Sound Healing & The Human Body

ByAnitha Aradhya

How Sound healing works on us

Sound healing impacts all levels of our being – physical, etheric (Chakras, Nadis, Kundalini), astral (emotional), mental (thought), causal (purpose), and soul/spirit. Sound healing offers the potential to transition from chaos to coherence, alignment, balance, clarity, peace and transcendence. Every aspect I will share with you in this post warrants a detailed, independent article for itself. My aim for this article is to offer an overview of how it all works together in the healing process.

The nature of Sound waves:

Sound waves are mechanical (requiring a medium to travel), longitudinal or pressure waves, where the disturbance travels in the same direction as the wave. Sounds are produced by vibrating objects, and these vibrations travel as disturbance through the medium, vibrating the content of the medium as it moves. The audible range of the human ear is between 20Hz – 20,000 Hz. Frequencies below 20Hz are known as infrasound, and those above 20,000 Hz we know as Ultrasound.  Sound healing utilizes frequencies in the audible range to bring about deep healing on all levels. Sound healing works through the principles of resonance and entrainment to bring our vibratory body back into balance. Everything in the universe has its own resonant frequency and is connected through complex resonance and harmonic relationships. Some of the benefits from sound therapy are directly felt in the mind and body, while others work on a more subtle level, which manifests over time. Sound therapy can be used for a variety of intentions, for example:

  • To harmonize and balance the chakras
  • To relax, disconnect from the outside world and get back in touch with yourself
  • To embody peace, love, inner harmony
  • To remove blockages in the energy field
  • To restore and rejuvenate the body and mind
  • For spiritual progression
  • To understand and work with the deeper dynamics of health and wellbeing on all levels
  • To process, clear and settle the mind and emotions
  • To navigate and alleviate symptoms of chronic health conditions
  • To develop a deep connection with the self
  • Become more meditative
  • To entrain the brain to a desired brainwave state as needed

Disease in the body shows up as weak, distorted or chaotic vibrations in affected areas, which can potentially be nursed back to health using sound therapy. Exposure to stable, consistent vibrations helps resonate the body into balance. When the body is healthy, every part of the body, from cells to organs and systems, resonates at a stable, consistent vibration. Sound healing delivers consistent, stable vibrations to the body to restore its natural vibrant state, using different rhythms, intervals, frequencies, musical notes, mantras and vocal tones.

Let us now explore different ways in which we interact with healing sounds.

Sound waves give a sonic massage:

Sound waves are received by the body in 3 ways:

  1. “Body hearing” – sound waves move directly into the body and is felt physiologically. There are a few reasons for this:
  • The human body is made up of connective tissue that supports all the internal organs in the body. This tissue is liquid crystalline and a semiconductor that enables bioelectric signals to travel to every cell and tissue in the body. Our bones, skull and teeth are made up of collagen and apatite crystals. The body’s crystalline nature helps it resonate with sounds, especially from crystal singing bowls.
  • The human body is comprised of over 60% water on average, which is also crystalline in nature, and a very good medium for sound waves to travel. More than 10 years of research by Masaru Emoto shows that water is able to hold and transfer energy in the form of vibrations in the body.
  • The study of Cymatics shows how sound waves create visible effects on liquids, and the power of sound in moving and shaping matter (Cymascope.com)
  • Thus, our physical body is easily able to absorb and resonate with the healing frequencies used in sound bath sessions, and the healing sounds give a ‘sonic massage’ to the entire biofield.
  1. Through the ears into the Vagus nerve:
  • The Vagus nerve is Cranial nerve 10, longest nerve in the body that originates in the brain stem and connects to most of the organs in the body. The vagus nerve sends messages from the brain to the organs, and vice versa. It forms a major part of the parasympathetic nervous system that promotes relaxation, rest and repair functions of the body (Dana, 2020).
  • Sound waves that enter through the ears stimulate the vagus nerve, and so the healing vibrations travel through the vagus to the brain and the body organs.
  • We are thereby able to apply the principles of polyvagal theory developed by Stephen Porges PhD to balance the Autonomous Nervous System through therapeutic sounds. This has positive implications for healing from trauma and chronic stress related issues using sound healing techniques.
  • Also, when we chant or hum, the vagus nerve is stimulated, and so the healing frequencies produced from the mantras are carried into all parts of our being (SHA, 2018).
  1. Through the ears directly into the brain and from there, to the rest of the body.

