Sound Bath Healing: Tuning in to the Music of the Spheres

A few weeks ago, I learned of an opportunity to experience a sound bath healing session at a world-renowned domed structure located near Joshua Tree, California, named the Integratron. This fascinating building sits alone out in the desert near Giant Rock, a huge rock formation in the tiny community of Landers. The Integratron, billed as ‘the Fusion of Art, Science and Magic,’ was the brainchild of George Van Tassel, a brilliant aeronautical engineer who worked for Howard Hughes and later received funding from him to build the unique circular building. The Integratron, finally completed in 1977, is a 38’ high, 55’ wide structure made of sixteen huge curved glued and laminated wood beams held together at its apex by a one-ton concrete oculus, with no metal components used anywhere in its construction. George Van Tassel was inspired by the work of Nikola Tesla and the design of Moses’ tabernacle, and claimed to have received information, including precise instructions for building the Integratron, from a Venusian alien named Solgonda whose spacecraft landed at Giant Rock in 1953. Van Tassel claimed to have a telepathic relationship with Solgonda, channeling large amounts of information on time travel, geomagnetic energy, cellular regeneration, and other mysteries supporting future human life on Earth. He later stated that he had been instructed to build the Integratron on property with a measurable convergence of geomagnetic energies, which, in combination with the structure’s unique circular geometry, would act through sound to regenerate all the cells of the human body (much like recharging a battery) to generate a state of rejuvenation and greater awareness. For decades, the Integratron has been the perfect place to experience a true sound bath healing in a building designed for this, and a higher, purpose.

I set out on my journey to the Integratron with eighteen like-minded women from my local Meetup group, all inspired by the building’s otherworldly story and its promise of stress relief and rejuvenation through sound. On arriving at the property, we had time to explore the grounds and get to know each other before our group sound bath session. Many admitted to stress being the major reason for their visit; some had just had (or were about to have) major surgery; others suffered from arthritis, sciatica, migraines, and a range of other conditions considered more or less ‘normal’ for ‘women of a certain age,’ as we all were. It gave me pause to consider how pain can negatively impact the lives of so many. After a short wait, we were all summoned into the stark white building, climbing a steep ladder to an upper chamber complete with narrow low beds, all pointing towards the middle of the room. A circular display of twenty-two clear quartz singing bowls of differing sizes stood nearby while our guide gave us a quick introduction to the concept of sound healing. After making ourselves comfortable on the beds, our guide commenced the sound bath. When stroked with a fabric-covered mallet, the quartz bowls emitted the penetrating sounds of each major and minor note of the scale, building up layers of multi-tonal sound that saturated the air, the vibrations felt binaurally as the sound travelled throughout the dome’s walls and ceiling, washing over our horizontal bodies. During the session, everything was still and quiet except for the continuous singing vibrations of the crystal bowls and the occasional gentle snoring of a sleeping participant. The hour-long session was followed by several minutes of calming, gentle music as people began to stretch, stand up and slowly return to reality, then climbing back down the steep ladder and exiting into the harsh brilliance of the noonday desert sun.

I took the opportunity over lunch to question my companions. Had anyone felt anything unusual during the sound bath? Was anyone’s stress level lowered? What about pain – did anyone experience improvement in their usual level of pain or discomfort? Some answers were straightforward, others more far-reaching and unexpected. Virtually everyone experienced an overall lessening of stress, and some felt that their anxiety and depressed states had diminished and been replaced with a sense of renewed optimism. Some members of the group said that they discerned a distinct improvement in the feeling and function of one or more parts of their body, while a couple of participants were adamant that they had felt nothing at all. A couple of women who were healing from two major surgeries (back and heart, respectively) said that the sound bath had been very a positive experience for them, and that they would do it again soon. Perhaps most surprising were the responses from people who confided that they felt ‘profound’ changes in their mental attitudes and physical disposition right after the sound bath. The benefits these people described appear to be even more psychological than physical, with realizations that they felt ‘clearer,’ ‘more aligned’ and ‘more compassionate,’ and that some of them had felt an overall shift in their world view after the experience. At the end of the day, I was left to wonder if the uplifting spiritual experience that many felt, along with reduction of their pain and stress, was due to the sound bath itself, or to the mystery of the Integratron, or both?

