What Is Sacred Sound? (42(
Conceptually, all sound is sacred since it’s an aspect of the Creator
being. If, as our sacred texts indicate, the original source of creation
is sound, and this original sound was that of God, then all sound is of
God and therefore sacred. Conceptually, this may be correct. However,
many theologians and philosophers would probably suggest differently.
It’s easy to find the sacred in the chanting of Gregorian monks or other
liturgical singing, but what about the roaring of a lawn mower or the
screaming of a car alarm? Many would find these sounds less than
Divine.
In his book The Magic of Tone and the Art of Music, noted phi-
losopher and musician Dane Rudhyar pointed out that there is sacred
sound, and there is mundane sound. The difference between the two
lies in the intent. As an example, the clattering of pots and pans is
usually considered a mundane sound, unless it’s made with a specific
intent—such as healing. For most, the sounds of pots and pans being
used for cooking and then being cleaned are at best an annoyance and
at worst a disturbance. However, I’ve heard the banging of pans utilized
by shamans of far-off lands for healing purposes, and in those instances
these sounds are transformed from the mundane to the sacred. The reason
for this is intent.
Intention: The Missing Link
To me, sacred sound occurs when a sound is encoded with the intention
of a positive outcome and beneficial results, such as healing. Oftentimes
these intentions are for communion and guidance from higher sources—
in other words, prayer.
This recognition of the power of our intent wasn’t something I
immediately arrived at during my initial study of sound healing. Rather,
it occurred in a lightning flash of realization after years of research. But
when it did so, the experience changed my understanding of sound and
its power to heal and transform.
It was the late 1980s, and I was working on my first book. I’d
already received a master’s degree from Lesley University, where for several
years I’d researched the uses of sound and music for healing. I was
taking this material, collecting all the data I’d received, and shaping it
into what I perceived would be my grand opus—a monumental manuscript
of earth-shattering import.
There was a pile of papers—several hundred pages at least—that I
was sorting through to find some sort of common thread for the book
I was working on. This assemblage of papers was the result of all the
research I’d been conducting with regard to different systems that used
sound for healing. I’d realized the power of sound as an extraordinary
form of energy for putting that which was out of balance back into
balance. The theory behind how and why sound worked made sense.
Except for one thing. . .
In front of me were hundreds of pages’ worth of papers with systems
of sound healing that had been used by various teachers, scientists,
and healers throughout the world. It may have been one of the most
thorough and extensive collections available at the time. The trouble
was that few, if any, of the various sources were in agreement with each
other over the different sounds to use. There was virtually no concordance
or coherence among them.
I had systems of frequencies, tones, mantras, and intervals for use
on the physical body (for the various organs and systems), and others
for the subtle anatomy (for the chakras, the acupuncture meridians,
and the etheric fields). I had sounds for virtually every condition
imaginable, and then some. But they were all different and didn’t
concur. Yet they all had resulted in various degrees of healing for the
individual.
Scientist A would use frequency A to treat an ailment. Scientist B
would use frequency B to treat the same ailment. (Weren’t these people
talking to each other and comparing notes?) Spiritual Master X
would use mantra X to resonate a certain chakra. Spiritual Master Y
would use mantra Y to resonate the same chakra. Or one would use
the same mantra for a different chakra. It didn’t make sense. Nothing
lined up.
I remember sitting in front of my computer (this was so long ago
that I was using DOS) in a state of intellectual angst. I kept thinking,
How can this be possible? There had to be some sort of unified theory
that would tie this all together, but I couldn’t see it at the time.
I believed there was validity in all of the different sounds that these
various people were reporting that they were able to successfully use.
Yet, if there was the concept of resonant-frequency healing, and all
these different people were utilizing different sounds, how could this
be? There had to be something more.
Frequency + Intent
I was holding my head in my hands, trying to understand what was
going on, when I heard an inner voice say: It is not only the frequency
of the sound that creates the healing; it is also the intention of the person
making the sound. Then I typed out the formula Frequency + Intent =
Healing, and suddenly everything made sense. “Frequency” was a reference
to the actual sound being created. “Intent” was the energy or the
consciousness behind the sound and encoded upon it. “Healing” was
the desired outcome of the sound. This realization of the importance of
intent in conjunction with sound was a truly transformational experience
for me.
