Tuning In to the Spirit of Music

By Dudley Evenson

---

We didn't start out to make "healing music"

---

Chanting voices mingled with the sounds of an ancient culture as soft light from the setting sun filtered through the haze of smoke and incense. In this timeless scene, a crowd of worshippers flowed in a clockwise circle around the perimeter of the temple and twenty monks in their maroon robes swayed back and forth to their own harmonic prayers. A man with a long beard took out his flute and joined them in a moment of spiritual connection that seemed to bridge language and culture.

My video camera was rolling, capturing this mystical moment on digital tape. The flute player was my husband, Dean Evenson, who was gathering material for his album Ascension to Tibet. We had recently attended a workshop with His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet and were inspired to travel to this ancient land to experience the majestic Himalayas, the world’s highest mountains, and also to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. This was one stop on a spiritual journey that has spanned a lifetime as we have pursued our mission of Peace Through Music. The path has led us to explore many cultures and traditions and to collaborate with musicians from Russia, China, India, Tibet, Europe, Australia and even Native American cultures who may have spoken little English, but who were able, through the universal language of music, to communicate in ways that transcended our differences and brought us closer together.

What we discovered along the way has helped us to understand how deeply intertwined the essence of spirituality is with the healing power of music. Our initial impulse to create peaceful music over 25 years ago had come from our being part of the ’60s generation that realized war is not an answer to our problems. When we reached into the depths of peace, we found the spirit, and from there, the essence of healing could begin to unfold. Somehow the music of flute and harp in harmony with the sounds of nature that we began creating in those early days seemed to give people something they were also yearning for—a quiet space for contemplation and meditation. As the feedback came in, we learned that the music also supported the healing process. We wondered how this was happening and began to do the research that would allow us to understand the process better.

One of the first things we sought to understand was the nature of a quiet mind. Through the meditation process, the mind is better able to direct the life force or chi energy to enhance the natural healing processes of the body and strengthen the immune system via the spirit. One’s attitudes and thoughts set the tone for the rest of the body and either block and restrict the energy, or relax and let the system flow in a natural balance. Peaceful, instrumental music that does not have repeated refrains and musical ‘hooks’ does not engage the mind by giving it something familiar to attach itself to, yet at the same time, it can give a soft focus to distract the mind from worrisome and stressful thoughts and even chronic or intense pain. Music that is peaceful yet uplifting, joyful but not imposing, can be a great support in reaching that centered state. We live in such a materialistic society that we sometimes need an extra assist to unwind from the stresses of our lives and reach that place of inner peace. Music is the perfect bridge to the spirit.

Sometimes what is created intuitively with sincere intention can be even more significant than what might come about through scientific research and double blind studies. Even though Dean had received a masters degree in molecular biology and understood the scientific process, it was the spiritual and creative aspects of life that he wanted to understand. We didn’t start out to make “healing music,” but rather we wanted to bring forth a message from the earth itself. From our contacts with Native American spiritual elders, we had developed a strong concern for the planet we saw being threatened by modern progress. The peace we were striving for was also a reaction to the stresses of this modern society which had lost touch with nature and was running rampant, leaving dis-ease and illness in its wake. As we were soon to realize, the effectiveness of the music has as much to do with the intention of the musician as it does with other factors. What those factors were, we also wanted to understand.

Slow music with natural sounds certainly is very much a part of the effectiveness of the music in the healing process, but how does that work to affect the human biology? We became aware of the concepts of resonance and entrainment. Music can actually have a direct effect on the bodily systems by helping to slow down the breath rate, lower blood pressure, and stabilize the circulatory and digestive systems. The slower paced music becomes a natural pacemaker by entraining the bodily systems with the pace of the music. Healing is about re-aligning the body with its own already-existing divine plan and returning to a dynamic state of balance from a temporary state of imbalance. A primary way sound heals is through physical and emotional resonance. Resonance occurs when two energy systems vibrate at the same frequency. Thus, the body and even the mind resonate with the pacing but also with the intention and essence of the music.

Dean’s scientific background led him to investigate this process of entrainment. He began to incorporate the Earth Resonance Frequency into the music. The very slow, sub audio frequency of 7.8 Hertz (cycles per second) is actually the frequency of the earth’s atmospheric cavity and it just so happens to be the same frequency the brain emits when in the Alpha state. The brain varies in frequency depending on one’s state of consciousness and activity. When a person is very active and in a linear, rational thinking mode, Beta brainwaves are emitted which are in the range of 14-20 or more cycles per second. Dropping down into a more meditative state where one is awake and alert, yet calm and relaxed, Alpha waves occur (7-14 cycles). This is a state of high receptivity to healing. Thus the Earth Resonance Frequency of 7.8 hertz is very similar to the brain on the cusp of Alpha and Theta. By including this frequency under the mix of the music, the brainwaves actually entrain to that frequency and allow the brain/mind state to slow down and be more receptive to healing.

Focusing the mind (the power of intention and one-sightedness) has a powerful ability to manifest. This is not hooky pokey but the actuality of putting the thoughts of the mind into action. We do this everyday by “getting an idea” and then “going ahead and doing something about it.” Through mantra, prayer, and visualization, we can direct the attention of our minds toward higher levels of consciousness, toward manifestation of our goals and dreams, and even toward healing.

In the ancient Sanskrit language of India, the word “mantra” literally means “mind protection.” Another way we can clear and quiet our minds is through the use of mantra. This may be a sacred sound, phrase or affirmation that we repeat in our mind or say aloud many times. Sometimes people use prayer beads to “count their prayers,” such as the rosary of the Catholics or prayer beads of India and Tibet. The goal is not to reach a certain number of repetitions but rather to give the mind a focus that will prevent unwanted thoughts or worries from creeping in.

Chanting has a healing effect for various reasons. First, the tone of the chanting affects the body at a cellular level causing the molecules to vibrate in resonance with the tones. The breath also is very important since without breath, life ceases. Thus, by chanting a mantra, one increases the flow of the breath and oxygenates the body. Probably most important is the intention of the chanter and the meaning of the words of the chants themselves. Chants are often based on spiritual prayers and texts so they carry a strong message in the words. The focus and devotion of the person chanting is of paramount importance for the chants to be effective on both healing and spiritual levels. A few years ago, we were privileged to host several Tibetan monks at our home. When we asked their chant master how chanting supported the healing process, he said without hesitation that it was due to the power of intention.

Whether one sings a personal healing mantra or listens to peaceful healing music, the relative effectiveness is dependent on the intention of the musician as well as the intention of the person experiencing the music. It remains, in the end, a question of meaning.

---

---

Next Article

Return to This Month's Index

Go to the Home Page