from CymaticSource Website
And what an opportunity! To witness the formation of galaxies; to watch coherent "organic" forms arising from the dust of the earth; to view delicate flower-petalled mandalas taking shape within a vibrating sample of water.
Oh what mysteries these revealed!
Following the work of German physicist and acoustician, Ernst F. F. Chladni, who, toward the end of the 18th Century, created intricate sand patterns by vibrating a steel plate with a violin bow, Dr. Jenny employed the modern technology of the day to carry out more precisely replicable experiments. Using a sine wave generator and a speaker to vibrate various powders, pastes and liquids, Jenny succeeded in making visible the subtle power through which sound structures matter (see fig.1).
Imagine hearing a tone, and watching as sound waves involute an inert blob of kaolin paste, "animating" it through various phases in a nearly perfect replica of cellular division.
Or watching as a pile of sand is transformed into life-like flowing patterns, mirroring symmetrical geometric forms found in nature, simply by audible vibration.
Perhaps the most striking image is that of a snake slithering along, as if its vertebrae were being viewed by x-ray cinematography-the result of light reflecting off the wave trains created in a thin film of glycerin spread upon a vibrating membrane (see fig. 2).
These phenomena vividly reveal certain universal principles which lend credence to the proliferation of sound therapies that are rapidly emerging at the forefront of the holistic health movement.
Might this be yet another example of the blending of the wisdom of
ancient traditions with the discoveries and practical applications
of modern science?
In the video Of Sound Mind and Body: Music and Vibrational Healing, biologist Rupert Sheldrake describes our bodies as "nested hierarchies of vibrational frequencies" which appear as discreet systems functioning within larger more complicated systems, which themselves are contained within even larger and more complex vibrational structures (see fig. 3 far below).
In fact, you can view
the whole universe in
this way, from sub-atomic particles, to the most intricate life
forms, to the nebulae and galaxies themselves -- all are resonating
fields of pulsating energy in constant interaction with one another.
Suddenly the
refrigerator shuts off and you heave a sigh of relief. Your
shoulders drop, your back loosens up, and your whole breathing
pattern changes. Well, what just happened? Could it be that certain
biological rhythms had unconsciously entrained to the 60 cycle hum
of the refrigerator motor?
He devised a way to project these vibrations via sound waves, directly into distressed areas which were no longer "sound", or resonating at their proper, healthy frequencies. Through a process called sympathetic resonance, the tissues are then guided back to their optimal frequency patterns, while releasing the tension which they had been holding.
Through headphones, he would introduce
slightly different audible frequencies into each ear. Subjects
reported that as the frequencies converged, they no longer heard
separate tones, but rather an oscillation, like what you hear when
you tune a guitar. As the strings approach the same pitch you hear a
"wawawawa" pulsation, the "beat" of which being the difference
between the two frequencies.
The Monroe Institute in Faber, Virginia, spent many years experimenting with these binaural beat frequencies, developing precise formulations to evoke a frequency following response, or an entraining effect on brainwaves. An extensive body of research documents the ability of specific frequency differentials to entrain brainwaves in such a way that a dynamic state of balance is achieved between the left and right hemispheres of the neocortex.
Specific HemiSync™ beat frequencies are then encoded into musical compositions which are further engineered to assist the listener to reach desired "brain states" ranging from relaxed or meditative states, to those of increased mental clarity and alertness.
from LucidQuest Website
Over the past decade or so, a variety of sophisticated machines have been developed to the point where contemporary light and sound devices combine binaural beat frequencies with pulsating LED visual stimulation.
The user can modulate these frequencies to experience a wide range of powerfully entraining effects. Yet as compelling as these technologies may be, there are well-established practices which require no sophisticated equipment other than our own nervous system.
For example, the beat frequencies associated with states of deep meditation are quite prevalent in such ancient ritual instruments as Tibetan "singing bowls".
These pulsations tend to
quiet brainwave activity from our more normally active
Beta states
(around 14 - 20 Hz.) to the Theta and Delta states where predominant
brainwave activity may drop to a range from 8 Hz. to as low as 0.5
Hz. in deepest meditative states.
Their common objective is to bring one’s attention inward, away from the attractions and distractions of the outer world. As anyone who has really delved into this process may attest, it is no simple matter to still the mind!
While modulating
ones brainwaves may provide a momentary sensation or experience, I
believe that real, lasting effects will only take hold when such
qualities as self-knowledge, dedication and devotion to inner unfoldment, a strong yearning for transcendence over one’s
conditioning, and the desire for liberation from the tyranny of
one’s own mind, are assiduously cultivated.
