Taylor 1 Corey Taylor Dr.

Henning Writing 123 12 March 2008 The Power of Sound Sound of any nature, has power over an individual persons mood, mind, and physical self. Sound has the power to heal, harm, or pass by with no effect. Every moment of each day is filled with sound of one type or another. Exploring the physical effects of sound has become a part of some scientists study of the brain. The understanding of the brain and how the brain works has gone through a revolutionary process due to advancing technology. Many new technologies exploit the knowledge of scientific research to create new technologies to develop our brains further. The brain has changed very much over the last 5 million or so years. Ever since human kind has started walking has the brain become more complex and the knowledge base of everyone has increased. As the human first walked the size of the brain has increased. The brain may no longer be increasing, which is debatable, but humans have the chance to enrich their own minds with understanding and knowledge. The advent of the technology age, linking everyone together through a complex web of wires, and even lack of wires, knowledge has become even more easily accessible. The sharing of knowledge between different people has come the sharing of cultural ideas, language, and technology. Meditation is a very old practice that began in India and has since spread throughout the world through cultural exchange. Since, before the Common Era the

Taylor 2 practice of meditation has been a part of Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain philosophies. The practicing of meditation has led many gurus, and other lay people, to a greater understanding of themselves and society. The minds of the great gurus are enriched with understanding due to their daily practice of meditation enhancing their minds. The introduction of technology has helped scientists better understand the benefits of meditation and positive sound on the mind and the body. The study of the human mind also encompasses some of the fields of alternative healing techniques, such as listening to a favorite piece of music, chanting a mantra or singing a religious hymn, and practicing meditation to heal oneself. These are techniques of alternative healing that can cure people of stress, disease, and depression. Sound and concentration can be used as a tool to relax and live a healthy life. By understanding how the mind works, one can utilize the power of alternative healing to lead stress-free and greatly enriched lives. The sound of the world surrounds most people during their daily lives. The sound of the city; cars, trucks, construction, police, the masses of people walking, overheard conversations, and music from a passing motorist. These are just some examples of daily sounds that most people living in the city could hear everyday of life. Another person living in the country could hear; dogs, cows, chicken, sheep, birds, chainsaws, or any number of natural animals. A hermit living on his/her own in the woods could hear; birds, bears, wolves, foxes, wild animals, and maybe even trees falling when nobody else is around. Sound makes up a critical part of many peoples lives because of the intruding nature of sound. Even when all sound is stopped, one could still hear the beating of their heart and the rhythm of breath. The purpose of many meditative

Taylor 3 exercises is to listen to the breath and the sounds of the body. Block all external sounds from registering in ones mind and instead concentrate on the sounds of the body. Sound has the power to heal a body and to harm one. A construction site situated right next to ones bedroom is an example of a negative sound. These sounds can be annoying and sometimes hurtful. Sounds can harm the eardrums and give people headaches. The limit to the human range of hearing can be broken only to the detriment of the people listening. On a decibel scale, 0 represents the faintest sound an ear can sense (and at the higher range) sound so loud that it is no longer audible (at) 150 decibels (Jourdain 42). Most concerts play at the loud 120 decibels while normal conversations range around 60 decibels. Anything over 120 decibels can bring negative repercussions to ones eardrums (Jourdain 42). Sounds can take a negative aspect or a positive aspect. An example of a positive sound is music. Everyone has a favorite song, one that brings back happy memories or memorable times in ones life. Songs have power in the human mind to bring back happier times when one last heard that song. As an advent listener of music I enjoy the band The Doors for their fun lyrics and toe tapping beats. The music of The Doors helps me recollect times in my teenage years when I was more carefree and generally in a good mood. My favorite music always helps me put myself in a better mood whenever I need a pick-me-up during a particularly bad day. Whether I am at school or I am at work, I continually listen to my music player and this can help me frame my day in a positive light. My music frames my life with positive vibes that I can groove to in my daily life. Mozart for one person can be a great mood enhancer; however another person may prefer Rage Against the Machine to Mozart. Music can have drawbacks

Taylor 4 because of the ability of sound to travel. Many people who attend concerts can attest to the driving force of the sound and the almost physical nature of loud music. Sometimes music can feel like it is invading and intruding into any space. Music can seem like noise when someone listens who cannot appreciate the beat. One person I know who loves to experiment with odd music is my roommate Ryan Shoptaw. Ryan likes to create a style of music that is usually referred to as Noise. The name Noise sums up what most people think about this type of music. Ryan creates loud noises using various metal objects, electronics, and other odds and ends found around the house. Ryan then adds a beat that can only be called a beat in name, because it follows none of the rules for music I have ever heard of. According to Ryan, Noise is experimental music, (and is composed of) any noise that uses sounds not usually associated with music (Shoptaw). For Ryan, the Noise music instills a feeling that something, hit you in the gut (Shoptaw). Music that can be offensive to others is seen by Ryan as good study music that helps with my concentration (Shoptaw). Sometimes I experience the Noise of Ryans music first-hand when he is playing downstairs when I am trying to study. The Noise music that Ryan enjoys so much is just a bunch of disconnected noises to my ear. While intruding noise can be troublesome to some people, positive music can help heal others, music therapy has been used as an alternative healing technique for the last ten to fifteen years (Gerber 3). The use of sound therapy has been around for many thousands of years according to Suzanne Gerber. "The use of sound and music is the most ancient healing modality. It (sound therapy) was practiced in the ancient mystery schools of Egypt, Tibet, India, Athens and Rome for tens of thousands of years" (Gerber

