MUSIC RESEARCH ON SOUND AND SPIRIT

Worldviews on the Power of Sound

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." — John 1:1 (St. John) A word is a sound.

* Hindu tradition states in the Vedas, the world’s oldest scriptures,  "In the beginning was Brahman with whom was the Word. And the Word is Brahman.”

* Thot, an Egyptian God, was believed to have created the world with his voice.

* According to Mayan tradition, in the Popul Vuh (the book on Creation), humans are given life by the power of the Word.

* In the Hopi Indian tradition, "Spider Woman" sings songs of creation to produce animated life.

* Sir John Woodroffe’s The Garland of Letters translates a piece of the Satapatha Brahmana, which reads, “in the beginning was God with power through speech. God said, “May I be many…may I be propagated through subtle speech, he united himself with that speech and became pregnant.”

* In Chinese Buddhism, the divine voice calls forth the illusive form of the universe.

* In the Hindu Vedas, the divine sound current (sounds or words of the Creator) permeates all and is a key to creation.

* In summary, beliefs from many times and traditions credit Creation to the power of sound.

Many respected individuals worldwide have reported sounds’ extraordinary powers.

* The Tibetan master, Djwhal Khul, is quoted as saying, "Upon the wings of sound, the highway of evolution is traveled.”

* Pythagorus is credited with telling us that the nature of the soul is music.

* "When light has served its spiritual purpose in our development, then sound appears." —Sikh Guru Nanak

* "Sound is physics. Sound creates and organizes. We live in a sea of consciousness." —- Hans Jenny, physician and natural scientist

* "Since all things are made by the power of sound, of vibration, so everything is made by a portion, thereof, and man can create his own world by the same power." —Hazrat Inayat Khan

* Sound is pure consciousness. Dennis Holtz’ Origin of the Christian Faith (c 185-21) describes hearing as "a sense of the spirit, as an inner readiness of the soul towards God.“

* Shu Ching, in the 6th Century, BC, said, "For changing people's manners and altering their customs, there is nothing better than music.”

Do music and other sounds have more powerful and lasting impacts on people than we may have dreamed?

Scientific Confirmation of the Power of Sound

Modern scientist are finding evidence suggesting that sound is more powerful than we may have imagined:

* Dr. Hans Jenny, physician and natural scientist, photographed plastics, powders, liquids, and other inorganic substances as they were being vibrated with sound. Even such inorganic matter can changes shape, and begin to form geometric patterns that can come to resemble living creatures such as starfish and human cells. (www.cymaticsource.com)

* Dr. Tomatis, an ear, nose, and throat specialist, reports, "The primary purpose of the ear is to recycle sound, to recharge our inner batteries. Sound feeds us electrical impulses that charge the neocortex of the brain. Sound is a nutrient for the nervous system." Dr, Tomatis’s studies of people with disabilities such as ADHD and ADD show significant improvements can be attributed to his listening therapy, dubbed "the electronic ear." (www.tomatis.com)

* Ranjie Singh, PhD, has proven that certain self-created sounds can produce melatonin in the body. (Powerful Self-Healing Techniques, 1977). Melatonin creates youthful qualities in older guinea pigs. Can music help us remain youthful?

* Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto (www.masaru-emoto.net) has photographed polluted water before and after a holy man has chanted over it. The after-photographs of the water molecules show that the water has returned to its pristine, natural, unpolluted state. Emoto has also shown that water molecules form different crystalline structures when frozen, depending on what music is being played or what words are being spoken at the time. Our bodies are composed largely of water. Can music, sound, prayer, and even intentions purify the water in our bodies, too?

* Fabien Mamn published kirlian photographs in his book, The Role of Music in the 21st Century, showing various sorts of sound or music destroying cancer cells. Can we sing ourselves to better health?

* Dr. Jeffrey Thompson studies the impact of sound/music vibrations on organs in our bodies. He has documented amazing healing abilities of sound and music. (www.jeffthompson.com)

* The Monroe Institute conducts studies showing the powerful connection between people’s right and left brains that can be made with sound to significantly improve our mental capacities. (www.monroeinstitute.org )

* Don Campbell, author of The Mozart Effect, said, "100’s of studies have shown that music can: raise IQ by focusing attention, enhancing creativity by activating the 'right-brain', and reduce stress by moderating the heart beat, blood pressure, and body temperature." (www.springhillmedia.com)

How can Sound be Used to Change Our Body and Spirit?

An exhaustive study of antiquities reveals that people all over the world have used music to alter mind, body, and spirit:

* Tibetan monks have detuned their cymbals to alter brain wave states, producing deep relaxation and other desired results. Tibetan monks also use harmonics to alter states of consciousness.

* Ancient Hindi, Egyptian, and Greek people used mantras and ragas (songs) to alter and uplift consciousness. They found that a certain pattern of intervals could affect, comfort, and change people. Christian (notably Gregorian) chants were also employed to uplift souls in similar ways.

* The ancient Chinese used specific music, instruments, and frequencies to control masses of people by bringing frequencies of balance and harmony into their lives. The Ancient Chinese enjoyed a peaceful existence for thousands of years. Many believe this results from their choice of music.

The heavens influence the Earth; that is, the changing moon affects the tides, our position on Earth during each season affects our body temperature, and so on. In similar fashion, ancient Chinese music changed with the seasons, the moon, and the time of day.

* In his book, Music: Its Secret Influence throughout the Ages, Cyril Scott reported that music clears energetic pathways in our consciousness, paving a way for evolutionary progress to occur in society. For example, Bach's and Haydn's harmonies and mathematically perfect tones enabled Europeans of their time to emerge from the Dark Ages. Early classical music inspired ornate Victorian architecture and highly decorated style of dress. Although this higher energy helped Europeans rise out of the Dark Ages, it also allowed them to maintain a superficial prettiness- while their hearts could remain “dispassionately “cold”. Later, the emotive music of Beethoven introduced compassion to the social consciousness, essential for people to grow beyond their accustomed "ornamental" good behavior. The first charities began to appear in historical records after many people had had opportunity to hear Beethoven's music and be touched by it.

In summary, Scott claims that music functions as a carrier of consciousness, opening opportunities in the consciousness of human beings, enabling social evolution and growth to occur.

* Rich traditions relating to the power of sound were carefully hidden because, if they fell into the wrong hands, sound could be used to control and limit people. For example, the French scientist, Gavraud, at the time of World War II, created a six-foot police whistle. A technician in the laboratory when the whistle was blown was killed immediately and an autopsy revealed that his internal organs had turned to jelly. Those who use their free will destructively should never have access to the destructive use of powerful sound.

Alquaeda, headed by Osama Ben Laden, quickly outlaws music, whenever it takes over a territory, keeping people from its uplifting and healing energies.

with Thanks to Jill Mattson    www.jillswingsoflight.com