Rediscovering the

art and science of

Sound healing
John Stuart Reid and Annaliese Kohinoor
illustrate how sound is fast regaining its place as the
pre-eminent healing modality. Having been first
used by the ancients, sound therapy has undergone
a period of re-discovery and is now poised to reveal
the intricacies of healing both at the cellular and
psychological levels.
Sound will be the medicine of the
future. Edgar Cayce
ost ancient cultures used the
seemingly magical power of
sound to heal. Sound healing
had almost disappeared in the West
until the 1930s when acoustic
researchers discovered ultrasound and its
medical properties. With this discovery,
research burgeoned and today the
ancient art of sound healing is rapidly
developing into a new science.
There is now a mass of research into
the healing benefits of ultrasound,
including its use in breaking up kidney
stones and even shrinking tumours.13
In addition, infrasound and audible
sound are now recognized as having
immense healing properties.
The Aboriginal people of Australia
are the first known culture to heal with
sound. Their yidaki (modern name,
didgeridoo) has been used
as a healing tool for at
least 40,000 years. The
Aborigines healed broken bones, muscle

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issue 72 CADUCEUS

tears and illnesses of every kind using

their enigmatic musical instrument.
Interestingly, the sounds emitted by the
yidaki are in alignment with modern
sound healing technology. It is becoming apparent that the wisdom of the
ancients was based on sound principles.
Sound: primordial organizer
of the universe
In the beginning was the Word. And the
Word was with God, and the Word was
God. St. Johns Gospel, Ch 1, v 1.
Many spiritual traditions speak of
sound as being the formative force of
creation. Before focusing on current
research into sound healing, let us consider the vital role sound may have
played in structuring our universe.
Recent studies point to sound as having reigned supreme as the prime
organising force of all matter, especially
during the first million years of
creation.4 Of course, sound cannot

travel in the vacuum of space but sound

can travel wherever matter is dense
enough to allow atoms or molecules to
collide with each other. In fact, it is this
process of collision that provides a clear
definition of sound: The passing on of
vibrational data at the moment of collision between any two atoms or molecules.
Sound not only structured our universe, it may also have been at work in
Earths primordial oceans. The structuring and organizing force that triggered
life has always eluded theorists. Yet, science has not yet thoroughly explored the
most obvious and potent force of all:
sound. (For an expanded treatise on
sound as a life-creating force, see Sound,
the Trigger for Life at: www.soundhealingresource.com)
Although invisible, sound is actually
highly structured. In water it acts to
form micro-sonic scaffolding, a structuring process

that causes matter to coalesce in an orderly manner. We

believe it was this dynamic, sonic mechanism that sparked life.
Sound and life, it seems, are inextricably linked.
The vortex of life
One of the greatest mysteries in understanding how life
evolved concerns the helical nature of DNA and how this
complex structure originated. Recent research has demonstrated that vortices in both the macro and micro realms can
be created in water. The dynamics necessary to create microvortices in the ancient seas may have derived from the
bubbling sounds of hydrothermal vents or massive surface
storms. Water acts as an acoustic filter, so the sound of the
waves would become increasingly pure as the depth increased.
This pure form of sound would, theoretically, power the vortex-forming mechanism.
In the 1940s and 50s, Viktor Schauberger, the brilliant
Austrian scientist, was probably the first to study micro-vortices in water.5 These spiral-like forms may be the missing key
to the origins of life since the fundamental shape of a microvortex is similar to the spiral helix of DNA. Perhaps the
DNAs double-helix pattern was a consequence of sound,
something we expect further research to clarify.
The German photographer, Alexander Lauterwasser, has
produced stunning images of the effects of sound on water.6 He
has shown that sound creates vortices in the macro realm under
certain controlled conditions. (See Cymatic insights into the
invisible world of sound by Jeff Volk in the last issue, 71.)
If the dynamic force that created life is ultimately proven
to be sound, then it is interesting to note that a group of
Hong Kong scientists have demonstrated that DNA molecules
can be manipulated through a micro-vortex.7 The group may
have inadvertently tapped into the very secret of life itself.
Their work may inspire others to develop a better model of
how life evolved and lead to a fuller understanding of sound
healing.
The structure of sound
The CymaScope is the worlds first commercial instrument
that allows us to enjoy and study the visual geometry of sound
(cyma, derived from the Greek, kyma, means wave). The
device creates images called CymaGlyphs that are the imprint
of sounds inherent structures. Harmonic sounds have been
found to be the richest source of the mathematical constants of
the universe. Given that many of these constants are imbedded
within the human voice, it is inspiring to think that simply the
function of speaking is an act of creation. (For further information on the CymaScope see: www.soundhealingresource.com .)
Phi, often referred to as the Golden Mean, is the ratio of 1
to approximately 1.618. It is perhaps the most important constant seen in CymaGlyphs as it is prevalent in all living things.
Gyorgy Doczis wonderful book, The Power of Limits, illustrates this point with great flair.

