SoundandVibrationForHealthandWell-Being

SusanC.Moyer,MSW,CSP

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TABLEOFCONTENTS

Chapter Page

TheWindandTheWord 3

SoundandOurHumanBeginnings 4

TheNeurophysiologyofSound/Vibration 5

SoundandtheVagusNerve 8

SoundAsMedicine 10

SomeMethodsofUsingSoundandMusicforHealing 14

InConclusion 30

References 31

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TheWindandTheWord

“InthebeginningwhenGodcreatedtheheavensandtheearth,theearthwasaformlesswastelandanddarknesscoveredtheabyss,whileamightywindsweptoverthewaters…”(TheBible,Genesis,1:1-2)AndinSt.John:“InthebeginningwastheWord,andtheWordwaswithGod,andtheWordwasGod.HewasinthebeginningwithGod.”(TheBible,John,1:1-2)

Thesetwobiblicalstatementsinreferencetocreationbothrefertomovement(thewind)andsound(theWord.)Withmovementisvibration.Andwithvibration,issound.

Iusedtothinksoundcausedvibration.WhenIbeganlearningmoreaboutvibration,Icametofindthatactuallyit’stheotherwayaround:vibrationcausessound.

Themovementofsomething–evenair–resultsinanenergeticdisplacement.Thinkofwind.Youfeelitagainstyourfaceasyouwalk.Andweoftenrefertoitas“howling.”Movementofairispickedupbyourauditorysenseassound.

SriYukteswar,inhisbookTheHolyScience(1984)claimsthattheEasternholysyllable,Aum(alsoreferredtoas“Om”andextendedtoincludetheChristian“Amen”)isthespecificsoundofthevibrationcausedbyGodatthebeginningofcreation.ParamahansaYogananda,adiscipleofSriYukteswar,statesthat,“‘Word’meansintelligentvibration,intelligentenergy…”(fromTheSecondComingofChrist,1980).

Otherculturesinancienttimesalsobelievedinthepowerofsound:theEgyptians,ChineseandGreeks.PerDavidTameinTheSecretPowerofMusic,theancientsbelievedthatsoundandmusicweretangibleforcescapableofcreationitselfbyimpactingtheformofmatter.Thisisseentodayinvideosofcymatics,wherevariousfrequenciescreateintricatepatternsinsand,waterorsalt.

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Andsoitbegan….

SoundandourHumanBeginnings

Wemaynothavethoughtofit,butwegrowintoourhuman-hoodwithsound.Whatsurroundsuswhenwe’reinutero?Thevibrationofourmother’sheartbeat.Boom,boom.Boom,boom.Ninemonths(moreorless…)Boom,boom.Boom,boom.

FormanyyearsIoffereddrumcircles.OneofthefirstdrummingrhythmsIlearnedataworkshopwascalled“TheHeartbeatofMotherEarth.”SincethenIhaveheardacouplevariationsofthissimplebeat,buttheyallbasicallyrecountthesoundoftheheart:Boom,boom.Boom,boom.TheoneIlearnedhaduscountsilently,one,two,thendotwodrumbeats.Othersdoonesofterbeatfollowedbyalouderbeat,withoutpausesforthesilentcounts.Oralouderbeatfollowedbyasofterone.Allareeffectiveinputtingthevastmajorityofpeopleintoapeacefultrance-likestate.

Itwasn’tuntilIattendedaconferenceonatopicunrelatedtodrummingorevensoundwhereIwasabletoactuallyheartheconnection.Aspartofapresentation,arecordingofahumanheartbeatasitsoundsinthewombwasplayed.Itsoundedexactlylikeasnaredrum!

Nowondersomanyofusresonatetodrumming.Howcanwenot?ItwastherewhileourDNAwasformed.Whenourcellsdivided.Ourorganswereformed.Resonatingthroughthefluidthatenvelopedus…Boom,boom.Boom,boom…

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TheNeurophysiologyofSound/Vibration

OK,it’salongtitletobasicallyask,“Howdoessoundaffectthebody?”

Thereareacouplewaysthishappens.Oneisthroughresearchdoneontheareasofthebrainthatshowstimulationwhenmusicisheard:Fromthe2002articletitled“MusicChangesLinksintheBrain”byRobertLeeHoltzfortheL.A.Times,

“Although music activated many parts of the brain, the researchers discovered that everyone had just one area in common that tracked and processed melodies. That brain region, located near the center of the forehead, is called the rostromedial prefrontal cortex. This region, which links to short-term memory, long-term memory and emotions, is different from areas involved in more basic sound processing.”

Inotherwords,musiciscapableofpullingupemotionally-ladenmemoriesforus.Forinstance,thefirsttimein8thgradethatIheardthegroupTraffic’ssong,“DearMr.Fantasy”thatseemedtotransportmetoamysticalland.AndtheheartyearningacoupleyearslaterthatledmetopraymyroommatesweresleepingasIplayedTheMoodyBlues’“NightsinWhiteSatin”adinfinitum.Weallhavethosesongs.Wecanrecallhowoldwewere,wherewewere,andhowwefeltwhenweheardthem.

