Executive Summary
This paper describes the essence of sound healing, its types, benefits, and origins to create a solid background for its implementation into national centers in Saudi Arabia. Being introduced centuries ago, vibrational medicine was proved as sufficient practice to improve their emotional and physical well-being. Today, the community’s knowledge about sounds and their relationship with medicine has to be enlarged. Many hospitals worldwide continue implementing sound healing techniques like sound massage, tuning forks, or audio therapy as their complementary treatment methods. In addition to deep, profound relaxation and improved physical and emotional balance, practitioners report decreased stress and anxiety, an enhanced sense of wellness, and improved sleep. Saudi Arabia hospitals and clinics can use similar techniques to achieve positive outcomes in treating patients with sound. Scientific proof and evidence will be given to support this discussion and cover the main issues of sound healing as alternative medicine.
Introduction
Today, sound has become one of the most powerful healing tools in medicine, and many hospitals consider this idea to be implemented in their settings. Different sounds have a specific impact on human well-being, depending on their forms. The representatives of various cultures use sound as a healing technique that aims to move patients from a place of imbalance to a place of balance. Sound healing is an ancient technique that traced back to Greece and continued influencing indigenous people and Europeans. With time, this therapy has been enhanced to promote mental and physical health through deconstructing music into a pure sound that has powerful effects on human emotions. There are many reasons for implementing sound healing as alternative medicine in Saudi Arabia, including effective blood and cholesterol management, stress reduction, and pain relief.
The Essence of Sound Healing
Sound healing is one of the oldest forms of healing that people know to improve their well-being. This therapy involves using tones from speech, vibrations, and music to promote better physical and emotional health. It is based on various aspects of music with the help of which an individual can improve physical or emotional health because multiple harmonic vibrations produce a great effect. The essence of this practice is to find a practical application of such instruments as singing bowls, Shruti boxes, gongs, Tingsha bells, monochords, didgeridoos, and alchemy crystal bowls. In its broad-spectrum, sound therapy encompasses chanting or listening to the sounds of nature. It is also associated with emotional responses that change physical and mental states and promote a balance or harmony between the body and mind. Sound waves penetrate the brain, reduce memory blockage on a cellular level, and induce peace.
Types
There are many types of therapies that promote the same idea of sound worth for human physical and mental health. They include chanting, toning, the Tomatis method, audiotapes, tuning forks, and Hemi-Sync therapy (“Sound therapy,” n.d.). Chanting is a process of producing pure sound and drawn-out vowels to produce well-being in body and mind (“Sound therapy,” n.d.). Toning refers to the use of voice to relieve stress and pain through sighing and crying out. Sound massage is another type when an instrument (a collection of singing bowls) is located on the body and produces sounds through the skin to establish resonance. The Tomatis method is commonly applied in neuroscience to help children with autism improve communication and motor skills by listening electronically modified music via headphones with bone and air conduction (Brbić & Tomić, 2020). Tuning forks, like acupuncture, allows restoring body-mind balance, while the Hemi-Sync technique contains binaural beats that affect both brain hemispheres (Bhaumik, n.d.). Audio therapy focuses on listening to spoken words, sounds, or music and improving emotional well-being.
Different civilizations implement their specific resources and knowledge to introduce new aspects of sound healing. For example, Tibetan singing bowls are used as a part of sound massage and de-stressing therapy (“Sound therapy,” n.d.). This practice was introduced in the 12th century, and people underlined the role of water as the major carrier of information (Bhaumik, n.d.). Binaural sounds introduce another type of sound healing that may be experienced via earphones for meditation and lowering anxiety and stress. A tone of 200 Hz for the left ear and a tone of 205 Hz for the right year create an illusory tone for the brain and produce a new frequency of 5 Hz, known as a binaural beat (Bhaumik, n.d.). Gongs and crystal bowls also have vibrations that promote mind-body connection quickly, regarding their large sizes and loud beats.