Fig.1a (top): Liquid CymaGlyph in a drop of water under the influence of sound.
Note the fine tendrils emerging from nodal points, evidence of sonic scaffolding.
Image created on the CymaScope by Erik Larson. Fig. 1b (bottom): Liquid
Cymaglyph in a drop of water under the influence of sound. Note the matrix of
tubular macro vortices, in particular the vortex that begins near the three o'clock
position and snakes up to the two
oclock position before tracking
further left. Image created
on the CymaScope by
Erik Larson.

issue 72 CADUCEUS

19

Fig. 2a (left): A pentagon form created by a low fequency sine tone, demonstrating that sound and life are
inextricably linked: Sound can create pentagonal structures which contain phi, the physical constant of all life.
Image by Erik Larson, Sonic Age America. Fig. 2b (right): The pentagon contains phi, the Golden Mean, the
ratio 1: 1.618, that is prevalent in all life.

Fig. 3a (left): Many species of Radiloaria exhibit angular surface strucures, often involving hexagons and pentagons. Fig. 3b (right): Many viruses exhibit polygonal outer shells. Fig. 4 (below): The CymaScope.

He analyses sea creatures, shells, butterflies, flowers and many other life forms
to validate the phi ratio as one of the
defining characteristics of life.
One group of researchers has proposed that the earliest life forms were
viruses, which are typically angular in
structure, unlike the globular nature of
bacterial life.8 Angular sound structures
are commonly observed on the
CymaScope, providing us with a hypothetical model for the way in which the
earliest life forms were shaped in the
ancient seas. The surfaces of microscopic bubbles, created near
hydrothermal vents, could have been
host to angular patterns of sonic vibration. Simple creatures that exhibit
angular geometry, such as radiolaria and
starfish, provide additional evidence that
sound may have been responsible for
triggering and/or structuring life.
Sound healing overview
If sound was responsible for triggering
life and ordering organisms, we should
not be surprised that sound is such a

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issue 72 CADUCEUS

powerful healing modality. Put simply,

sound has the almost magical power of
restoring order to organisms that are
malfunctioning magical in the sense
that we dont yet fully understand how
this is accomplished.
One way to illustrate how sound may
heal is to imagine an orchestra that represents a living organism, such as the

sound has the almost

magical power of restoring
order to organisms that
are malfunctioning
human body. If one or more of the
musicians are playing off key and the
situation is not corrected, it will negatively impact the entire orchestra so that
it becomes discordant.
It then becomes necessary for a conductor (healing frequencies) to restore
order and harmony. The healing frequencies may originate from a modern
sound healing instrument or from a tra-

ditional method such as the human

voice, a gong, a didgeridoo or tuning
forks, to name a few. In a sense, the
bodys absorption of harmonic sounds is
similar to the life-giving energy
absorbed from foods. Harmonic sounds
act as nourishment for the body.
Sound healing practitioners find that
by applying specific sound frequencies
to the effected region, normal function
returns in most cases. The cells of the
organ or system are effectively re-harmonized and re-energized so that
cellular re-programming takes place.
Modern audible sound therapy instruments are non-invasive and are essentially
like playing music to the body. However,
the frequencies they employ are carefully
targeted, unlike the broad range of frequencies heard in music and traditional
sound healing instruments. Cymatherapy
International, for example, is pioneering
a new era in therapeutic sound technologies.9 Audible sound therapy has no
known side-effects and has been proven
to be powerfully efficacious. Thus, we
can envisage a future where sound technology is as commonplace in the home as
in clinical settings.
Resonance the essential
principle of sound healing
Resonance is the fundamental principle
of sound healing and has various definitions. In the context of sound healing it
can be described as the frequency of
vibration that is most natural to a specific organ or system, such as the heart,
liver or lungs. This innate frequency is
known as the prime resonance.
The resonance principle does not