Taylor 5 3). I think that music therapy could be a great asset to businesses because of the stressful situations people must suffer through each day. The mountains of paperwork could seem much less daunting when seen through the eyes of a relaxed person. Music can be harnessed as a tool to help a social business survive and even thrive in todays competitive economic environment. Not only can music help one feel better when one is depressed, music can heal or help alleviate some symptoms of particular diseases. In one study by Oliver Sacks, he discovered that many Parkinsons patients responded to music this way (positively). One patient was able to play whole compositions by Chopin the moment she began; her grossly abnormal EEG would abruptly turn normal as her Parkinsons symptoms vanished (Jourdain 301). The ability of sound to heal or help with disease control has many possibilities for the future of alternative healing techniques. Sound therapy is just one technique in the alternative healing bag-o-ticks. Another form of alternative healing, chanting, can be used as another technique to help with stress or relaxation of ones self. One drawback, however, to chants are that many chants are affiliated with one religion or another. An atheist would probably not want to chant because of the god/goddess who is being chanted to by invoking mantras. Hindu mantras are known throughout the world to bring benefits to the mind of the person chanting, such as increased relaxation and clarity. In the Tibetan Buddhist faith, mantras are syllables that are very powerful and they are known to have healing properties. The literal translation for mantra is, guarding the mind from negative influence (Rinpoche 8). With the mind being guarded from negative influence, the mind is ready to try for meditation and contemplation of higher thoughts.

Taylor 6 The physical proof of the benefits of meditation, music, and chanting has been seen through the use of the electroencephalography (EEG). An article in Spectrum: The Holistic Health Magazine an editor explains the measurable effects of chanting and music. Rhythmic auditory stimulation created by the drumming, singing and chanting often used by shamans and in other spiritual activities may increase alpha and theta wave production. Theta-frequency rhythms have been found in Eastern mantra chanting and Native American drumming, and one study measured increased theta production in the brains of those experiencing rhythmic drumming. Complex music, such as a Mozart symphony, as well as Buddhist chanting, (has) been shown to increase alpha wave response (The Neurobiological 18). According to the Crossroads Institute which studies the various waves in the brain; Theta waves are seen in connection with creativity, intuition, daydreaming, and fantasizing and is a repository for memories, emotions, (and) sensations. Theta waves are strong during internal focus, meditation, prayer, and spiritual awareness (Brainwaves). Alpha waves are linked to extroversion, creativity, and mental work (Brainwaves). The increase in the waves can lead to a greater understanding of oneself and clarity of purpose in actions and thought. Dreams can be seen and categorized using meditation, music, or chanting. Many people have experienced moments of absolute clarity. When one feels that their brain is working at its peak performance speed. A central thread running through human history has been the quest over thousands of years for effective and reliable

Taylor 7 techniques for entering these states (of clarity, by using) techniques ranging from meditation to chanting to sexual or religious practices (Hutchison 1). Many aspects of prayer, meditation, and chanting all contribute to the experiencing of higher brain waves and inducing relaxation on ones self. Researchers have known for years that participatory prayer, particularly such repetitive variations as saying the rosary or chanting a mantra, can lower stress and blood pressure(Kelli). Chanting and singing prayer are found in many religious gatherings around the globe. Chanting and praying can be used to empower ones actions as well as reduce stress. The Freedom songs of the Civil Rights movement are one example of empowering songs. According to the book, Religions of the United States in Practice, The ordinary citizens who made up the rank-and-file of the black freedom struggle empowered themselves through song to a degree exceeding that of any protest movement in American History (McDannell 2:90). The power of a mass number of people chanting or singing in unison can be a powerful experience for an individual member of the crowd. One member of a particular civil rights march says; You sing the songs which symbolize transformation, which make that revolution of courage inside you (McDannell 2:90). The civil rights movement and other religious gatherings are examples of the use of chants and prayers to bring a greater understanding to a whole group rather than an individual. Although an individual is affected by the chanting in a group, it is the purpose of the whole which defines the purpose of the one member. As a practitioner in the Soka Gakkai International, a Buddhist faith which centers on chanting, I can greatly appreciate the power of positive chanting. I have been chanting for the last fifteen years of my life and will continue to pray through chant for