Sound healing and cellular regeneration:

Sound healing instruments produce sonic waves with mixed frequencies mostly between 30 and 5000 Hz and can be directly felt at the point of contact and in the surrounding area. In this sense, sound healing can be regarded as local vibration therapy without the use of electrical devices. When the sound waves from the instruments reach the molecules that make up the cells of human tissue, each molecule absorbs a small amount of energy and then passes the wave on to the next molecule. This ripple effect continues until all the waves’ energy has been absorbed. When molecules are hit by sound waves close to their inherent frequency they will oscillate or strongly ‘resonate’. Sound healing instruments generate sound waves which create this resonance effect across body tissue, and its vibration pulses are conducted through the connective tissue, blood, lymph and spinal fluids, cartilage, muscle tissue and bone with significant therapeutic benefits. When the cells are compressed, they lose some of their fluid, usually containing waste products and toxins. As the pressure from the sound wave relaxes, fresh nutrients are drawn into the cell which starts the therapeutic healing process. Hormones within the tissue are also stimulated by this oscillation effect which improves blood flow to the area for many hours (Gibson, 2022).

Fabian Maman, founder of the Academy of Sound, Color and Movement conducted research on the effects of sound on cells and showed that it is possible to explode cancer cells and energize healthy cells using sounds. It was found that healthy cells responded to sounds by changing their color and shape, and unhealthy cells were found to not vibrate or react to the sounds, as they lack flexibility and cannot resonate. These findings have placed sound healing on the map for the future of medicine.

Sound healing stimulates Nitric oxide

Nitric oxide is a molecule that is fundamental to all living organisms. The human body makes Nitric oxide in the Vascular, nerve and immune cells. A healthy level of Nitric oxide has many benefits:

  • Helps maintain healthy blood pressure
  • Helps heal wounds
  • Reduces inflammation
  • Boosts immune system and cellular health
  • Aids in stabilizing body metabolism, which improves digestion, stamina and memory
  • Improves cerebral blood flow and oxygenation in the brain
  • Helps prevent thrombotic episodes
  • Reduces pulmonary hypertension & chronic obstructive airway disease
  • Helps prevent Alzheimer’s, diabetes, depression, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and cardiovascular issues (Beaulieu 2010; Gibson 2022)

Sound healing and brain wave entrainment:

There are techniques that are used in Sound healing that can entrain the brain to the desired brainwave state. This is made possible through a physiological phenomenon in the brain called Frequency following response / Cortical evoked response, where the brain responds to rhythmic sound pulses by synchronizing its electrical cycles to the same rhythm. Each of the brain wave states of Alpha, Beta, Theta, Delta and Gamma have their own benefits and functions in the body and fall within a specific frequency range. This makes it possible to induce them as needed using sounds and come into balance. For example, theta brainwave state is associated with deep relaxation and tranquillity. It is a state where the mind does not put up too much resistance and is able to be planted with positive thoughts. There are a lot of guided meditations these days that use binaural beats to induce the theta state and reprogram the mind towards a specific healing intention. For example, BrainSync, Sacred Acoustics, and even YouTube has numerous recordings that one can listen to, for general relaxation, focus, meditation, etc. In a therapeutic setting, we can go a lot deeper, and tailor the frequencies to better suit the client’s needs. Tuning into the required brainwave state gives the body a physiologically conducive environment to do what it needs to do, thereby boosting overall health and well-being in a more targeted manner.

Sound healing, mind and emotions:

Most of us have our own preference for music genres, and light up when we listen to our favourite songs. This is because we resonate with the music – its rhythm, melody, tempo, lyrics, etc. Some of us cry when we listen to some moving songs, many of us dance to the music as we feel energized and charged, some use soothing music to focus on studies, or relax after a hard day, many of us love to sing as it gives us free expression. So, at some level, we already know that music is powerful. The bottom line here is that music makes us feel a certain way, and we deliberately choose the music to induce the desired feeling. With sound healing, we can work on shifting out of negative emotional states, and embody more harmonic, peaceful, positive states, and there are many techniques to facilitate this. Given that it is a more therapeutic setting, the focus will be on what you need in the present to come into a place of balance and harmony on an emotional level. What we feel has a direct impact on what we do, and so by embodying positive emotional states, one is better equipped to live life with more intentionality and flow.

