It’s time to face a harsh reality: you might complete all of your everyday tasks with music or T.V. in the background. Whether you’re blasting your favorite album before a night out or looping a 10-hour white noise track to fall asleep, it’s evident that music impacts emotions and moods. Even Spotify has an entire section dedicated to moods. Can sound go as far to be used as therapy, or is it too good to be true?
The Basics
So what is sound therapy? In the minds of many, this subset of holistic medicine may be thought of as any melodic or rhythmic experience that helps us traverse whatever issues we may be facing.
According to Jenifer Caplan, the founder of the reiki healing center Bioenergy Wellness Miami, sound therapy goes further than simply boosting your morale and operates in the same ways as traditional medicine.
“Sound therapy or vibrational medicine is the practice of using any form of sound or vibration to affect the biofield,” said Caplan. “Just like pharmaceuticals create changes in body chemistry, we can use sound and vibration to activate these changes not only in the physical body but also in the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of the biofield.”
Before figuring out the science behind using sound as therapy, let’s first take a step back. Sound therapy’s history did not begin with aesthetic videos of influencers using singing bowls in their monochromatic bedrooms or living rooms while burning incense and meditating. Caplan argues that the practice has extensive historical roots in the mountains of South Asia.
“Vibration sound healing, which involves the use of singing bowls, gongs and other instruments to create sound vibrations that promote healing and relaxation, is believed to have originated in the Himalayan region of Nepal and Tibet,” said Caplan. “It has been used for centuries as a form of meditation and healing.”
Reiki healers and other holistic medicine practitioners around the world claim that sound therapy and vibrational sound healing treatments help patients battle anxiety, depression, insomnia and a slew of other conditions. With seemingly advancing technology at their disposal, reiki therapists have attracted larger audiences and more patients to their wellness centers. Caplan attributes the success of treatments involving sound to the supposed inefficiency of traditional medicines in comparison.
“Vibration sound healing can help to reduce anxiety, depression and stress by promoting relaxation and calming the mind. The calming effects of vibration sound healing can also help to improve the quality of sleep, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.” said Caplan. “Physical items like herbs and pills must get broken down in the body before they create chemical changes. Sound is 100 percent efficient modality.”
In fact, alternative medicine healers contend that certain frequencies can affect the human body in previously unimaginable ways. Caplan holds that the frequencies of 432 and 538 hertz possess the ability to have transformative effects on health in and of themselves — a crazy capability.
“The frequency of 528 hertz is believed to have a healing effect on DNA,” said Caplan. “While the frequency of 432 hertz is thought to promote a sense of calm and balance.”
Now while that seems a little far-fetched, there still remains the essential question: What is fact and what is fiction when discussing sound and vibrational therapy?
Fact vs. Fiction
Scientific studies have pondered upon the same question you might find yourself asking: Does sound therapy really work?
In 2016, a group of Italian doctors conducted a study published by the National Library of Medicine on the different applications of vibrational therapy techniques in treatments aimed at healing patients’ muscles, ligaments and tendons. These researchers came to mixed results at the conclusion of their report. While their study confirmed that vibrational therapy can improve muscle function, physical performance and patient mobility, they recognized that previous scientists found no clear relationship between vibrational therapy and improved patient outcomes.
The European Review of Aging and Physical Activity embarked on a similar inquiry in 2020 with Chinese doctors who wanted to figure out whether vibrational therapy could help elders struggling with sarcopenia, a condition that results in the loss of skeletal mass. Again, while the results of the study revealed that vibrational therapy showed promising signs to help old people gain muscle mass and increase physical performance, the doctors strongly recommended that future studies be conducted on larger scales to create more reliable answers to their research question.
Surprisingly, Indian scientists conducted a 2022 study relating the effects of full body vibration on anxiety, depression, quality of life and stress in university students. These medical professionals found that whole body vibrational therapy substantially reduced anxiety, depression and stress for college students navigating the everyday stressors of university life.
Thus far, sound therapy seems to be a reliable medical treatment for mental and physical conditions. So what’s the catch?
In some countries, individuals have exploited these technologies and created falsified advertisements claiming that vibrational therapy could cure all, including but not limited to autism, allergies, cancer and nutritional deficiencies.
For example, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration began targeting companies advertising bio-resonance devices with fictitious claims and charging ridiculous amounts for these products. Unfortunately, consumers who don’t conduct the proper research into the science behind sound therapy treatments may fall victim to scams run by people without proper medical licensing or training.
Worth the Hype?
In a stressful college environment, filled with assignments, exams and extracurriculars, most of us are looking for simple relief from life’s pressures. So what can be taken away from the research? What’s in it for us?
Balaj Raza, a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism, believes that sound therapy can have a practical use in our lives.
“I suffer from a generalized anxiety disorder and was diagnosed when I was 16,” said Raza. “Due to my challenges, I started using music as a coping mechanism for my anxiety and I still cope by singing or playing my ukulele.”
After struggling with his sexuality throughout high school, Raza began using music as a therapeutic form of expression that allowed him to express his identity through emotion and sound. Although Raza takes medication for his generalized anxiety disorder, he still finds music as a calming force in his life that allows him to take control of life’s obstacles.
“I believe sound therapy is a natural way to cope instead of taking medication,” said Raza. “I personally take medication for my anxiety but when I want to calm down in situations where I am more anxious than usual, I listen to music.”
While the verdict from government officials and the scientific community remains undecided, one thing remains clear: music, sound and vibration can innovate care and potentially transform lives. As of recent years, harmonic frequencies and sound therapy techniques have made their way into popular culture and music.
R&B singer Jhené Aiko garnered award show nominations, critical acclaim and successful record sales numbers for her sixth studio album “Chilombo,” which incorporated healing musical elements and used singing bowls to form the melodies found on the album. Antoneasha Hudge, a senior majoring in global health, believes Aiko’s work has contributed to the spiritual journeys of women across social and demographic boundaries.
“She has been a role model for me and I think that it’s great that she’s integrated sound frequencies in her music,” said Hudge. “I know sometimes Black and Hispanic people don’t care for therapy, including my family, and I think that she’s opening [the practice] up and making it more accessible to people of color.”
words_andrew mccleskey. design_lizzie kristal.
This article was published in Distraction’s Summer 2023 print issue.
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