Frequency + Intent = Healing. It’s my “grand theory” of sound, unifying
all the variances within the arena. More than forty years later, it’s
still as significant and valid as the day I received it. The concept that
the actual physical sound, coupled with the energy encoded upon it,
creates the effect of the sound continues to resonate with me.
Whenever I discuss and teach the meaning of intent and its relationship
to “frequency,” it’s never merely as a mental construct, but
something much greater, coming from both the heart and the mind. An
entry for intention from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary is “the
object for which a prayer, mass, or pious act is offered.” This definition
has always seemed most relevant—particularly as the power of intent
comes more and more into our consciousness.
The Power of Intent
One of the most profound demonstrations of the power of intent can
be found in the work of Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto. Emoto
began experimenting with water, collecting samples from throughout
the world, which he would then freeze and photograph using a special
dark-field microscope.
His first photos showed that natural water such as that from a healthy spring would create an image that looked very much like a snowflake. Polluted water, in contrast, created an image that resembled
mud. He then began experiments using different sounds to see their
effects upon water. Certain music, such as classical and New Age,
created extraordinary geometric snowflake-like images, while other
genres—violent heavy metal, for instance—created mud-like images.
Emoto’s experimentation continued, this time by simply taping
words on bottles of distilled water to see what would happen. The
results were startling. When the water crystals were photographed,
words such as Thank You! created the snowflake shapes. Other words
such as You make me sick! created mud. These experiments demonstrate
the power of intention or consciousness to affect physical matter.
For me, the most dramatic demonstration of Emoto’s work involved
polluted water from the Fujiwara Dam in Japan. This water, when first
photographed, looked like mud. It was then chanted over by a monk
reciting a Buddhist prayer. When it was photographed again, it resembled
a snowflake!
These photos clearly showed the power of Frequency + Intent to
affect the physical structure of water, which composes at least 75 percent
of our bodies. If a chanting priest can change the mud-like vibrations
of polluted water into the snowflake-like vibrations of clean water,
we really should begin to realize the power of sound and consciousness
to heal not only our physical bodies, but this entire planet.
Sound and Prayer
When we encode a sound with energy such as prayer and intent, we
magnify its effect. And at the same time, we magnify the prayer’s effect.
Sound amplifies and enhances prayer. Sound empowers prayer. It is not
by coincidence that a majority of the prayer on this planet is vocalized
in some manner, whether through singing, chanting, or oral recitation.
Why does sound have the ability to enhance prayer? There are
many possible answers. One may be that it helps focus our thoughts
and feelings when we vocalize a prayer. When reciting in silence, the
person praying can easily get distracted by other thoughts. Chanting
the prayers aloud seems to help focus our attention on our intention.
This is but one reason why sound heightens our consciousness during
prayer, enhancing the outcome that manifests.
A more esoteric but equally important reason may be that prayer is
a sonic offering to the Divine—an offering more precious than incense,
candles, or anything else. In many spiritual texts and illustrations from
throughout the world, the Creator is surrounded by celestial beings
who are chanting sacred sounds—offering sonics to the Creator—such
as the vision from Isaiah 6:2–3 of the angels surrounding God, singing
Divine tones. These sacred sounds, including those created by you and
me, may produce a deep and profound resonance for all.
Prayer as Heart-Centered Feeling
Gregg Braden’s work with the power of prayer is the basis of The Isaiah
Effect: Decoding the Lost Science of Prayer and Prophecy, as well as
many of his other books and teachings. Perhaps the most important
aspect of this work involves a very simple yet extremely important and
profound aspect of prayer: that it is a heartfelt phenomenon.
While many may perceive prayer as an appeal to higher spiritual
forces in order to request something, this petition, coming from a condition
of need, is oftentimes unsuccessful. The true power of prayer
lies in our being in a state of appreciation and thankfulness while we’re
praying. This occurs when our thoughts and emotions combine to create
a heart-centered feeling that focuses on our appreciation, as though
the outcome we desire has already happened. Rather than “asking” for
something, we manifest the greatest effect of prayer when we feel that
what we’re requesting has actually occurred—when we feel this in our
hearts and we know that it is real.
