According to a 2020 WebMD article, holistic health focuses on the body, mind, emotions, and spirit, or the whole body, when achieving wellness. In 2022, sound healing has become a trending activity in the wellness industry. Sound healing involves using musical elements to improve emotional and physical well-being.
A therapy used for thousands of years, sound healing has numerous health benefits. Using musical elements to treat ailments spans centuries and cultures. Examples of how sound healing and music have been used for medicinal purposes in past cultures include the Hindi mantras, Central and South American Indigenous people’s Icaros (medicine melodies), and Pythagoras’ use of interval and frequency. Regardless of the culture, these musical elements were used to transition people from a place of imbalance to one of balance.
Sound healing begins with the science of sound, which comprises physical and physiological components. The physical component relates to the pressure change that causes vibrations to resonate on the middle and outer physiology. Its psychology (psychoacoustics) explains how humans interpret sound in the brain.
Researchers have also found a connection between sound and health and sound and healing. While science has explained how people hear a sound, they are still working on determining how sound is perceived because it is more complex.
However, they do know how different musical elements can impact health and well-being. The various ways that music has improved health are through listening to music, playing an instrument, meditating, singing along to music, and moving to the beat.
For example, neurologic music therapy has positive impacts on reducing stress, pain management, and relaxation. Researchers have found that a 30-minute music therapy session in conjunction with traditional care positively reduces pain if done after spinal surgery. In comparison with prescription drugs, music therapy has been proven to reduce anxiety levels before surgery.
The Bonny Method and the Nordoff-Robbins method of music therapy positively impact mental health and development. The Bonny Method, named after Helen L. Bonny, Ph.D., involves using classical music and imagery to help a patient explore personal growth, awareness, and transformation. In 2017, researchers found promising evidence that showed this method might improve psychological and physiological issues in adults dealing with mental and medical needs.
The Nordoff-Robbins method enlists experienced musicians in their two-year master’s program. Once trained, these musicians create music familiar to the person being treated, create new music together, or work toward a performance. This method is typically used to treat children dealing with developmental delays, mental health issues, dementia, autism, and learning difficulties, among other conditions.
Another common therapy involves using metal tuning forks to apply vibrations to different body parts. Participants release tension and energy by tuning fork therapy while promoting emotional balance. Like acupuncture, tuning fork therapy uses sound frequencies to create stimulation and is said to relieve muscle and bone pain.
Finally, brain entrainment involves using a stable frequency to tap into the brain waves. Rhythm and frequency make it possible for the person down-shift from a normal waking state to relaxed consciousness to a meditative state and then to deep sleep. This method is believed to treat various conditions, including anxiety and pain, among other conditions.
Sound healing is not just relegated to the confines of psychology. Investors in Silicon Valley have backed start-ups with a platform that combines psychoacoustics with artificial intelligence. For example, in November 2021, the start-up Endel introduced AI Lullaby, an adaptive soundscape or a combination of sounds that create a multi-auditory experience.
Factoring in location, weather, and natural light exposure, the soundscape helps children and adults fall asleep. Brain.FM is another platform that uses functional music to help users achieve focus or sleep while reducing distractions.
