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The Study of Sound/Vibration and Human Consciousness For thousands of years, ancient yogic sages have delved deeply into the effect of sound on human consciousness through the development of a variety of disciplines such as shabda yoga (word yoga), shakti yoga (energy yoga), nada yoga (sound yoga), and various other disciplines relating to music, singing, humming, chanting and mantras etc. Like everything in the known universe, sound is just a specific type of energy. Like the ripples generated by a pebble thrown into a still pond, sound waves travel from the epicenter of the event out to the farthest reaches of the universe. They go on forever... Modern science has also shown us how energy and matter are interchangeable, and as we know from atomic explosions, there is a tremendous amount of power/energy contained within a very minute particle of matter. Similar to light, sound can be defined by things like wave frequency and intensity. A change in matter is brought about by changing its state. An example of this is changing, say, water from a solid to a liquid to a gas by changing the frequency and rhythm of the H2O molecules with heat. Analogous to this, changes in consciousness is directly related to changes in the vibration of the physical and subtle sheaths of the body. The body, being a vibrating field of energy consciousness, responds to colour (waves of light energy), sound (waves of sound energy) and vibration (waves of energy). Just like breathing is affected by emotion, and visa versa, once the yogic sages of India understood that matter affects consciousness, and visa versa, then they set about discovering ways to facilitate changes of consciousness by the use of sound/vibration and the practice of mantras etc. They discovered that every change in vibration of the physical and subtle sheaths of the body corresponded to a change in consciousness. In other words, a change in consciousness corresponds to a change in the vibration of matter, and conversely, a change in the vibration of matter, however subtle, corresponds to specific changes in consciousness. They discovered that, like matter, consciousness has vibration / frequency / rhythm (ie. A state of balance, harmony, equilibrium etc. or “sattva”); position / mobility (ie. A state of energy, action, expansion, activity, change, movement, force of kinesis etc. – or “rajas”); and structure / stability (ie. inertia, inactivity etc. – or “tamas”). Yogic science has even traced human existence back to the primordial sound/vibration that is thought to have sparked off the "big bang", the epicenter of the creation of our universe. We all originate from this source, therefore the macrocosm is contained in the microcosm, and visa versa. Put another way, if you grasp the workings of the cosmos, you gain insight into everything contained within it. Conversely, gain insight into the microcosm, and the macrocosm is revealed to you. The evolution of matter into a living, breathing consciousness - with a growing awareness of its own existence - has been going of for eons and eons. However, in stark contrast to the slow unfolding taking place in the cosmos, the evolution of human consciousness has been accelerating at an unprecedented pace to a stage where we have the capacity to develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and the universe in which we all inter-dependently co-exist. Put simply, if you understand the small (ie. yourself), you will gain insight into the whole because the same laws apply to both. In turn, the laws by which the Self unfolds are the same laws of consciousness which are common to both man and the unfolding of the universe. If you understand the subtle aspects of one, you can equally understand the other. The study of sound/vibration by the ancient yogic sages was therefore developed to expand human consciousness and facilitate an intuitive understanding of how completely interconnected all things really are. In fact, the whole universe vibrates, revealing a vast spectrum of consciousness. Each object, event, entity etc “plays it’s own music” so to speak. Being made up of minute subatomic strands of energy vibrating at different frequencies, the entire universe; every distant star, galaxy, black hole, plant life, rock or living being gives off its own unique vibration that weaves into a concert hall of truly grand proportions. Everything, us included, are all vibrating entities operating at different frequencies and wavelengths. Specific vibrations/sounds with specific tones, pitch, harmony, melody, rhythm and duration penetrate deep into the human body/mind and consciousness. With expanded awareness, physical feeling and inner-listening, we progressively become more attuned to the subtle transformative nature of sound/vibration. Sound/vibration also has a profound effect on our health and well-being. Human sound/vibration in the form of speech, humming, singing or chanting stimulates energy that has deep and profound effects on all aspects of the mind and body. The practical application of sound/vibration therapy in western medicine not only reduces heart rate and blood pressure, but is also used in a variety of ways to, for example, remove kidney stones, stimulate glands, produce endorphins or benefit the central nervous system. The depth and breath of the yogic science of sound/vibration is vast. A sincere, practical study of sound/vibration via proven, time-tested yogic practices, together with an appreciation of modern scientific theory is therefore one of the many fascinating topics explored in Aikido-Yoga. Note: "Kotodama" is a type of spiritual chanting developed in ancient Japan. Although the ultimate goals of Kotodama practice have certain aspects that are in common with Yoga, the specific experiential sound/vibration practices of Aikido-Yoga are adopted from Yoga and not from Japanese Shinto practices. Julius Aib, |
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