For the most effective prayer and manifestation to take place, you
must “give thanks” for what you’re praying for, as if it is already a fact.
This “attitude of gratitude,” the heart-centered feeling of appreciation,
is perhaps the single most important aspect of prayer and the efficacy
of intent.
This information stems from material Gregg uncovered in ancient
and arcane spiritual texts that dealt with this subject, as well as the latest
scientific knowledge quantum physics provides about the nature of the
universe. Both the ancient masters and our greatest scientists agree—
we are all interconnected in a universal field of energy. This collective
field of consciousness has no separation in terms of time or space—it is
infinite—and it is influenced by our beliefs and feelings: by our intent.
The most powerful way to affect this field is with the intention of love!
Technology and Technique
In Gregg’s work, he has shared that when the actual mechanism of a
miracle is understood, it then becomes a technology.
For many, the terms technology and technique mean the same thing.
For our purposes, I differentiate between them in this way: Technology
is the knowledge; technique is the application and use of this knowledge.
The power of encoding our intent—our consciousness, feelings, and
prayers—upon a sound in order to influence and manifest change in the
field of consciousness can be considered a miracle. And our knowledge
of how to do this may be considered a form of technology. Perhaps the
greatest sound that may be utilized to manifest change is the Divine
Name. Using it in this manner has the potential to transform the world.
We will revisit this purpose at the end of this book.
As we’ll discover, we have an extraordinary heartfelt technique that
gives us the ability to deliver and manifest the power of sound and
prayer—a limitless source of energy from the Divine that allows us to
create positive shifts toward Global Harmonization. Through the projection
of the consciousness of heart-centered prayer on the sounding of
the Divine Name, it is possible for Tikkun Olam—the mending of the
world—to occur.
Let us now continue with our exploration of the power of self-created
sound to effect change on both a personal and planetary level.
Conceptually, all sound is sacred since it’s an aspect of the Creator
being. If, as our sacred texts indicate, the original source of creation
is sound, and this original sound was that of God, then all sound is of
God and therefore sacred. Conceptually, this may be correct. However,
many theologians and philosophers would probably suggest differently.
It’s easy to find the sacred in the chanting of Gregorian monks or other
liturgical singing, but what about the roaring of a lawn mower or the
screaming of a car alarm? Many would find these sounds less than
Divine.
In his book The Magic of Tone and the Art of Music, noted phi-
losopher and musician Dane Rudhyar pointed out that there is sacred
sound, and there is mundane sound. The difference between the two
lies in the intent. As an example, the clattering of pots and pans is
usually considered a mundane sound, unless it’s made with a specific
intent—such as healing. For most, the sounds of pots and pans being
used for cooking and then being cleaned are at best an annoyance and
at worst a disturbance. However, I’ve heard the banging of pans utilized
by shamans of far-off lands for healing purposes, and in those instances
these sounds are transformed from the mundane to the sacred. The reason
for this is intent.
Intention: The Missing Link
To me, sacred sound occurs when a sound is encoded with the intention
of a positive outcome and beneficial results, such as healing. Oftentimes
these intentions are for communion and guidance from higher sources—
in other words, prayer.
This recognition of the power of our intent wasn’t something I
immediately arrived at during my initial study of sound healing. Rather,
it occurred in a lightning flash of realization after years of research. But
when it did so, the experience changed my understanding of sound and
its power to heal and transform.
It was the late 1980s, and I was working on my first book. I’d
already received a master’s degree from Lesley University, where for several
years I’d researched the uses of sound and music for healing. I was
taking this material, collecting all the data I’d received, and shaping it
into what I perceived would be my grand opus—a monumental manuscript
of earth-shattering import.
There was a pile of papers—several hundred pages at least—that I
was sorting through to find some sort of common thread for the book
I was working on. This assemblage of papers was the result of all the
research I’d been conducting with regard to different systems that used
sound for healing. I’d realized the power of sound as an extraordinary
form of energy for putting that which was out of balance back into
balance. The theory behind how and why sound worked made sense.