How Sound Healing Works
Many rules and principles should be recognized and followed in sound healing. For example, not long ago, Snoezelen therapy was introduced to pediatric patients to stimulate their senses (“Sound therapy,” n.d.). Today, Alzheimer’s patients can profit from this multisensory therapy conducted in rooms to engage patients in various acts of music production, such as walking before a sound beam. This example clarifies that sound therapy works by facilitating shifts in brain waves and related movements. A person is exposed to a particular rhythm that entrains the brain, reaches beta/theta/delta states, and initiates shifts. At the same time, patients’ attitudes toward these activities and perceptions of the whole practice also determine the results. As soon as a person hears music, an involuntary decision to relax and forget about pain or other problems is made, at least for a moment.
What Sound Heals
Proponents of sound healing explain it as an effective way of treating such conditions as anxiety, depression, stress, autism, and high blood pressure. Alzheimer’s patients are also directed to chanting and overtone therapies to improve memory function. Music memories last longer than other memories, which positively affects cognitive function in people with Alzheimer’s and dementia (Moreno-Morales et al., 2020). since various parts of the brain are involved in music. Although hearing abilities cannot be restored, this approach helps deaf patients feel the music and achieve balance. Female patients may use sounds and manage labor pain and emotional complications. Other physical conditions to be treated with music therapy include joint and muscle pains like back pain, soft tissue damage, arthritis, and sports injuries (“Sound therapy,” n.d.). Sound does not treat cancer, but doctors recommend music therapy as psychosocial treatment to reduce anxiety and relax (Köhler et al., 2020). Music and sounds promote endorphins and dopamine, relieving pain in cancer patients, endorsing positive emotions, and distracting from negative thoughts. Conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, behavioral problems, dyslexia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, and Down Syndrome are addressed through the Tomatis method.
Benefits
Regarding a rapidly developed field where sound healing therapy is applied, people focus on different advantages of the offered practice. Regarding the fact that music interventions make it possible to manage anxiety or joint pain, a number of health benefits cannot be ignored. From a mental health perspective, people get a chance to reduce stress, improve their memory, neglect pain, and even low their blood pressure and cholesterol levels (Bhaumik, n.d.). Music therapy is also effective for creating a better environment to sleep. Sometimes, people are worried about their health problems and unpredictable changes that they need some things to get distracted. Properly arranged melodies or songs allow relaxation and offer more space for thinking and analyzing the world around. Besides, research on sound therapy gives rise to listening therapy, which is used to assist people with motor and coordination problems, particularly the elderly. Finally, some music performers use sound therapies to polish their skills. All these contributions are related to sound therapy either directly or indirectly, which proves its importance in the Saudi context.
Safety
At this moment, not much information about complications and side effects of sound therapy is revealed. Children, pregnant women, and the elderly are able to use sound for healing purposes and stabilize their physical health and emotional well-being. There are no specific pharmacological interventions that could question the safety of this therapy, and music remains an outside factor in addressing health problems. However, it must be noted that sound healing-related treatments like the Tomatis method require advanced training before administration. Sometimes, certification is required to prove the readiness of a person to work with patients who choose sound healing. Chanting therapies do not need a doctor’s prescription or supervision to be undertaken. Still, people may not have enough knowledge about sound healing and its interventions and address an expert for help.
Origin and Brief History
Today, doctors use various diagnostic techniques to see changes inside the body, detect a problem, if any, and choose an appropriate pharmacological treatment method. In ancient times, medical help was based on emotional support, traditional remedies, and social activities. Ancient rituals were often characterized by drumming and chanting, which brought balance and order to human life. The origins of sound therapy came from indigenous societies, Himalayans, Tibetans, and Greeks, who used bowls to produce soothing sounds, improve sleep quality, and solve problems with indigestion (Bhaumik, n.d.; Keneally, 2008; “Sound therapy,” n.d.). Although Pythagoras was a famous mathematician, he also played a great role in discovering the mathematical concept of harmonic beauty that united sounds into an understandable and pure sensation known as soul adjustments. Using his harmonies and various musical arrangements, Pythagoras managed to elicit both sleep and energy to his disciples whenever he deemed necessary. In most cases, ancient people added some herbs as drugs to increase the impact of sounds on their mental health and emotional control.
