Healing Sounds - A Brief History

 Through our existence on this planet we have been attracted to the rhythmic beat of  the drum or the haunting sounds of the flute.  No matter how it was created, through bone or reed. Through animal skin or hollow log; the beat of the drum carried us to places that were safe, happy and healing. Sound is all around us. It has the power to join with us (resonate) or split us apart (dissonant). 

Healing sounds have been around since we humans picked up our first stick and tapped it against a fallen log. The medical uses of sound therapy walks the same path as treatments such as acupuncture. For example the Chinese believed that the body was affected by the tone and vibrations, and the pain of acupuncture could be dulled by making sounds to accompany the therapy.

Tibetan Cymbals

Sounds were used in healing through out almost every culture in existence. From the Egyptians to the modern world these societies pulled together their resources and experience to create a wellness treatment that consisted of sound.  Ancient Greeks treated physical injuries, sickness and mental distress with sound. This continued throughout Europe where religious ceremonies took on singing, chants and used them for spiritual enlightenment.

Our ancient ancestral cultures such as the Aborigines, Tibetans, Indians and of course the Egyptians all practiced sound therapy in some way.  They believed that the sound would resonate with our body and create an over all sense of calm or excitement based on the type of sound played. That sound held the power to heal our bodies, our minds and connect us to the gods.

Shamanic healers across all cultures are often seen as the produces of this sound healing magic. They were the one to go to and listen to in order to heal the body and mind. Usually the holders of this information were women. Even our Greek ancestors believed that music had the power to charm the savage beast and magicians across these same cultures used sound to provoke (and in some cases invoke) the power of magic through ritual sound.

One of the oldest instruments found is a 40,000 year old Neanderthal flute made of a vulture bone. Drums, rattles, shakers, flutes - anything we could use to make sound, our ancestors did and we still do today. As early as 500BC the Pythagoreans were linking sound to healing. Even our earth has its own frequency. 7.83hz is the heartbeat of our planet. And exposing our bodies to this frequency has shown improvement in focus, low energy, trouble sleeping and stress. 


Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing a lot of information (and science) with you on the power of the healing power of sounds. Together on this journey I'll help guide you to understanding what you can do on a daily basis to bring this power into your life. Experience the healing energy and the happiness that you can achieve though sound, harmonic healing and we'll explore the tools of the trade.

I hope you'll join me for the entire series.

Blessings

Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson



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