| Sound.
It’s all around us. Depending on where we live, where we work, and where we spend most of our time, sound, and counterparts, noise, and music, are part of what we have come to feel is an ‘inevitable and inescapable soundscape.’ But is it inevitable and inescapable?
| Sound is vibration.
Knowing what we know about sound, can we use sound to heal, direct our minds to a calmer place, where our bodies can follow? Can we become more productive, happier, and healthier through the use of music and sound?
To experience the full effects of sound, consider treating yourself or loved ones to Noise Cancelling Headphones, Earphones, or Earbuds. My personal favorite is my Bose Noise Cancelling Wireless Bluetooth Headphones 700. I have three noise cancellation levels: light, medium, or full cancellation. I find them very useful when I need to pull back, relax, remembering to breathe. You, too, can become more aware of your soundscape and noise level when you can escape it once in a while by controlling your choice of sound and music.
Considering what we know about sound as vibration, we know that it travels to your inner ear, where it becomes electrical signals, which are then interpreted by the brain. We also know that the body can experience sound as vibration. An example of this is the feeling of a distant train under your feet.
| Your soundscape is your audible landscape.
With our ‘binaural hearing,’ two ears on either side of our head, we can experience where the sound is located around us and where and how it moves. Although we all perceive sound a little differently, we are transported to a new place with a good pair of headphones and well-recorded music and sound. The beauty of good sound is that it moves us emotionally. Our blood pressure is lowered. We experience a decrease in pulse rate, which supports the parasympathetic nervous system, affecting digestion and some metabolic process.
When we close our eyes, we might picture a more beautiful place, a safer place, full of color and light. Relaxing in this way can bring about a feeling of well-being.
Because harsh sounds can trigger our ‘fight or flight response,’ we can experience a level of anxiety, hypertension, and worry, which, over time, can not only damage our hearing but lower our immunity response. But we can use music and sound to manage our stress by resetting our state of mind.
Which soundscapes could be considered beneficial is subjective. As an individual, soundscapes that make you feel more relaxed, happy, or bring your true feelings to the surface, are best for you. Studies have shown that relaxing sounds have been most effective because they promote a state of decreased stress.
Music created by knowledgeable composers, producers, and musicians who have experienced sound healing is most effective. Passive listening can allow the brain to relax by turning off our need to judge, quantify, and file away our experiences. The idea is to free yourself from judgment, criticism, and fear. If, while listening to music, you have a feeling of slipping away to a beautiful place, then this is the music for you. Or, if you feel connected to the world at large, you are on the right track. Musicians have known for centuries the secrets of rhythm and trance and how music can alter consciousness states, either through study or having had personal ‘peak experiences.’ themselves. And many want to share these experiences with you.
Have you ever have been caught off-guard by an upwelling of emotion in the form of tears when experiencing a piece of music that moved you profoundly? Or, how many times have you spontaneously broken into dance listening to music that made you want to move your body?
As the saying goes….
Dance like no one’s watching
Love like you’ve never been hurt
Sing like one’s listening
Live each day like it’s your last here on earth
Music is a mystery we can all enjoy deeply. So, treat yourself to the best listening experience you can afford. You will be treating yourself well, with loving-kindness.