Suppose we are calmly meditating in a quiet room. We have our eyes closed. we breathe slowly and evenly. Our muscles are totally relaxed. Everything feels calm. But then, all of a sudden, a horn blasts and completely ruins the moment.
Scientists have known for decades the impact that loud and unexpected noise can create . Research in animals has shown that exposure to the active noise stress pathways in the brain and triggers l iberación of cortisol, the stress hormone (Burrow, et to the, 2005).
The WHO defines noise pollution as "one of the strongest environmental risks to health" and a promoter of heart disease, mental health disorders and other conditions. But if some sounds can upset us and even make us sick, does it make sense to think that other sounds can heal us?
There is evidence that sound therapy or meditation can be therapeutic . Find out more about this relaxation therapy.
Benefits of sonotherapy
In a study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine , Goldsby and his colleagues asked 62 men and women to perform a one-hour sound bath. This involved lying down and listening to sounds from a combination of Tibetan and crystal bowls, gongs, diyeridus, and others. They were allowed to let their minds wander and even sleep if necessary. (Goldsby, 2017)
The participants completed questionnaires designed to measure their levels of tension, anger, anxiety, depression and pain, etc. before and after the meditation. After the one-hour session, all of these aspects had improved significantly, but the sound meditation was more effective in counteracting tension, pain, anger, and confusion.
Why does sonotherapy work?
Goldsby says that sound meditation works by deactivating the body's stress responses that are triggered by loud and unexpected noises. "Sound healing counteracts this stress response by invoking the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and triggers healing in the body," he explains.
In addition to sound's ability to induce relaxation and lower stress, Goldsby says that certain sounds, such as binaurals (two different sound frequencies at the same time), can shift brain activity into beneficial brain wave states. Just as sounds oscillate at different frequencies, which are measured in Hertz, so does brain activity. And there is evidence that binaural sounds can adjust the electrical activity of the brain .
"Healthy healing counteracts this response [to stress] by invoking the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and activates healing in the body."
Tamara Goldsby, a research psychologist at the University of California, San Diego.
Goldsby's study did not include a control group, and thus did not rule out other explanations for the effects they observed. (For example, just lying on a mat for an hour may reduce tension.) However, there is more research to suggest that some sounds and the vibrations they create may have relaxing or other therapeutic properties.
Does sonotherapy help you fall asleep?
A study published in Pain Research and Management explained that 5 weeks of low-frequency sound simulation significantly improved sleep and reduced pain in 19 people with fibromyalgia. (Naghdi, 2015).
"When you're exposed to a regular pulse, you'll notice an increase in the number of neurons firing at that rate," says Lee Bartel, a co-author of the study and a professor at the University of Toronto and the Institute of Rehabilitative Sciences. In other words, exposing ourselves to certain vibrational frequencies seems to bring us to a similar state of activity.
How sonotherapy affects sleep
Bartel points out that different brain wave states are associated with different patterns of cognition or wakefulness. Delta activity in the 1 to 4 hertz range is associated with sleep, theta activity in the 4 to 7 hertz range is associated with relaxation and creativity, and beta activity in the 12 to 20 hertz range is associated with concentration.
By moving the brain into these states, it is possible that some sound therapies can improve sleep, combat anxiety, and help us focus. We also have evidence that sound-based treatments can alter cell activity , in ways that improve blood flow or bone health.
conclusion
All of this sounds very promising, but Bartel insists that more research is needed. "When you review many advanced claims and theories on the Internet about sound healing, many fall into the trap of quackery without a true scientific basis," he notes.
As researchers work to consolidate the science of music therapy, studies on sound meditation and other forms of sound healing suggest that popular practices, including the sound baths that are now common in yoga studios in the United States, they are, at a minimum, safe and may have real therapeutic value.
"Sound is a very personal phenomenon, and different people can resonate with different types of sound healings," says Goldsby of UCSD. "Try various types of sound healings and see which one works best."
References
- Burrow, A., Day, E, W., Campeau, S. (2005) A detailed characterization of loud noise stress: Intensity analysis of hypothalamo – pituitary – adrenocortical axis and brain activation. Brain Research . doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2005.09.031
- Goldsby, TL, Goldsby, ME, McWalters, M., Mills, PJ (2016). Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-being: An Observational Study. Sage Journal . doi: 10.1177 / 2156587216668109
- Naghdi, L., Ahonen, H., Macario, P., Bartel, L. (2015) The effect of low-frequency sound stimulation on patients with fibromyalgia: A clinical study. Pain Research and Management . doi: 10.1155 / 2015/375174