Except for one thing. . .
In front of me were hundreds of pages’ worth of papers with systems
of sound healing that had been used by various teachers, scientists,
and healers throughout the world. It may have been one of the most
thorough and extensive collections available at the time. The trouble
was that few, if any, of the various sources were in agreement with each
other over the different sounds to use. There was virtually no concordance
or coherence among them.
I had systems of frequencies, tones, mantras, and intervals for use
on the physical body (for the various organs and systems), and others
for the subtle anatomy (for the chakras, the acupuncture meridians,
and the etheric fields). I had sounds for virtually every condition
imaginable, and then some. But they were all different and didn’t
concur. Yet they all had resulted in various degrees of healing for the
individual.
Scientist A would use frequency A to treat an ailment. Scientist B
would use frequency B to treat the same ailment. (Weren’t these people
talking to each other and comparing notes?) Spiritual Master X
would use mantra X to resonate a certain chakra. Spiritual Master Y
would use mantra Y to resonate the same chakra. Or one would use
the same mantra for a different chakra. It didn’t make sense. Nothing
lined up.
I remember sitting in front of my computer (this was so long ago
that I was using DOS) in a state of intellectual angst. I kept thinking,
How can this be possible? There had to be some sort of unified theory
that would tie this all together, but I couldn’t see it at the time.
I believed there was validity in all of the different sounds that these
various people were reporting that they were able to successfully use.
Yet, if there was the concept of resonant-frequency healing, and all
these different people were utilizing different sounds, how could this
be? There had to be something more.
Frequency + Intent
I was holding my head in my hands, trying to understand what was
going on, when I heard an inner voice say: It is not only the frequency
of the sound that creates the healing; it is also the intention of the person
making the sound. Then I typed out the formula Frequency + Intent =
Healing, and suddenly everything made sense. “Frequency” was a reference
to the actual sound being created. “Intent” was the energy or the
consciousness behind the sound and encoded upon it. “Healing” was
the desired outcome of the sound. This realization of the importance of
intent in conjunction with sound was a truly transformational experience
for me.
Frequency + Intent = Healing. It’s my “grand theory” of sound, unifying
all the variances within the arena. More than forty years later, it’s
still as significant and valid as the day I received it. The concept that
the actual physical sound, coupled with the energy encoded upon it,
creates the effect of the sound continues to resonate with me.
Whenever I discuss and teach the meaning of intent and its relationship
to “frequency,” it’s never merely as a mental construct, but
something much greater, coming from both the heart and the mind. An
entry for intention from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary is “the
object for which a prayer, mass, or pious act is offered.” This definition
has always seemed most relevant—particularly as the power of intent
comes more and more into our consciousness.
The Power of Intent
One of the most profound demonstrations of the power of intent can
be found in the work of Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto. Emoto
began experimenting with water, collecting samples from throughout
the world, which he would then freeze and photograph using a special
dark-field microscope.
His first photos showed that natural water such as that from a healthy spring would create an image that looked very much like a snowflake. Polluted water, in contrast, created an image that resembled
mud. He then began experiments using different sounds to see their
effects upon water. Certain music, such as classical and New Age,
created extraordinary geometric snowflake-like images, while other
genres—violent heavy metal, for instance—created mud-like images.
Emoto’s experimentation continued, this time by simply taping
words on bottles of distilled water to see what would happen. The
results were startling. When the water crystals were photographed,
words such as Thank You! created the snowflake shapes. Other words
such as You make me sick! created mud. These experiments demonstrate
the power of intention or consciousness to affect physical matter.
For me, the most dramatic demonstration of Emoto’s work involved
polluted water from the Fujiwara Dam in Japan. This water, when first
photographed, looked like mud. It was then chanted over by a monk
reciting a Buddhist prayer. When it was photographed again, it resembled
a snowflake!