Let’s dive deeper into what to expect should you decide to enroll in a sound bath healing session to address your pain issues. Often called ‘sound healing’ or ‘vibrational medicine,’ sound bath sessions are generally between forty-five minutes and two hours long and are generally held at a natural wellness practitioner’s office, health spa, yoga center or meditation retreat – venues where the services and activities offered complement the concept of sound bath healing. While sound baths are beginning to appear on the festival scene and at other outdoor venues, it’s important to select a location that is clean, peaceful, and quiet, free of traffic or other noises, where the outside world does not intrude or infringe on your sound healing journey. It’s a good idea to have done some preliminary research to ascertain what instruments are being used in your session and to learn about your facilitator’s skills and experience. Most sound baths focus on the use of Himalayan metal prayer bowls or quartz crystal bowls, both of which are played in the same way, and emit penetrating sounds of the note (major or minor) to which they are each individually tuned. Himalayan metal singing bowls emit deep, resonant tones, come in a variety of sizes and have been used by monks throughout the ages as a meditation aid, and to mark the beginning and conclusion of spiritual ceremonies. Quartz crystal bowls are a much more recent invention, and are more intricately linked to quantum physics, our understanding of vibrational energies, and the current popularity of crystals, particularly quartz stones, for subtle healing. Practitioners typically select either Himalayan metal singing bowls or quartz crystal bowls for their sessions, as each brings a different quality to the sound bath experience.

Gong baths are another variation on the sound bath. Gongs originated as a means of communication in the Bronze Age, around 4,000 BCE. During the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations, gongs were regularly used in rituals, celebrations, and as sound healing tools. The deep, reverberating action of the large, suspended gong known as the Paiste gong, once struck, affects human physiology in an intense way and can have a powerful transformational effect. Smaller gongs providing higher, brighter tones are sometimes incorporated in a gong bath session. Other instruments used in sound baths include Tingsha bells, small, heavy hand-held cymbals that are believed to clear energy, as are other bells, known as dorges. Other distinctive sound instruments include the kalimba, or thumb piano, and the Shruti box, a bellows-type wooden instrument that produces a long and harmonious sound. Hanging hollow metal flutes can be lightly brushed with the hands to produce a sweeping, crystalline sound and vibration. Each instrument has a different personality, and when combined, the result is a unique and individualized harmonic experience.

Our fascination with music and sound has deep roots in our history, and the concept of the “Music of the Spheres” or ‘musica univeralis’ has its origins in the work of Pythagorus, the ancient Greek philosopher credited with the early discovery of mathematics. Pythagorus studied the relationship between vibration, frequencies, and pitch, and believed that the structure of our whole world was based on an ethereal harmony produced by the vibrations of the celestial bodies of the universe, uniting the upper and lower realms. His philosophy was later expanded upon by Boethius, a Roman philosopher living at the dawn of the sixth century AD. The prevailing belief at the time was that either the sound of the celestial spheres was so loud that the human ear could not hear it, or, since it has been in our ears since birth, we are unable to distinguish it from silence. Boethius made a distinction between Musica Mundana (the unheard Music of the Spheres), Musica Humana (the music of the human body, soul, and spirit), and Musica Instrumentalis (the music created by instruments). He understood Musica Humana to be the harmonious interaction of the human being’s body, soul and spirit vibrations, and Musica Instrumentalis to be the audible, tangible expression of divine harmony created by familiar instruments, stating “thus we can begin to understand the apt doctrine of Plato, which holds that the whole Universe is united by musical concord.”

The ”Music of the Spheres” took on new meaning with the work of Johannes Kepler, the 16th. century European astronomer. In 1619, Kepler published his work Harmonices Mundi (“Harmony of the Worlds”) in which he stated that the six known planets of the time each emitted a different musical sound, and that their musical harmony together with the additional harmonies of the heavens could create music experienced by the human soul which “gave a very agreeable feeling of bliss, afforded him by this music in the imitation of God.” The concept that the celestial bodies governed human activity on Earth was a well-established understanding of the time. Through observation, our predecessors knew that night followed day, tides fluctuated with the moon, and seasons changed quarterly, all caused by the movements of the planets overhead. Kepler’s work combined rational, mathematical concepts with his strong belief in the existence of a Creator who had designed a harmonious Universe, one that supported the health and happiness of humans while on Earth. Scholars and philosophers continued to expand on this concept until the end of the Renaissance, giving rise to the philosophy of humanism, with its emphasis on human potential, freedom, autonomy, and progress.

