14-17 Cymatics final

1 Centre:Soundfrequenciescreate thisradiallysymmetricalharmonic formwithin a smallsample of vibratingwater. This pattern appearsfrequently throughout nature, insuch diverse life forms as flowersand small sea the beginning was the word or inSanskrit, Nada Brahma, the world most of my life, I could only relateto these as abstract religious conceptsuntil I actually had the opportunity to seethese principles in witnessed the formation of galaxies;watched coherent organic forms arisingfrom the dust of the earth.

2 Vieweddelicate flower-petalled mandalas takingshape within a vibrating sample of , I m not describing a psychicexcursion to the lofty realms of cosmicconsciousness. These are but a few of thefascinating experiments in the field ofCymatics,the study of wave phenomena,pioneered in the 1950s by the late Swissscientist, Dr Hans Jenny. Following thework of German physicist andacoustician, Ernst F. F. Chladni, who,towards the end of the 18th century,created intricate sand patterns byvibrating a steel plate with a violin bow,Dr Jenny employed the moderntechnology of the day to carry out moreprecisely replicable experiments.

3 Using asine wave generator and a speaker tovibrate various powders, pastes andliquids, Jenny succeeded in making visiblethe subtle power through which soundstructuresmatter (see left).Imagine hearing a tone, and watchingas sound waves involute an inert blob ofkaolin paste, animating it throughvarious phases in a nearly perfect replicaof cellular division. Or watching as a pileof sand is transformed into life-likeflowing patterns, mirroring symmetricalgeometric forms found in nature, simplyby audible vibration.

4 Perhaps the moststriking image is that of a snake slitheringalong, as if its vertebrae were beingviewed by x-ray cinematography theresult of light reflecting off the wavetrains created in a thin film of glycerinspread upon a vibrating membrane (seefig. 2 bottom right).These phenomena vividly revealcertain universal principles which lendcredence to the proliferation of soundtherapies that are rapidly emerging at theforefront of the holistic healthmovement. Might this be yet anotherexample of the blending of ancientwisdom with the discoveries andpractical applications of modern science?

5 In the video Of sound Mind andBody: Music and Vibrational Healing,biologist Rupert Sheldrake describes ourbodies as nested hierarchies of vibrationalfrequencies which appear as discretesystems functioning within larger morecomplicated systems, which themselvesare contained within even larger andmore complex vibrational structures (seefig. 3 p16 top left). In fact, you can viewthe whole universe in this way, fromThe amazing power of soundto change and shape matter isfundamental to all life andmany spiritual technologies,according to expert Jeff Spirit Issue 60 Autumn PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY JEFF VOLK/MACROMEDIA PUBLISHINGsub-atomic particles to the most intricatelife forms, to the nebulae and galaxiesthemselves all are resonating fields ofpulsating energy in constant you accept this viewpoint.

6 Itbecomes quite plausible that externallyimposed vibration can have quite aninfluence on our physiology. We ve allexperienced this phenomenon ofentrainment,but we are usually unawareof it. Say you re sitting in your kitchenbalancing your chequebook and youbegin to notice that your shoulders arehunched up and your back is tighter thannormal. Suddenly the refrigerator shutsoff and you heave a sigh of drop, your back loosens up,and your whole breathing patternchanges. Well, what just happened? Couldit be that certain biological rhythms hadunconsciously entrained to the 50 cyclehum of the refrigerator motor?

7 This process was first articulated in1656 when Dutch mathematician,physicist, and astronomer, ChristianHuygens, performed an unusual series ofInsights Despite ourdiscomfort with discordand disharmony, chaosappears to play anessential role in theprocess of growth and evolution. experiments. He found that randomlyswinging pendulums of similar lengthswould begin to swing in unison after aperiod of time. After extensiveobservation, he formulated the principleof entrainment to describe thisphenomenon where weaker pulsationscome under the influence of 300 years later, Britishnaturopath Dr Peter Guy Mannersapplied this same principle to treat avariety of physiological that every form, with its uniqueshape, size and density, vibrates within itsown specific range of frequencies,Manners correlated the resonantfrequencies of healthy tissues and devised a way to project thesevibrations via sound waves.

8 Directly intodistressed areas. Through a process calledsympathetic resonance,the tissues arethen guided back to their optimalfrequency patterns, while releasing thetension which they had been the advent of neurologicalmonitoring devices such as EEG and EKG,it became possible to examine theentraining potential of audible soundfrequencies on brainwaves. In the 1960sRobert Monroe pioneered a process inwhich he used specific sound frequenciesto modulate brainwave states. Throughheadphones, he would introduce slightlydifferent audible frequencies into eachear.

9 Subjects reported that as thefrequencies converged, they no longerheard separate tones, but rather anoscillation, like the sound heard whenyou tune a guitar. As the strings approachthe same pitch you hear a wawawawa pulsation, the beat of which is thedifference between the two Monroe Institute in Faber,Virginia, spent many years experimentingwith these binaural beat frequencies,developing precise formulations to evokea frequency following response,or anentraining effect, on brainwaves. Anextensive body of research documents theability of specific frequency differentialsto entrain brainwaves in such a way that adynamic state of balance is achievedbetween the left and right hemispheres ofKindred Spirit Issue 60 Autumn 200215fig.

10 2 Far leftand right:Slightchanges inthe tone andamplitude ofsound, togetherwith variations inviscocity or materials used,produces an astonishingvariety of forms, revealedhere using stroboscopic neocortex. Specific HemiSync beatfrequencies can be encoded into musicalcompositions which are furtherengineered to assist the listener to reachdesired brain states ranging from relaxedor meditative states, to those of increasedmental clarity and are also well-establishedpractices which require no sophisticatedequipment other than our own nervoussystem.