These photos clearly showed the power of Frequency + Intent to
affect the physical structure of water, which composes at least 75 percent
of our bodies. If a chanting priest can change the mud-like vibrations
of polluted water into the snowflake-like vibrations of clean water,
we really should begin to realize the power of sound and consciousness
to heal not only our physical bodies, but this entire planet.
Sound and Prayer
When we encode a sound with energy such as prayer and intent, we
magnify its effect. And at the same time, we magnify the prayer’s effect.
Sound amplifies and enhances prayer. Sound empowers prayer. It is not
by coincidence that a majority of the prayer on this planet is vocalized
in some manner, whether through singing, chanting, or oral recitation.
Why does sound have the ability to enhance prayer? There are
many possible answers. One may be that it helps focus our thoughts
and feelings when we vocalize a prayer. When reciting in silence, the
person praying can easily get distracted by other thoughts. Chanting
the prayers aloud seems to help focus our attention on our intention.
This is but one reason why sound heightens our consciousness during
prayer, enhancing the outcome that manifests.
A more esoteric but equally important reason may be that prayer is
a sonic offering to the Divine—an offering more precious than incense,
candles, or anything else. In many spiritual texts and illustrations from
throughout the world, the Creator is surrounded by celestial beings
who are chanting sacred sounds—offering sonics to the Creator—such
as the vision from Isaiah 6:2–3 of the angels surrounding God, singing
Divine tones. These sacred sounds, including those created by you and
me, may produce a deep and profound resonance for all.
Prayer as Heart-Centered Feeling
Gregg Braden’s work with the power of prayer is the basis of The Isaiah
Effect: Decoding the Lost Science of Prayer and Prophecy, as well as
many of his other books and teachings. Perhaps the most important
aspect of this work involves a very simple yet extremely important and
profound aspect of prayer: that it is a heartfelt phenomenon.
While many may perceive prayer as an appeal to higher spiritual
forces in order to request something, this petition, coming from a condition
of need, is oftentimes unsuccessful. The true power of prayer
lies in our being in a state of appreciation and thankfulness while we’re
praying. This occurs when our thoughts and emotions combine to create
a heart-centered feeling that focuses on our appreciation, as though
the outcome we desire has already happened. Rather than “asking” for
something, we manifest the greatest effect of prayer when we feel that
what we’re requesting has actually occurred—when we feel this in our
hearts and we know that it is real.
For the most effective prayer and manifestation to take place, you
must “give thanks” for what you’re praying for, as if it is already a fact.
This “attitude of gratitude,” the heart-centered feeling of appreciation,
is perhaps the single most important aspect of prayer and the efficacy
of intent.
This information stems from material Gregg uncovered in ancient
and arcane spiritual texts that dealt with this subject, as well as the latest
scientific knowledge quantum physics provides about the nature of the
universe. Both the ancient masters and our greatest scientists agree—
we are all interconnected in a universal field of energy. This collective
field of consciousness has no separation in terms of time or space—it is
infinite—and it is influenced by our beliefs and feelings: by our intent.
The most powerful way to affect this field is with the intention of love!
Technology and Technique
In Gregg’s work, he has shared that when the actual mechanism of a
miracle is understood, it then becomes a technology.
For many, the terms technology and technique mean the same thing.
For our purposes, I differentiate between them in this way: Technology
is the knowledge; technique is the application and use of this knowledge.
The power of encoding our intent—our consciousness, feelings, and
prayers—upon a sound in order to influence and manifest change in the
field of consciousness can be considered a miracle. And our knowledge
of how to do this may be considered a form of technology. Perhaps the
greatest sound that may be utilized to manifest change is the Divine
Name. Using it in this manner has the potential to transform the world.
We will revisit this purpose at the end of this book.
As we’ll discover, we have an extraordinary heartfelt technique that
gives us the ability to deliver and manifest the power of sound and
prayer—a limitless source of energy from the Divine that allows us to
create positive shifts toward Global Harmonization. Through the projection
of the consciousness of heart-centered prayer on the sounding of
the Divine Name, it is possible for Tikkun Olam—the mending of the
world—to occur.
Let us now continue with our exploration of the power of self-created
sound to effect change on both a personal and planetary level.