Another critical aspect here is that the mind, body and emotions are intricately woven together, and changes made to each one will invariably influence the other. This has been scientifically proven by Bruce Lipton Ph.D., a cellular biologist who showed how what we think, believe and feel affects our physical health. A classic example of this is the placebo and nocebo effect. It has been shown that when the mind believes it is receiving the right treatment and associates positive feelings, of hope, trust, faith that the person will heal, then is a majority of cases, it manifests in healing, even when a placebo (a non-medical pill that resembles the ‘real’ medicine or drug) is given in place of the real medicine. Nocebo effect is when the person believes in something negative, for example, someone with a chronic health condition believes strongly that they will die, and so the body stops responding even to the best conventional medicine available to cure the condition, or a person believes the treatment is harmful, and thereby experiences adverse side effects even with a harmless placebo. When we think negative thoughts, for example, we feel negative emotions. Emotions are felt in the body as changes in blood composition, especially electrochemical signals, hormones, stress or relaxation response, heart rate variability, breathing, muscle tension, changes in energy levels and physical sensations. A chronically negative thought – emotion loop can thus damage the health and build up deposits of toxic emotions. If we do not process these emotions and return to a state of peace within, then overtime, the changes in the body become more pronounced, creating imbalances on a local and systemic level that eventually manifest as disease. In our sound healing lingo, we are out of harmony and balance within.

Sound healing helps trigger the relaxation response in the body, release trapped, blocked or suppressed emotions, and helps restore a new state of equilibrium within. The effects are able to be felt during and immediately after a session. The number of sessions needed to maintain this new balanced state varies with each person, their living situation, lifestyle, habits, personality and many other aspects. From experience, I can say that once you feel peaceful within, especially after a long period of turmoil, a part of you holds on to it, and it becomes harder and harder to get back to old unhealthy ways of being. Therefore, even just one session can act as a catalyst for change and begin a new inner journey for you, if you will allow it. It is important to seek help if you are struggling and create some safe containers where you can unpack your difficulties and be supported in the healing process in a way that you don’t have to do ALL the heavy lifting. Therapeutic sounds can help you there. When the mind is clear and calm, it is easier to correct cognitive distortions and disengage the negative thought-emotion spiral. A calm mind is also more receptive to positive thoughts, and rational thinking. Thus, we can effectively pair cognitive therapy and sound healing to create magical transformation in people. I have seen this happen time and again in my case studies – we all have such an amazing capacity for growth, and it is so rewarding to see people make big leaps in their healing journey, my own included.

Sound healing and the soul, or consciousness:

“By understanding that life is vibration, you’ll also see that life after death is possible” – Dr. Masaru Emoto (2011).  This brings us to the concept of Soul, or what we refer to as consciousness and how sound healing is related to this dimension of our being. Soul is that part of our being that is beyond the physical and keeps on journeying. In his groundbreaking book called Many Lives, Many Masters, Dr. Brain Weiss, a prominent American psychiatrist shares the true story of a client who suffered from past life traumas that were showing up as chronic anxiety and panic attacks. After many conventional forms of therapy, he resorted to hypnosis, where her past life traumas surfaced, she was able to recollect her experiences of times in between different lives her soul had undertaken and finally healed as a result of being able to process them all. There is now a modality that therapeutically deals with soul journeys, and it is called past-life regression. There are many other researchers, books and modalities that tap into these experiences. For now, we will bring our focus to sound healing and its connection to the soul.

