Sound healing is rapidly gaining international recognition as an integral part of the healing process for cancer patients. It has also been effective in relieving pain and in treating stress-related conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, insomnia, pain, and depression. Major medical teaching facilities such as Duke University and the University of North Carolina have added programs that link body, mind, and spirit to cancer treatment. Cancer prevention centers are using sound as a vital part of the healing process for patients with amazing results.
I, like many healers, believe that illness is a manifestation of disharmony within the body; an imbalance in the cells or in a given organ and that healing can be achieved by restoring normal vibrational frequencies to diseased and out of harmony body parts. Vibrational healing, especially with sound, is a powerful way to restore the body to its normal vibrational rate.
All matter is energy that vibrates at different speeds and by altering the speed of vibration we can change the structure of matter. In this case, the healing process is started by training our brain waves and creating a sympathetic resonance with the perfect vibrations of the bowls. When we add intention to the frequency, the healing potential increases even more. That intention can be through prayer, chanting, and even silent focused attention, but it is best declared audibly.
Another way of saying that it is the fundamental state of the universe is a state of absolute harmony. Our core state, because we are part of the natural universe, is also one of harmony and great tranquility. When we become disconnected from our core state through stress, distraction, illness, and the challenges of daily life, it creates discomfort: spiritual, physical, and mental. The sound of Tibetan singing bowls gently returns us to our natural state of blissful tranquility and alignment.
Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, director of Medical Oncology and Integrative Medicine at Cornell Cancer Prevention Center in New York, has been using sounds, including Tibetan bowls, crystal bowls and chanting, in his work with cancer patients for many years . “If we accept that sound is vibration and we know that vibration touches every part of our physical being, then we understand that sound is heard not only through our ears but through every cell in our body. One of the reasons why The ones that sound heals on a physical level is because it touches and transforms us so profoundly on the emotional and spiritual planes Sound can correct imbalances at all levels of physiological functioning and can play a positive role in the treatment of virtually any disorder medical”.
According to an article in the journal Spirituality and Health, Dr. Gaynors’ research shows that the vibration of the sound of singing bowls affects the rhythmic movement found in cancer cells and causes harmonious transformation. In a blinded study, he found that there was a 50% shorter recovery time of chemotherapy patients for those who used the bowls regularly and that when the bowls were used in the early stages of cancer, during patient consultations , their level of anxiety and stress was very low.
Imagine how making a solid, well-thought-out decision about one’s future would be enhanced in a context free of stress and anxiety. Also imagine how the ability to repeatedly connect with that sense of calm during the discomfort of chemotherapy increases the quality of life for cancer patients.
Research by Dr. David Simon, medical director of neurological services at Sharp Cabrillo Hospital in San Diego and medical director of the Chopra Center, found that chants are chemically metabolized into “endogenous opiates,” which act in the body as pain relievers internals and curative agents.
In my own research with sound using biofeedback equipment, I have found that the harmonics produced by Himalayan singing bowls have transformative abilities (brain activity, heart rate and body temperature have decreased during sessions) creating a deeply peaceful state of being. while energizing the brain.
Biofeedback is a scientifically valid measurement lemma used to help people gain voluntary control over several different functions of the autonomic nervous system. Research has shown that when breathing and heart rate are in sync, this produces a resonant frequency in the body (similar to the resonance produced by Tibetan singing bowls). This is extremely beneficial for the heart and the entire body. Stress-related disorders, pain, and many other disorders are predicted based on whether or not a person is achieving cardiorespiratory synchrony. During Tibetan singing bowl sound therapy sessions, cardiorespiratory synchrony increased dramatically as measured by the J&J Engineered Biofeedback kit. The data showed that during the sound therapy sessions there was an increase in the activity of the Parasympathetic Nervous System and a decrease in the drive of the Sympathetic Nervous System. The relaxation response was initiated and the stress response was inhibited. This means that the Autonomic Nervous System was in balance for most of the session. The resonance of the bowls produced slow breathing of approximately six breaths per minute which produced beneficial effects on the heart and throughout the body.
These results are promising as Tibetan singing bowl sound therapy increases cardiorespiratory synchrony and resonance within the body. Therefore, there are many disorders that can greatly benefit from the use of Tibetan singing bowl sound therapy.
My clients have backed up the scientific findings with reports of everything from relieving pain and discomfort, clearing sinuses, changing depression, the ability to sleep (for those with insomnia), revitalizing and clarity, the feeling of well-being and the great connection. and profound personal transformation. Clients report a fundamental change in their view of the spatial phenomenon, heightened clarity of mind and body, increased creativity, vigor, joy and a sense of peace.”
It is important to see what curing really is and what is the difference between curing and curing. A cure is the “complete biological resolution of a disease state,” according to Dr. Gaynor in his book “The Healing Power of Sound.” Healing, however, has far reaching implications that occur on emotional, spiritual, and physical levels. It is a regenerative process married to a spiritual awakening that can have profound consequences on illness, disease and all aspects of our lives.
Tibetan or Himalayan bowls date back to the Bon shamanic tradition which predates Buddhism by thousands of years. Dr. Gaynor mentions in an article in Shamans Drum magazine that the reason sound (and chant) are still used in shamanic cultures is that sound induces trance states of consciousness that are conducive to healing. The ancient Himalayan singing bowls are made from an alloy of seven hallowed metals which, when skilfully stimulated, produce five individual and simultaneous tones, each with its own constant frequency, vibrating vibrationally with each other. The raw materials were collected, melted down and purified, molded, reheated and hammered into shape and tone. Mantras or sacred chants were chanted and intention was infused into the bowls. Its sound synchronizes conscious brain waves and creates a therapeutic effect on mind/body realization. .
Tibetan singing bowls produce the primordial sound of ‘AUM’: the fundamental expression of energy metamorphosing into matter. They alter space, mind and time; awaken cellular memory and heal the energy body. The act of listening to its captivating nuances effectively stops one’s internal dialogue, the ‘Monkey Mind’. The individual is transported to a space of tranquility and balance where the ‘Universal Chord’, which is found within each being, is touched, united and understood. The Universal Chord if you will, that is the primordial substance from which all of our reality is made and from which our Universe originated. Although the vibrational energy of the bowls can be directed to a specific area for healing purposes, they work more on a fundamental level.
These instruments are used within meditations and physical vibrational healing techniques. Its harmonic resonance is used to:
– reduce stress and pain
– balance energy
– create synchronization of vitality and spontaneous healing.
– effectively alter consciousness into a peaceful and expansive meditative state. (trance induction)
– meditation
Diane Mandle is a Certified Sound Healer based in Southern California. She maintains a private integrated mind-body practice and performs presentations and concerts around the country on Himalayan singing bowl healing. You can reach her at 760-944-3441 or [email protected]. Her “Return to OM” CD is available on her website at http://www.soundenergyhealing.com
References
Spirituality and Health, August 2003
Shaman Drum, Issue 63, 2002
Richard Rudis (Sacred Sound Workshops)
Jonathan Goldman, “Sound Healing”