Sound has an ancient connection with meditation and healing, and goes beyond the simple act of hearing, affecting the body and mind with tactile physical vibrations and frequencies. That we are deeply affected by sound should come as no surprise, given that sound travels through liquid, and our bodies are 70% liquid, including the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes and cushions the dense bones of the spine and skull. One theory as to why sound healing is so beneficial for the treatment of pain states that sound is experienced in a tactile manner by the muscle fibers that transmit pain, causing them to relax and pain to be diminished. The fact that sounds travel through the body is undisputed – even the modern technique of medical ultrasound utilizes high frequency sound waves to generate images of structures inside the body. A study of fibromyalgia sufferers found that a series of low-frequency sound baths improved sleep quality and reduced pain to the extent that 75% of the participants were able to reduce their pain medications and experience a better quality of life. Another theory of the beneficial effects of sound on the body centers on ‘brain entrainment’ that is experienced when binaural beats produced by the sound instruments are synchronized by the brain. To experience binaural beats, it is necessary to listen to two tones below 1000 Hz, one in each ear, with a frequency difference of no more than 30 Hz, which has the effect of encouraging or ‘entraining’ the brain to perceive a new, different tone, due to experiencing both sounds simultaneously. Binaural beats override the intellectual loci of the brain, and go deep into the cellular matrix, acting to improve focus, attention, and memory, reduce anxiety, foster creativity, and diminish pain, propelling the brain into an alpha, theta or delta state where lasting healing can occur.

During a sound bath session, the vibrations and sounds experience temporarily alter your brain waves in a positive way. During our waking hours, the brain mostly operates in a beta state (14 – 30 Hz), an active, alert and engaged state necessary for the successful execution of accustomed tasks required by work and other demands of the day. A higher brainwave state, gamma (30 – 100 Hz) is the most highly active of the brain states, stimulating extreme attention to detail and awareness, even creating the ‘zone’ in which creatives work to produce their unique offerings. Both beta and gamma states can lead to stress and burnout if engaged for too long. Alpha waves (8 – 14 Hz) are representative of the brain at its most focused and productive. An alpha state is often compared to a ‘state of flow’ in which thoughts move uninterrupted, learning new things is easy, stress is reduced, and brain activity is positive. Sound healing moves the brain from alpha into a lower theta state (4 – 8 Hz), an ideal situation for meditation, creativity, and deep relaxation. Some may even feel themselves enter the delta state (1 - 4 Hz), where pain relief and true healing can occur. The delta state is the lowest of frequencies, known for reducing cortisol and activating DHEA, a naturally occurring anti-aging hormone, and often giving the brain access to altered states of consciousness. When a theta or delta brainwave state is reached, blood pressure is lowered, heart rate and breathing become deeper and slower, and muscles relax as the body adjusts to this meditative and open state of being. The proven effect of this brain wave shift may be reason enough for those who experience chronic pain to try sound bath healing for themselves.

Is it possible to create a sound bath at home? A first step to see if sound healing is for you can include setting up a sound bath healing experience in the comfort of your own surroundings. Select a calm space where you will not be interrupted. Keep the room dark, and light candles if desired. Incense or an aromatherapy diffuser can provide a gentle, aromatic atmosphere. Use a yoga mat or futon with a small cushion under your head for comfort, and a bolster under your knees for lower back support if necessary. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and have a light blanket nearby for warmth. Sound bath recordings are readily available on the Internet; YouTube is a good source for selecting the right one for you. Adjust your speakers or headphones to take advantage of the full range of sound and vibration. Lie down under the blanket, close your eyes, breathe deeply, and surrender to the varying frequencies and resonant sounds for the duration of the sound bath. Afterwards, roll onto your right side and rest for a couple of minutes before standing up. Drink a glass of water and move slowly as you return to reality. Sound bathing is safe and effective, but is contraindicated if you are pregnant, have epilepsy, seizures, or a reactive mental health condition. Hearing-impaired people or those wearing hearing aids may experience some discomfort if the sound level is too high. While research into sound healing is new from the scientific standpoint, the experiences of participants are overwhelmingly positive – calmer heart rate, lowered blood pressure and renewed sense of clarity and peace. Let “the music of the spheres” bring you to an experience of the universal flow of Qi/life energy, leading to relief from pain and stress, as well as a sense of spiritual wellbeing.