On the Soul level, the higher purpose of an issue often involves learning the lesson and unravelling the wisdom and maturity that comes from working through it. Here is there is no time limit, only free will, intention, creation and dissolution of Karma, expansion of consciousness, and ascension towards light and unconditional love. As a long-term meditator and spiritual seeker, I can tell you from experience that once the mind is tranquil, it is possible to experience notable shifts in:

  • level of perception
  • ability to be present
  • the level of resilience and equanimity towards life’s vicissitudes
  • self-awareness
  • extent of attachment on the material aspects
  • ability to let go, flow, embrace change, forgive, detach from unnecessary drama and unhealthy patterns
  • ability to embody love, compassion, and peace
  • tapping into intuition and inner guidance
  • ability to connect with our higher self and beyond (Source/ God / Universe…)

There are many other health related benefits from being in a place of stillness and peace which are directly observable. For now, I can share that it is in these moments of quiet witnessing that we make the biggest leap. Sound healing creates a sonic container, a resonance field that allows us to get to this place of sustained peace and inward focus. There are many other tools and methods to ascend the level of consciousness, but one must be willing to embrace the journey to arrive at the destination. Sometimes, the journey itself is as rewarding as reaching the destination, provided you are on a path that you resonate with. It is in the alchemy of our free will, intention, effort and the method we use that magic happens. Sound healing is a powerful facilitator of deep healing and transformation, but you are also in charge here – as you own the healing intention and the choice to face your inner struggles, see them for what they truly are, rather than suppressing them or resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms, seek help if needed, and open up to deep healing and transformation.

Our body is a harmonic co-existence and coherence of all the cells, tissues, organs, fluids, systems and energy. According to Gibson (2022), good health can be defined on different levels, as below:
• Good physical health means every part of the body is working harmoniously, with a smooth flow of energy.
• Good mental health is when the thoughts are harmonious, and embodied with good intentions, smooth flow and processing of all experiences, emotions, and smooth lines of communication between different parts of the brain.
• On a more subtle level, all the chakras are in harmony, balanced, and in a state of flow, the chakras and the aura are free from blockages, there is balance between the yin and yang energies, smooth energy flow through the meridians.
• At the soul and spirit level, there is a good connection with the higher self, source/universe/divine, all the lessons are smoothly integrated, and living is from a place of wholeness and intentionality.

At every level, there is balance and harmony within, and between parts. From this perspective, disease can be seen as a part of the body going out of tune/harmony due to stagnation, over-activation, blockage or stress. Sound healing is about coming into resonance with the universal energy field, where we are in alignment within, and all our actions are rooted in this resonance (Beaulieu, 2010). Imagine a world where each one of us are in touch with the highest version of ourselves and the source, and all our actions came from this place…what a vision to hold on to!

Conclusion

There is a lot more to sound healing than meets the eye. This is an emerging therapeutic modality which has tremendous scope for health and wellbeing on all levels. I would say that for any medicinal or therapeutic modality to work, one must be willing to perceive the true nature of the issue at hand and be open to change. This is one of the reasons why some of us respond to treatment, some don’t, and some experience full remission. So, the question is, are we willing to take charge of all aspects of ourselves? Are we willing to brave the inner work needed? Are we willing to move out of our comfort zones and shift to a better way of thinking and being? Sound healing can support you in this journey of ascension.

References

Beaulieu, J. (2010). Human Tuning (2nd ed.). BioSonic Enterprises Ltd.

Cymascope Institute (n.d.). Cymatics: A short introduction. Cymascope: Sound Made Visible. Retrieved April 23, 2025, from https://cymascope.com/cymatics-intro/

Dana, D. A. (2020). Polyvagal Flip Chart (1st ed.). W. W. Norton & Company Inc.

Gibson, D. (2022). The complete guide to sound healing (2nd ed.). SoundHealingCenter.com.

Lipton, B., Ph.D (2015). The Biology of Belief (2nd ed.). Hay House, Inc.

Leeds, J. (2010). The power of sound (2nd ed.). Healing Arts Press.

Maman, F. (n.d.). Sound Cellular Research. Tama-Do, The Academy of Sound, Color and Movement. Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://tama-do.com/roothtmls/cell-research.html#title

Emoto, M. (2011). The Miracle of Water (1st ed.). Atria Books.

S. H. A. (2018, August 24). Toning The Vagus Nerves With Singing Bowls. Academyofsoundhealing.com. Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://www.academyofsoundhealing.com/blog/toning-the-vagus-nerve-%20by-playing-crystal-and-tibetan-singing-bowls-underneath-a-client

Weiss, B. (2010). Many Lives, Many Masters (1st ed.). Piatkus.

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