I perceive them as living
metaphors, embodying universal truths in a way that may be
immediately perceptible to the astute listener. Throughout the ages,
various esoteric traditions known as the Light and Sound teachings,
have proffered a simple contemplative process of "deep listening",
where one may actually begin to hear the subtle "inner sounds" at
play within our nervous system.
The Light and Sound paths teach that through controlling the
play of the sensory currents, rather than trying to dominate the kundalini energy, one may begin to reclaim this spiritual elixir and
consolidate these energies at the third eye center. When sufficient
energy has accumulated therein, it begins to rise into the higher
chakras. It is through these centers that one may begin to hear
these subtle sounds.
The sounds are very particular, each one denoting the level of consciousness to which one has "tuned-in." At first, faint buzzing or electrical-sounding noises may be heard, analogous to the static received when tuning a radio or when coming "on line" with your modem.
If your attention remains focused, perhaps through chanting a
mantra to help entrain the mind, you might begin to hear the humming
of bees, then the chirping of crickets. These are the various
"elemental sounds" produced as what is known esoterically as
the
Audible Life Stream, or the Sound Current, or Nada, interacts with
the five subtle elements within our nervous system.
It is interesting to note that human cultures the world over have created musical instruments which mimic these subtle sounds, perhaps as archetypal echoes reminding us from whence we have come, and as guideposts for our long journey back home.
fig.3
In the Sufi lineage, it has been described in detail in the poems of Rumi, and the writings of Kabir and Hafiz. In the Western mystery schools it was revealed by Pythagoras, Socrates and Plato, to name but a few. These teachings describe a "souljourn" that is laid out within the template of our own bodies, and is therefore universal.
It is a true science of sacred sound which is precise in its application, yet absolutely non-denominational in approach.
If one
is truly ready and willing, it can direct the courageous soul on a
step-by-step process of emancipating one’s own consciousness!
We usually, nay, always, meet up with a bit of resistance,
and frequently disorder ensues. Unfortunately, most of us have a
strong aversion to this, fearing a loss of self-control. Yet despite
our discomfort with discord and disharmony, chaos appears to play an
essential role in the process of growth and evolution. Just think
how much discord is involved in learning to play the violin, how
much disharmony occurs as an orchestra is tuning up?
A small crystal is attached to the lens which,
when an electric current is applied, creates a specific vibration
depending upon the frequency of the current. Just as a speaker
vibrates, displacing air and creating specific sound waves according
to the frequencies it is subjected to, so the vibrating crystal
transmits its oscillations from the electrical frequencies through
the lens and directly into the water sample.
These notations reference the images as found in the new edition of the Cymatics book.
But as soon as the frequency changes, guess what happens?
This stable structure dissolves into chaos. The end of the world? Hardly! As the frequency steadily increases, a remarkable thing occurs. At a certain frequency the water sample spontaneously re-organizes into a more intricately structured form. Even though the frequency is steadily rising, the new figure doesn’t emerge gradually.
Rather at a given moment it transforms into a new harmonic structure, reminiscent of the quantum leap seen in sub-atomic physics.
Instead of "isolated" concentric rings, we see rays coming out from the center, penetrating and re-shaping these rings into pentagonal forms (fig. 5).
As the frequency increases, the same process recurs -- chaos, and then re-integration -- with a higher order of intricacy and harmonic coherency reflecting the higher vibration, or frequency.
We begin to see elements that look like flower petals, mandalas and stained glass windows. (fig. 6, 7 and 8)
fig.7 fig.8
So in addition to demonstrating the inherent organizing principle of sound, these fascinating experiments graphically depict phases of dissolution and re-integration.
fig.9
But we are most interested in how they manifest in our lives. A sudden illness, the loss of a loved one, or ones job for that matter... chaos and disorder appear unexpectedly, and in many diverse ways.
How we view these things has a lot to do with how they impact us.
fig.10
Being universal, these phenomena reside within our consciousness as well.
Once we become aware of this, we can access the tremendous
equanimity that arises from "what the opposites have in common." We
need not be swept up in the daily dramas, the cycles of creation and
dissolution which are constantly occurring about us. From the still
center of our being, we know that we are a part of that which
animates all of this, the sound, and not just the substance, in its
constant state of agitation.
To me, this is a clear indication of the spiritual
renaissance which is accelerating as humankind moves through this
millennial portal in our evolution.
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