The role of intention in sound healing

Sound is a highly effective tool for healing and, fortunately,
an individual does not need to believe in it for it to work.
However, there is another factor that can greatly amplify the
effectiveness of healing: creative intention.
It may be a long time before mainstream medicine recognizes the importance of intention. In contrast, most
vibrational energy practitioners, including sound healing
therapists, use a holistic approach that addresses both
mind and body. When the power of intention is held, the
chances of a successful outcome are intensified.
Intention consists of using your focused thoughts, feelings and visualizations to attract whatever is desired, such
as enhancing ones health. It seems possible that the
energy of intention is carried on the wavelengths of sound.
American sound healer, Dr Steven Halpern, believes that,
Sound is a carrier wave of consciousness. Ones intention
is the spiritual counterpart of the sound and the combination of sound and intention create the outcome of healing.
Another American sound healer, Jonathan Goldman, created this simple formula:
Sound + Intention = Healing
The power of intention involves consciously drawing on
the universal field of energy. Utilizing this potent, universal
force along with healing sounds has been found to dramatically accelerate the healing process.
Many people fall into the trap of fear, or negative intention, particularly in regard to health issues. It is all too easy to
fixate upon the possible consequences of a health challenge
rather than on the positive expectation of enjoying a healthy,
vital life. The universe, it seems, is neutral and will return in
kind whatever we focus upon. Whether we are aware of it or
not, we use the force of intention either positively or negatively every moment of every day. Our thoughts, feelings and
imaginings are the templates for the results and experiences
of our lives. In this context, like attracts like.
When using creative intention, there is the sense of
being deeply inspired. (The word inspiration means inspirit.) We are motivated to respond to a deeper calling with
a firm belief, an absolute knowing, that our desire has
already been fulfilled. When we merge the minds energizing

necessarily require the living system to

emit a sound. However, another aspect
of resonance refers to cells that are emitting a range of sounds. Here, the
resonance principle relates to the cellular
absorption of those same sounds and/or
their harmonics. In this situation resonance principles are applied to
re-harmonize cells that have been
imprinted with disruptive frequencies.
Such troublesome imprints may have
been a result of toxic substances, emotional traumas, pathogens, or long-term
exposure to noise pollution.
The scientific view of sound
healing
Scientists are faced with the challenge of
gaining insight into the biochemistry of
cells immersed in sound. One of the

force with the universal field of energy for the purpose of

healing and creation, our health and the quality of our lives
can be transformed.
One may ask how it is possible to have absolute certainty about a desired outcome before there is any apparent
proof. People tend to believe things only when they see
them. However, the art of creative intention calls for a new
way of thinking: when you believe it, you will see it!
It is highly beneficial to the creative process when you
act as if you already have what you want. See, feel, and
think as if your body is currently vital and whole. When you
act as if your desired outcome has already happened, the
subconscious mind cannot differentiate between what is
factual and what is imagined and believes your intention is
actual reality. The mind holds immense healing and creative
powers and will continue to work on your behalf as long as
you maintain your conscious focus of intention. Perhaps the
most important element in acting as if is to feel the experience of having already manifested your desire.
Some people have used these and similar tools of intention but have not experienced the successful outcome for
which they had hoped. Generally, it is not because they
have applied it incorrectly or missed an important element
in the process. Their lack of success usually stems from
unresolved issues and detrimental beliefs that are harboured as internal fears in the subconscious mind; issues
so old and ingrained that the person may not even be
aware of them.
Buried fear-based issues and limiting beliefs tend to set
up an internal conflict. The conscious mind may want to
create a desired outcome, but the overpowering, conflicting
influence of unresolved issues and beliefs block success.
Nothing can become a part of your reality unless your feelings and your conscious mind are in alignment with the
more powerful subconscious mind. Many effective vibrational healing modalities are available to resolve these
blocks to well-being and success.12 The magnificent power
of intention fully engages when all systems are in alliance,
when the thinking-feeling self aligns with the underlying
belief system.
Intention powered by the healing energy of sound is the
key to improved health and other improvements in ones life.

many difficulties they face is that the

light microscope is somewhat limited in
magnification to observe the subtle and
complex processes that occur within living cells. Electron microscopes are far
more powerful; however, samples must

ever y cell in our bodies

has a unique sonic
signature and sings to its
neighbours
first be desiccated and typically, sliced,
making the dynamics of living processes
impossible to study with this instrument.
Another possible explanation of how
sound is able to trigger the healing
response relates to cellular ion

channels.10 Situated within a cells membrane, ion channels are the means by
which the cell receives nourishment and
communicates with neighbouring cells.
In dysfunctional cells it is proposed that
some of these vital channels are shut
down. In this hypothesis, sound opens
the closed channels, supporting the cell
to resume normal functioning and replication.
Dr James Gimzewski, of UCLA,
California, has taken a revolutionary
approach to studying cellular function.11
He uses an atomic force microscope, a
kind of super-sensitive microphone, to
listen to the sounds emitted by cells. The
focus of this new science, called sonocytology, is mapping the pulsations of the
cells outer membrane, thus identifying
the song of the cell. Gimzewskis work
issue 72 CADUCEUS

