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In the last few months, the power of sound has been in the news, in areas far beyond the boundaries of music. These two phenomena offer sound evidence of the polarity of healing and destruction.

Low Frequency Active Sonar

You may have read--or seen reports on TV--of the whales that stranded themselves in Cape Cod over the summer. What you may not have heard is that this stranding, and others around the world, seem to be related to the 'testing' by the US Navy of a new technology. This technology, allegedly developed as a submarine-detection system, operates at sound levels millions of times more intense than found in nature.

Basically, giant underwater speakers transmit long blasts of very low frequency sound at 215 decibels (imagine a foghorn, only lower). Since sound travels more efficiently under water than in air, these sounds travel for hundreds, if not thousands of miles. The effect on whales, dolphins and other marine mammals, not to mention fish (and our food supply) is disastrous--yet on July 16, 2002, the Navy was granted a permit to deploy this system across as much as 80 percent of the worlds' oceans.

A number of organizations are helping to get the information out to the public, and encouraging us to fax, write or call or our Congress people, etc., to halt this testing. One such group that is spearheading the outreach is Seaflow, 415-454-4443 www.seaflow.org and www.earthisland.org

Several months ago, I recall seeing on 20/20 or 48 Hours, a feature on the deaths of whales in the Bahamas. As we all know, whales use their sensitive hearing to follow migratory routes, locate one another, and find food. Noise that undermines their ability to hear threatens their ability to function, much less survive.

But at this loud volume, it's not just "noise"--it's a sonic weapon that causes hemorrhaging of the physical organs of hearing, as well as their function. On the TV report, strandings and deaths happened right after the Navy began testing. Coincidence? Obviously not.

Since that episode, in March 2000, I recall reading that a causal relationship was admitted. But in other cases, this clear evidence was not considered important enough to halt more deployment. As one scientist put it, "A deaf whale is a dead whale." More importantly, since meaningful testing has not been completed, a full environmental impact report has never been done. Yet the permits were issued.

Even more recently, in mid-September, a group of twenty-one Congressional representatives wrote protesting the Navy's use of its Surveillance Towed Array Sensor system Low Frequency Active Sonar.

Not only that: Five environmental groups have sued the US Navy and several agencies in federal court to block the use of the sonar system. They contend that the loud sound blasts cause hearing loss, internal hemorrhaging, and changes in behavior in marine life.

May Jo Rice, director of Seaflow, urges us to write or fax our reps in congress to show leadership in stopping LFAS's deployment. Seaflow's website has sample letters and contacts, including www.house.gov/resources/l07cong/quicklist.htm#top. They need to hear from us (no pun intended). It's easier, and maybe even more effective, than joining a protest march. Pass this along to your friends, too.

The use of sound as a weapon has a long history, going back to ancient times. The healing powers of water also have ancient roots.

Messages from Water

Recently, extraordinary research involving water, consciousness and music has been published by Dr. Masaru Emoto in his book, Messages from Water. In his lab, water samples from diverse locations were frozen and photographed using a darkfield microscope and camera.

Water molecules, like snowflakes, have the potential to create beautiful and varied crystalline shapes. As such, they offer visual evidence that differences in environment affect the structure of the frozen water molecule. For instance, when pictures of a pristine spring are compared with a polluted river, the difference is astounding. When distilled water is placed between 2 loudspeakers, beautiful crystals were evoked by some music, while heavy metal music created shattered particles.

Dr. Emoto also demonstrated that thoughts and words affect water molecules. Even the way we say something, the "tone of voice," affects the outcome. The implications of this are far-reaching, indeed. If you've been a fan of Larry Dossey and following the increasing research and proof of the power of prayer, you will want to take a look at this book.

Sound can be a carrier wave of consciousness. What we listen to and surround ourselves with matters. So, as more evidence is accumulated that confirms that our thoughts, feelings and words affect our internal and external world, perhaps this major paradigm shift itself will finally make the evening news. In the meanwhile, it is all the more reason to use the conscious tools that we have in our own life right now.

For more info on the water research and photos, visit www.hado.net.

Who cares for the caregiver?

Depending on when you read this, you may already have seen the PBS special documentary And Thou Shalt Honor about baby boomers, their aging parents, and the immense cultural phenomenon of caregiving that is currently affecting over 22.4 million households.

Who cares for the caregiver? What tools are available to help us maintain our balance and sanity while coping with the emotional roller coaster of caregiving? I'll have more to say after the show is broadcast nationally over your local PBS stations. Look for And Thou Shalt Honor or visit their website directly at www.thouhshalthonor.org.

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Steven Halpern is one of the world's leading composers of music for healing, wellness, and inner peace. His most recent releases are INNER PEACE II and PERFECT ALIGNMENT (the latter features Grammy winner Paul McCandless).

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