Anotherwaysoundhealsuscomesfromresearchdoneintheareaoftheneurophysiologyoftrauma.Akeyinthesestudieshasbeenamajornerveinourbody,thevagusnerve.

Thevagusnerve(alsoknownas“cranialnerveX”,--Xasinthenumber10)isoneoftwelvenervesthatextendoutofthebrain.Itisthelongestnerveotherthanthespinalstem,runningfromthebrain

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stempastandevenaroundseveralmajororgans(theheart,esophagusandlungs)downtotheabdomen.Thisnerveiscriticalinthefunctioningofourheartrateanddigestiveprocess.(www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/vagus-nerveApril,2014)Italsoregulatesoxygenintake.(“Trauma,ImpulsivityandCompulsivity:TheirIntrinsicRelationtotheAddictionProcess”conferencelecturegivenbyPeterLevine,PhDSeattle,WAMarch,2009.)

Onerolethisnerveplaysisthatofre-establishingbalanceinyoursystemafterathreathasbeenperceived.Thethreatputsthebodyintostressmode–whatiscommonlyknownas“fightorflight.”(Whatisnotaswidelyknownisanotherresponsecalled“freeze.”Thinkofthedeer-in-the-headlightsforaconceptofthisresponse.Inthatcase,vitalsystemsslowdown.)Forthisbriefdiscussion,Ifocusonthe“fightorflight.”

Bothfight(facingthethreat)andflight(runningfromthethreat)requireahighlevelofactivation.Messagesintheformofelectricalimpulsesandhormonalandneurotransmitterreleaseinstantlybeginaffectingthebody.Metabolismiselevatedtoprovideenergyfortheconfrontationorfleeing;cortisolandadrenalinearereleased;heartbeatincreasesandmorebloodispumped.Thebrainshutsdownthinking/reasoninginfavoroffocusingonthelimitedphysicaloptionsavailabletomaximizethechanceofsurvival.

Aninterestingthingoccurswithtrauma,however.Theactiveaspectoffightorflightisshutdown.There’salotofactivitygoingoninternallyonasurvivallevel,butthereisnophysicalmovement.Theperson’senergyiseffectivelytrapped.ApersonwithPTSD(post-traumaticstressdisorder)maybefeelinglikethreatsareconstantlyaroundthem,activatingtheirnerves,digestivesystem,heartandrespiratoryrate,etc…,yettheyareunabletorespond.Muscletension,digestiveandappetiteproblems,panicattacks,hypervigilance,sleepdisturbance,andothersymptomscanresult.Thereisnoreliefbecausethepersonisunabletoengagethe

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motionsorphysicalmodulationneededtoreleasetheinnertension.Thissuper-arousalaffectseverycellinthebody,bathingtheminstresshormones.(Dr.PeterLevineSeattlelecturenotedabove.)

Thevagusnerveisvitaltoestablishingrelaxationandhealinginthebody.Inhisbook,WakingtheTiger:HealingTrauma(1997),Dr.Levinetalksabouttheneedforcyclesofresttoestablishhealingfromtrauma.Healinghappenswhenapersonisinastateofrest.Itwon’tbeeffectiveifoneisfranticorunabletogetpastthefocusonwhatisneededtosurviveaperceivedattack–whethertheattackisfromanactofwaroranactofphysicalorsexualabuse.Thebody’scapacitytohealitselfgoesintoeffectwhenweareatpeace.

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AbouttheAuthor

SusanC.Moyer,MSW,CSP(CertifiedSoundPractitioner)isapracticingsound/vibrationalhealer,certifiedinLevelsIandIIoftheSomaEnergeticstuningforkshealingmethod.With25years’backgroundasapsychotherapist,shecurrentlyfocusesonholdingspacefordeeplyexperientialtransformationalprocesses.

Musichasbeenherpassionsinceherteenyears.SusanexperiencedherfirstEupsychiaIntegrativeBreathworkin1990andimmediatelyknewthisprocesswasherlifepath.SheearnedhercertificationasapractitionerofIntegrativeBreathworkandPsychospiritualIntegrationin1994fromJacquelynSmall,MSSWandtheEupsychiaInstitutestaff.SincethenshehasofferedsmallgroupandindividualsessionsinwesternWyoming;Spokane,WashingtonandCoeurd’Alene,Idaho.

FromherownexperienceinanIntegrativeBreathworksessioninthesummerof2013,Susanfeltcalledtoworkwithhighervibrationalrealms.RespondingtothisnudgefromtheUniverse,shecompletedthetwolevelsofSomaEnergeticstrainingandhascometoappreciatetheclear,puretonesoftheSolfeggiofrequencytuningforks.Susan’seducationintraumawhenshewasatherapistcombinedwithclients’deephealingexperiencesinbothBreathworkandtuningforksessionsledhertoresearchthehealingbenefitsofsoundforthisbooklet.

SusanlivesintheInlandNorthwestwithherhusbandandadevotedseniorfelinecompanion.Herwebsiteis:http://psychospiritualgrowth.com