21

Principles of Resonance
Everything has a frequency to which it is naturally
tuned. This is known as its Prime Resonant Frequency
(PRF). At this frequency, an object will more readily
absorb energy. Each component of your body has its
own prime resonant frequency.

The Prime Resonant

Frequency of a
person is in the
range of 710Hz.

The PRF of the heart

is approximately
100Hz.
The PRF of a
typical cell is
approximately
1000Hz.

Fig. 5: Principles of resonance.

has revealed that every cell in our bodies has a unique sonic signature and sings to its neighbours.
Sonocytology is a potentially powerful, diagnostic tool for
identifying the sounds of healthy cells versus those of injurious
ones. But it introduces an even more exciting prospect: the
ability to play the destructive sounds of rogue cells back to
them greatly amplified, so that they implode and are destroyed.
In this scenario there would be no collateral damage to surrounding cells since healthy cells would not resonate with these
frequencies.
Dr Gimzewski, himself a Nobel Prize winner, is one of a
large number of innovative minds at work in our world that
share the vision of creating modalities to assist the body to
heal. Audible sound therapy may offer the greatest potential in
non-invasive healing. In the years to come we may well see
diagnostic and therapeutic beds that resemble a scene from the
futuristic, Star Trek sick bay. We will certainly see a proliferation in modalities in which sound is the governing principle.
Sound heals life naturally.
References
1. Using ultrasound to break up kidney stones.
http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/lithotripsy
2. Paliwal S et al. Induction of cancer-specific cytotoxicity towards
human prostate and skin cells using quercetin and ultrasound. Br J Can
2005;92:499502.
3. A safe, simple, novel medical device technology for the treatment of
solid cancer tumours in the absence of any drug. Gendel Ltd. CEFUS
Therapy (Combined Electric Field and Ultrasound),
http://www.gendel.co.uk .
4. Ellis R. Big bang sound waves explain galaxy clustering.
New Scientist, Jan. 12, 2005.
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6871
5. Alexandersson, O. Living Water: Victor Schauberger and the Secrets of
Natural Energy, Gateway Books, 1996.
6. Micro vortex generation in microchannel liquid flow, YK Lee et al.
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. American Physical
Society. Session JE.004 Micro-Fluid Dynamics, Nov, 2002.
http://flux.aps.org/meetings/YR02/DFD02/baps/abs/S1240.html
7. Lauterwasser A. Water Sound Images, Macromedia Publishing,
Newmarket, NH, USA, 2006.
8. Young, M. Viruses have plagued the Earth for 3 billion years. New
Scientist, no 2446, 8 May, 2004.
9. Cymatherapy International. www.cymatherapy.com .
10. Corey, D. Mechanically Activated Ion Channels. Howard Hughes
Medical Institute; www.hhmi.org/research/investigators/coreydp.html
11. Pelling A, Sehati S, Gralla E, Valentine J, and Gimzewski J. Local
nanomechanical motion of the cell Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Science,
20 Aug 2004;305;5687:114750., http://www.chem.ucla.edu/dept/
Faculty/gimzewski/index2.htm
12. The DNA of Healing, www.possibilitiesdna.com; Emotional
Freedom Technique (EFT), www.emofree.com; Gould C, Hypnotherapy
within the UK. info@christinegould.com .

Annaliese Kohinoor has over 20 years experience as an

educator in the fields of energetic healing and sound healing and is an authorized trainer for Cymatherapy
International. Annaliese is co-author of the book, Journey
into Wholeness (Hara Publishing, USA, 1996).
John Stuart Reid is an acoustics engineer with 40 years
experience. Since 2001 he has been researching the true
nature of sound and working to birth the worlds first
instrument that allows sound to be made visible, the
CymaScope.
Fig. 6a (left): A 60-year old woman before Cymatherapy facial rejuvenation
course. Fig. 6b (right): The same 60-year old woman after the course of
Cymatherapy treatment. Note the general improvement in muscle tone and skin
quality, lending a more youthful appearance.

