clear intention. This may account for a number
of existing systems which utilize different notes
for the chakras and work."
It is said that
Tibetan singing bowls are forged with a prayer in
every hammer blow, infusing them with a million
prayers of pure intention for the highest good.
Crystal bowls, too,
containing the qualities of amplification, storage,
transfer, and transformation, are powerful tools in
effecting change in one’s life. It is important to
approach the use of the bowls with a reverence for
the potential contained in combining intention with
the properties of crystal.
How to use
crystal bowls
One should "clear"
the bowl, using whatever methods are used for
clearing other crystals.
An invocation at
the beginning of a session helps create sacred space
and affirms intention.
Using the bowls in
combination with voice or other instruments is
dynamic and very effective
Fabien Maman, in
Healing With Sound, Color and Movement, p. 69
suggests setting up the bowls in harmonic fifths for
healing in the subtle bodies as illustrated below:
Renee Brodie, who
uses crystal bowls and color therapy in her healing
practice, is the author of the book The Healing
Tones of Crystal Bowls, 1996. She has studied
exhaustively and makes reference to the history as
well as the leading research in sound and color
therapy. She offers several suggestions on using
crystal bowls. She has also created a CD and
audiotape entitled The Healing Tones of Crystal
Bowls: A Journey Through The Chakras To Heal
Yourself With Sound and Colour. She offers many
suggestions for uses of the bowls.
Rubber-ball mallets
or suede-covered wands are used to sound the bowls.
The effect of each is different, and personal
preference will determine the choice.
One should strike
the outside of the bowl, in an upright position,
giving about half the length of the wand to the bowl
surface near the top rim, then "follow the sound
around the bowl, " with the wand or mallet,
enhancing the duration and loudness of the tone.
Each practitioner
has a unique style of sounding the bowls. Some will
move the wand or mallet clockwise for specific
intentions, while others prefer a counter-clockwise
motion, or a combination.
PRECAUTIONS:
No medical claims
are made about the use of crystal bowls to replace
the need for medical advice.
If you experience
any health problems you should always consult your
regular physican.
Do not place a
person’s head inside a crystal bowl while playing
it.
Do not strike or
play bowl too loudly, especially near a person’s
head.
Place bowls at
least 12 inches apart, or the vibration may shatter
a bowl.
Bowls may also
shatter if several are playing in a small room.
Some have noted
discomfort or pain if they have metal pins or
stainless steel balljoints. Ask before sounding the
bowl.
"Let us …remember
that although to all outward appearances, music
seems to be over as soon as the last chord has
sounded and the celebrants have dispersed, this is
not the case. It has also been created on a subtle
plane and remains like an exquisite flower hovering
over the sanctuary. No musical vibrations are ever
lost, even though they are dispersed, they will go
on vibrating through the cosmos for eternity,
because the subtle effects of sound linger after the
audible sound has died out, so that any results are
long-lasting." The Healing Tones of Crystal Bowls,
Renee Brodie, p. 48
Prepared by Sarah
Rose, c1999
Golden Octave |