Many cultures and religions revere sound so deeply that they believe sound is what 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"--the mother tone-containing the frequencies of all other sounds. The Judeo-Christian culture might say, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1)," demonstrating a relationship between the nature and power of sound with Creation. Other cultures have stories that the Creator had a thought, spoke the word of that thought, and Creation of that thought sprang forth from that word into manifestation. There are numerous theorems stipulating the melodic structures of the universe, from the spin of the planets around the sun, to the sun around the galaxy, to the spin of electrons in our body, and the structure of our DNA. 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. Sound in attuned to the creative matrix of the Universe.

What is Sound Healing?
Every atom, molecule, cell, gland, and organ of the human body absorbs and emits sound. When an organ or body 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 disease, and a different sound pattern is established in the affected part of the body. When sound is projected into the diseased area, correct harmonic patterns are restored; thus, sound healing is the intentional use of sound to create an environment or catalyst for healing in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual realms of our being.

Almost every indigenous tradition works with sound to attune, invoke, heal and transform--from the Australian didgeridoo to Native American rhythms to South American, Pueblo, and African uses of sound. We all know that the power of the spoken word, of music, of chants and sung melodies, can move us into ecstatic states of rapture or deep states of despair. There is an inherent potency to the very nature of the sound itself, and its emotional content, which can be amplified or enhanced by the spoken or sung verse. While so much sound in western culture has moved more into the secular arenas of entertainment, many cultures have historically held sound as a deeply sacred space in the hearts and minds of their peoples, used as a catalyst to deeper insight, wisdom, transformation, or growth. Sound itself has an inherent transformative power. By coupling sound with pure intention, to attune to, invoke, or transform one's consciousness, we step into a powerful place.

His Holiness, the XIV Dalai Lama stated,   "Among the many forms in which human spirit has tried to express its innermost yearnings and perceptions, sound and music is perhaps the most universal.  It symbolizes the yearning for harmony with oneself and others, with nature and the spiritual and the sacred wtihin us and around us.  There is something in sound that transcends and unites.  This is evident in the sacred sound of every community--music that expresses the universal yearning that is shared by people all over the globe." (Song of the Spirit:  The World of Sacred Music, Tibet House, 2000)

Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher and mathematician (580-500 B.C.E.), was the first person to take an organized approach to using sound as a healing modality; however, the field of sound and music healing is rapidly gaining recognition as an integral, effective and cost efficacious component of health care that also supports therapeutic and growth processes.  Many acupuncturists, naturopaths, massage therapists, Reiki practitioners, chiropractors, psychotherapists and others in the healing professions have integrated sound healing into their practice.  Many modern scientists and doctors are now translating this work into medical practice as a result of scientific studies demonstrating that sound can produce changes in the autonomic, immune, endocrine and neuropeptide systems. To cite a few examples:

Mitchell Gaynor, M.D . , Director of Medical Oncology and Integrative Medicine at the Strang-Cornell Cancer Prevention Center and author of The Healing Power of Sound, uses crystal bowls, Tibetan bowls and sound meditation in his practice with cancer patients.  "I believe that sound, the most underutilized and least appreciated mind-body tool, should become a part of every healer's medical bag, whether a conventional allopathic physician or a traditional healer from a far-flung culture...Sound is the next frontier in holistic healing."

Deepak Chopra, M. D . :  “The body is held together by sound, and the presence of disease indicates that some sounds are out of tune…primordial sound is the mysterious link that holds the universe together in a web that is the quantum field.

Andrew Weil, M. D .:  “The new science of psychoacoustics, the study of the effect of music and sound on the human nervous system, shows that frequency can help relieve pain, help stroke patients and those with neurological disorder, and benefit other conditions...It is baffling how infrequently physicians refer patients to sound therapy.”

Fabien Maman reported dramatic accounts of the effects of sound on cancer cells, using various acoustic instruments and notes, as well as the human voice, and has incorporated the use of sound, color and movement in his work, addressing the subtle bodies, where disease is created.

Alfred Tomatis, M.D., considered the "Einstein of sound", a French physician and specialist in otolaryngology found that sounds that contain high frequency harmonics, such as those found in Gregorian chants, are extremely benficial.  It is these high frequencies (around 8,000hz) which are capable of charging the central nervous system and the cortex of the brain.

Herbert Benson, M.D., investigated the effects of mantras on physiology .  He found that the repetition of a single word would produce a measurable effect:  decrease in the body's oxygen consumption and respiration rate, a decreae in the heart beat on the average of three beats per minute, a decrease in pulse rate and rate of metabolism and an increase in alpha waves..

Sir Peter Guy Manners, M. D. , an English osteopath, uses cymatic therapy to achieve a near-ideal metabolic state in a cell or organ.

Jeffrey Thompson, D. C . , practices a technique called "Sonic Induction Therapy", using primordial sounds and sounds of nature to promote healing at the cellular level.