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issue 72 CADUCEUS

They present lectures and seminars throughout the US and

UK and can be reached through their website:
www.soundhealingresource.com .

Sound healing case studies

Cymatherapy International has underwritten a number of
documented case studies to clinically validate their therapeutic sound device. Only by undertaking such studies
will audible, sound therapies become medically
approved, ultimately leading to their use in medical and
veterinary centres worldwide.
Racehorse tendon injury
One Cymatherapy veterinary study involved a thoroughbred racehorse that had sustained a major tendon lesion
during a race. With major injuries such as this, horses are
usually put down or, at best, relegated to pasture. A return
to racing after a severe injury is extremely rare.
Throughout this study the horse was under the care of a
veterinarian and regular ultrasonographic imaging was
used to document the progress of the recovery. The
images clearly showed the return to normal, homogeneous, tendon cell integrity. The tendon of the horse not
only healed completely using cymatherapy, but there were
no traces of scar tissue whatsoever. The horse returned
to racing!
Clearly, whilst the above study refers to a horse, muscle and tendon injuries in humans are just as readily
supported with cymatherapy.
Facial rejuvenation
Cymatherapy has grown in popularity for its facial rejuvenation capabilities. The combination of specific, audible
frequencies used with simple, isometric exercises
releases years from a persons facial features. There are
growing numbers of people who are enjoying the benefits
of looking younger by using the power of sound.
Knee injury
A 56-year-old woman was involved in a car accident in
2001 that left both knees debilitated. She needed the
assistance of a walker or cane to get around and her
condition was worsening. She was unable to sleep more
than an hour or two at a time because of severe pain. Her
doctor informed her there was nothing more he could do
when he found that her knee joints were down to bone-

on-bone. He recommended that she resign herself to

buying a power wheelchair and expect to use it the rest
of her days. This was harsh news for a woman who had
led an active, athletic life.
As a last resort, she had ten therapeutic sound sessions with Cymatherapy. Her life has turned around as a
result. Today, she can walk even run! She says, I can
climb flights of steps, dance, go bowling, garden, and
play golf, besides doing all of the things I used to do prior
to the accident. She continues, I have been given the
extraordinary gift of having my life back, and the way I
want to live it!
Shingles
In 2002, a woman had a case of shingles on her upper
chest and back. She could hardly stand up such was the
severity of the pain. The only help her doctor could offer
was to prescribe a drug to prevent a recurrence. It took
the shingles about three months to heal.
Early in 2005 the shingles reappeared in exactly the
same areas. The Cymatherapy herpes zoster sound signature was applied to the painful areas for 15 minutes.
After treatment on the second day she reported that the
areas tingled and then began to disappear. After using
Cymatherapy for four more days, five minutes a day, the
shingles had completely disappeared and have not
recurred.
Dental abscess
A client who had a tooth extraction appointment with
her dentist decided to try Cymatherapy as a last resort.
She was suffering from a very painful abscessed tooth
and had been told that the root was disengaged from
the jawbone. She was taking 15 ibuprofen tablets a day
for the excruciating pain.
Several dental sound signatures were applied, including abscess, apical foramen and root canal. The tooth
immediately began to feel better and she was able to cut
back on the painkillers. After half a dozen sessions she
was totally pain-free and she retained her tooth. Her
dentist was amazed.

Development of sound healing in modern times

Technological sound healing devices first appeared in 1928 when German scientist Erwin Schliephake discovered that sound accelerated healing. He
created an acoustic device known as the Novasonic that is still available today.
In 1938 another German scientist, Raimar Pohlman, demonstrated ultrasounds therapeutic properties in a Berlin physiotherapy clinic. By the 1950s
ultrasound had become a widely used sound healing modality. To this day it
remains a mystery as to precisely how it helps the body to heal.
British osteopath, Peter Guy Manners, developed an audible sound healing
modality during the 1950s that today is called Cymatherapy.
Cymatherapy International bought the rights for the technology from
Manners (said to be 103, a good advertisement for his device!) and now manufactures the Cymatherapy machine in the USA. Their version uses advanced
computers to create ultra pure tones, mostly in sets of five. It has 700 codes
that address a huge range of injuries and ailments.
There are many other sound healing modalities currently entering the market place, including personal therapeutic ultrasound units manufactured in the
Far East, many of which find their way into peoples homes.
Fig. 7a (top): The Novasonic device. Fig. 7b (bottom): The Cyma1000 by Cymatherapy International.

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