With time, music therapy was gently introduced as a healing force among Australian Aborigines and Chinese citizens who appreciated yoga traditions, including mantras, meditations, and chants. Hand clapping, pulsating, singing, drumming, and dancing introduced new features of sound healing processes. At the end of the 19th century, sound healing was recognized as a meaningful practice. In 1896, several American physicians proved that music could improve the thought process and enhance the flow of blood (“Sound therapy,” n.d.). After the Second World War, sound therapy was offered to soldiers as a part of their rehabilitation. In the 1950s-1960s, Sir Peter Guy Manner created a machine with vibrations for patients to resonate with their body cells (“Sound therapy,” n.d.). Such names as Alfred Tomatis and Guy Berard also contributed to sound healing because these doctors continuously used music to treat different conditions in children and adults.
Scientific Proofs and Evidence
Compared to past experiences in sound healing, modern contributions and achievements are characterized by credibility and reliability. It does not make much time to find information about clinical studies in this area and gather the required scientific proof. People understand sound through their tactile and visual experience and meditate, listening to the droning sounds of hybrid sculpture performance (Wei, 2019). In Eastern medicine, systematic reviews and cohort studies describe and investigate traditional sound healing techniques like singing bowls that provoke changes in delta brain waves and produce a relaxation effect (Goldsby & Goldsby, 2020). Rhythm is responsible for physical pain relief, and music interventions are frequently implemented at hospitals.
There have to be places where patients get their answers to all their concerns about the impact of music on their health. For example, the Mayo Clinic staff offered sound healing as alternative medicine after professional cooperation with Chip Davis, a famous American composer. They introduce ambient therapy that helps patients feel as if they are transported to calmer surroundings when relaxation and pain relief are possible (Howland, 2017). The John Hopkins University and Medicine Center improved their practice and invited clinicians, researchers, and musicians to explore the relationships between human health and music. In New York, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center offers music therapy as a chance to improve social and emotional quality of life among patients with cancer, Alzheimer’s, or dementia.
Conclusion
There are many reasons for proving the importance of sound healing in modern society. People have already tried multiple pharmacological treatment plans to control their emotions, deal with depression, or manage stress. In Saudi Arabia, many drugs are restricted, which underlines the worth of non-pharmacological approaches like vibrational medicine. Being introduced by ancient civilizations, sound therapy has already been improved in its types and effects on human mental and physical well-being. This intervention has no serious, adverse outcomes, but people should never forget about training and professional supervision. Sound healing therapy can be a part of complementary medicine in some Saudi Arabia hospitals, and it is high time to implement this idea using current research findings.
References
Bhaumik, G. (n.d.). Sound healing – How it works and its health benefits. Destination Deluxe.
Brbić, I., & Tomić, L. (2020). An integrative review of the effectiveness of the Tomatis method in children with autism spectrum disorder. Medical Sciences, 50-51, 49-56.
Goldsby, T. L., & Goldsby, M. E. (2020). Eastern integrative medicine and ancient sound healing treatments for stress: Recent research advances. Integrative Medicine, 19(6), 24-30.
Howland, J. (2017). Mayo clinic minute: Harnessing the healing power of nature sounds. Mayo Clinic.
Keneally, P. (2008). Sound therapy. The Guardian.
Köhler, F., Martin, Z. S., Hertrampf, R. S., Gäbel, C., Kessler, J., Ditzen, B., & Warth, M. (2020). Music therapy in the psychosocial treatment of adult cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 11.
Moreno-Morales, C., Calero, R., Moreno-Morales, P., & Pintado, C. (2020). Music therapy in the treatment of dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Medicine, 7.
Sound therapy. (n.d). Encylopedia.com.
Wei, M. (2019). The healing power of sound as meditation. Psychology Today.