Taylor 8 inner peace and happiness. I can personally attest to the power of positive thought and positive sound on a meditative mind. One example of this meditative mind is my own personal meditation. I usually sit in a quiet room and listen to a CD of music with no words; I usually use a CD consisting of mantras being chanted over and over. I use the music as a central point to clear my mind of all thoughts because of the repetitive nature of the chanting. My sitting position is usually in the Half-lotus position that the traditional Buddhists use for meditation. As I clear my mind of thoughts, I imagine a stream in my mind. In the stream are logs with my thoughts on top of them. Intensely, I watch the log with my thought, concentrating solely on the thought for the span of a minute or so. I then let the log carrying my thought, float down the stream, carrying the thought out of my head. After several minutes my head is empty of thoughts and I simply watch the stream. The water cascading through my mind lulls me into a meditative state of contentment. I would suggest this technique for anyone, but there are many techniques which can work for others as much as mine works for me. While the civil rights movement used chants to empower the group another example of music can empower a group into violence. Mosh pits are known for their brutality and aggressive nature only when seen as a whole entity. A mosh pit is a group of dancers who slam against one another as they dance to the music. The music helps the people transcend the pain of jarring against one another and keep dancing to the beat of the music. Many mosh pits are created when listening to violent music, this music pumps up the individuals of the group to act as a whole entity. I have known this feeling from personal experience inside a mosh pit. When looking from the outside of the dance floor the dancers are formed into a whole entity. One side of the pit sways to the left and the

Taylor 9 whole of people undulate towards the left. The dangerous part of this situation is being caught between many people and a wall. If the people push to hard to the left the people against the wall can be crushed. The understanding of the brain and how the brain works has gone through a revolutionary process, due in part to advancing technology, which could change the way society views music, sound, and meditation. Many new technologies exploit the knowledge of scientific research to create new technologies to develop our brains further (Hutchison 1). The brain has changed very much over the last five million or so years. Ever since human kind has started walking has the brain become more complex and the knowledge base of everyone has increased. With the advent of the technology age, linking everyone together through a complex web of wires, and even lack of wires, wireless internet; knowledge has become even more easily accessible to everyone. With the sharing of knowledge between different people has come the sharing of cultural ideas, language, and technology. Meditation is a very old practice that comes from India. Since, before the Common Era the practice of meditation has been a part of Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain philosophies. The practicing of meditation has led many gurus and other lay people to a greater understanding of themselves and society. The minds of the great gurus have been great in knowledge due to their daily practice of meditation enhancing their minds. The study of peoples minds while they meditate has shown an increase of activity. The future of meditation is bright for the future health of peoples minds everywhere. The mapping of the brain can help scientists and psychologists greatly understand the human reactions to sound and music. Already there is a consensus about

Taylor 10 having any type of stress reduction to help with overall health of individuals. These types of stress reduction techniques need not be music, chant, or meditation. As I understand the research everyone should be using whatever works for them as a possibility to reach inner happiness and contentment. Happiness is inside each person and only by finding our niche in our own souls can one person truly defeat the stressors of everyday life. My personal meditation is but one way for me to zone out the pressures of the real world in order to reduce the stress in my daily life. Music therapy, other meditation techniques, and chanting can be other ways to help reduce daily stress in ones life. The clarity of purpose gained by meditation helps me see a future with healthier and smarter people. One Science Fiction possibility, of always having positive music, is suggested by Tad Williams one of my favorite authors. In his Otherland series many characters carry a microchip in their heads which can play music directly to their brain (Williams 25). If this technology ever becomes possible I will be the first one to get one implanted. Always having positive music playing in ones brain could help greatly with daily stress and anxiety. Throughout human history, mankind in a general sense has become smarter over the millions of years of human history. What will the human population become in the future if everyone practiced a mind enhancing form of meditation or sound therapy? The human world could be a place of focused purpose and great intent. The harnessing of sound to help rather than harm individuals can help serve the whole of society. The individuals make up the population of the whole so when one creates a solution to the stress problem the whole can benefit.

Taylor 11 Work Cited

"Brainwaves and EEG: The language of the brain." Crossroads Institute. 13 August 2007. 10 March 2008 <http://www.crossroadsinstitute.org/eeg.html>. Crowe, Barbara. Music and Soul Making: Toward a New Theory of Music Therapy. Lanham: The Scarecrow Press, 2004. Gass, Robert and Brehony, Kathleen. Chanting: Discovering Spirit in Sound. New York: Broadway Books, 1999. Gerber, Suzanne. The Sound of Healing. Vegetarian Times March 1998: 3-10. Hutchison, Michael. From your Brain to Megabrain: Using Mind Machines to Change your Life. Share Guide Winter 1993: 17-20. Jourdain, Robert. Music, the Brain, and Ecstasy: How Music Captures our Imagination. New York: William Morrow and Company Inc., 1997. Kelly, Alice L. Prayer in a Petri Dish? Health December 2002: 20. McDannell, Colleen. Religions of the United States in Practice. 2 vols. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001. The Neurobiological Basis of Spiritual Experience. Spectrum December 1995: 18-20. Ortiz, John M. The Tao of Music. York beach: Weiser Books, 1997. Rinpoche, Dagsay. The Practice of Tibetan Meditation. Rochester: Inner-Traditions International, 2002. Shoptaw, Ryan. Personal Interview. 10 March 2008. Williams, Tad. River of Blue Fire. Brookfield: Daw Books, 1998.