Sound therapy, also known as music therapy, is an ancient method dating back to when the Greeks used it mainly to cure madness. People who experienced stress in the form of headaches and those whose emotional wellbeing was disturbed also took part in music therapy sessions. Music is defined as the continuous flow of sound punctuated by brief moments of silence, hence sound therapy.

Purpose of Sound Healing

Through the controlled use of energy, sound becomes medicine. It serves to ease many adverse conditions and improve the health of the individual by strengthening body systems. This is through the augmentation of the natural circadian rhythms of the body that helps support the metabolic system (Eckel-Mahan & Sassone-Corsi, 2013).

A wide range of sound therapies and techniques can help a person reach specific goals. Some of these methods are preventive while others help enhance strength. Effects of these therapies include:

●      Enhancing the immune system

●      Reducing pain

●      Personality transformation

●      Improving alertness and clarity

●      Rectify sleep disorders

●      Helping with relaxation

●      Improving one’s consciousness

●      Reducing stress

●      Becoming one with the inner self

Quality of Sound

The unit for measuring the loudness of sound is called a decibel (dB). Our breathing is 10 dB while a rock concert is 150 dB in intensity. Here are a few examples of the levels of sound.

Sounds                                             Intensity in dB

Whisper                                                                    30

The inside of a library                                             40

A quiet room                                                            40

Light rainfall                                                            50

Regular conversation                                              60

Dishwasher                                                              60

Busy traffic                                                               70

Vacuum cleaner                                                       70

Alarm clock                                                              80

Jet plane take off                                                     120

Car stereo                                                                 120

Band practice                                                           120

Firearms                                                                   140

Loud Rock Music                                                    150

Other Tonal Qualities of Sound

Sounds can also be in the form of a mantra, such as Sanskrit words repeated over and over, or singing in one tone. It helps bring the body and mind to one frequency that alleviates illnesses and calms the mind.

In modern sound therapy, many sound machines produce a single or multi-tone sound. The various sounds used in this healing process include the following:

●      The sound of water droplets dripping onto a surface

●      Water passing through pitch pipes and creating a sound of the desired frequency

●      Use of tuning forks and bowls to activate the sound

In this process, the person enters an Altered State of Consciousness (ASC) when they hear these sounds.

Understanding the State of Altered Consciousness

To understand this process, you must understand the working of the brain. Most of the time, the left side of the brain has a dominant role in the thought processes. The various functions get split between the brain hemispheres as imaginative and real.  Typically, one side of the brain controls the process as a whole.

The left side of the brain controls these functions:

Linear

Analysis

Computation

Thinking in Words

Language

Sequencing

Logic

Words of Songs

Facts

Mathematics

The right side of the brain controls these functions:

Rhythm

Intuition

Imagination

Daydreaming

Visualization

Non-verbal

Arts and Motor Skills

Holistic Thinking

Creativity

Tune of songs

Feelings

When a person gets exposed to an immersive sound field, the control that normally belongs with the left side of the brain, shifts to the right side. People who undergo hypnosis or do meditation also experience deviations from the normal working patterns of the brain.

Studies conducted on ASC in specific fields of brain reactivity have found the following results. (SOUND AFFECTS: SOUND THERAPY, (n.d.)).

Field of Study                   Observation

Elemental Imagery             a) One could see patterns even with their eyes closed

                                               b) Colors appeared even with their eyes closed

Disembodiment                  Subject felt a sensation of floating

Experiencing Unity             Everything blended into one single entity

Ineffability                            a) Not being able to describe this feeling in full

b) The experience went beyond words

Complex Imagery                Subject saw many complex patterns behind the eyelids

Positive Mood                      A feeling of tranquility and utmost peace

Transcendence of time       a) Subject lost the usual sense of time and space

                                               b) Subject could sense a new space without boundaries

Audio-Visual Analysis        Sounds seem to affect what subject saw

Insightfulness                      The experience moved to an intuitive level

Physical Relaxation             a) Subject felt their muscles relax

                                               b) Subject felt a decrease of physical tension

                                               c) Subject’s breathing became steady and relaxed

Definition of Altered State of Consciousness

While consciousness relates to the awareness of people and things around you, an Altered State of Consciousness deals with temporary alterations to your conscious state without becoming unconscious, due to changes affecting the brain waves at different frequencies.

Different types of consciousness include wakefulness, trance, daydreaming, dreams, sleep deprivation, panic and unconsciousness (Watters, 2018). ASC deals with out-of-the-world experiences and out-of-the-ordinary feelings and experiences. ASC does not necessarily define a new sensation; it only shows the reaction of the person to a new experience.

Specific Frequencies for Certain Benefits

Different frequencies affect different regions of the brain. In sound therapy, the following frequencies traditionally have this correlated effect:

1.      Focusing on one-ness – 963 Hz

2.     Getting rid of anxiety and overthinking - 852 Hz

3.     Aiding intuition and problem solving – 741 Hz

4.     Releasing inner conflict - 538 Hz

5.     Releasing negative energies/begin healing - 432 Hz

6.     Undoing emotional patterns – 417 Hz

7.     Letting go of fear and guilt - 396 Hz

8.    Rejuvenated energy – 285 Hz

9.     Pain reduction – 174 Hz

The other applications include sounds to cleanse self-doubt and improve positive energy, sounds for whole-body regeneration, and sounds that improve the concentration power of the mind. You can even use these sound therapies on your pets – more on that later!