One of the things that seems different in our time of social isolation are the sounds I can hear in the increasing stillness. Last night I could hear a loud continuous hum that sounded like a distant coal train that never ended. It made me think of how noise can create harmony or disharmony in the environment and at a time when everything is changing how important sound is to our health and well being.
With humans beings forced into such close contact with each other it is even more important than ever to focus on the type of sounds that we are creating. During the past week in my neighbourhood, I have heard two incidents of couple’s shouting at each other, not for a brief moment but on and on into the stillness of the night.
The sounds intruded into the night like a sudden violent electrical storm with thunder but without the benefit of rain. Thunderstorms without rain are called dry thunderstorms and can cause the outbreak of wildfires from the heat generated. To me this is what violent communications sounds like – dry thunderstorms. [1]
The yelling triggered within me heightened tension and memories of a raised voice that I could hear as a child and made me realise how embedded disharmonious and violent sounds can be. Not only to those they are aimed at but to the innocent bystanders who can hear them. Like weeds in a garden, once they take hold they can seem impossible to remove.
Sound is so powerful that in the opening chapter of the Gospel of John, the verse reads; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word is widely interpreted as meaning Jesus, who was Word made flesh and who dwelt amongst us to reveal his Father’s mind to the world. [2]
In the same way, when we speak our mind we reveal to the outer world what is happening in our inner world and not only that – it creates our reality. What we communicate with another is driven by core human universal needs and the way we communicate is often a result of deeply ingrained learned patterns of behaviour. At times of increased tension, such as in the Coronavirus outbreak, it is even more important to control the possible outbreaks of emotional wildfires.
One of the ways we can understand the influence of sound is through music. Music is a universal connector in that it connects humans of all cultures and creeds. It is a universal language and has often been used throughout human history for enjoyment and healing. Neurological studies have proven that listening to music can relieve stress, improve our mood and make us more productive and creative. [3]
Scientists also know that the earth has a sound they call a hum but they don’t quite know why it happens. It is an established scientific fact that the earth resonates to 7.83HZ (or cycles per second) and human consciousness (alpha brain wave states) also resonates to 7.83HZ. The Ancient Indian Rishis called this sound, OM, which they say keeps us in balance energetically. [4] To me this is no co-incidence that human mind frequencies are aligned to the earth’s frequencies.
Human beings have enormous power to create our own reality through our sounds for better or for worse. According to Marshall Rosenberg, an expert in non violent communication, by choosing to transform harsh judgement and criticism into understanding, compassion and connection, we connect soul to soul, which is the missing element in what we do. [5]
Perhaps one of the first things that we can do to prevent harm is to stop and listen in the silence to the eternal OHM, the energetic resonance of the earth or to the sounds of nature. Here is a link to the Peaceful OM Mantra Meditation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnkFJ0NQrkM
The choice is simple but it takes will – the will to leave the world in a better place than perhaps what we found it.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderstorm
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_1:1
[3] https://blog.mindvalley.com/sound-healing/
[3] https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/cyber-bullying-statistics
[4] https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Heart-Beat-of-the-Earth.html?soid=1113912726467&aid=F1WL16yTfGs
[5] https://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/pdf_files/key_facts_nvc.pdf