SOUND AND MEDITATION

What is Meditation
Meditation is just awareness – being in the moment at any given time. One of the simplest way to get there is to follow the breath. Another way is through sound. However we choose to get there, meditation allows us to reach abstract states of consciousness.

Meditation and the Brain
The brain is an electrochemical organ. During normal daily activities the brain operates at a frequency of 14-30 Hertz. In deep states of meditation the brain functions at 4-7 Hertz.

The Brain and Sound
Due to the physical Law of Entrainment* an external rhythm will automatically override your internal rhythms (heartbeat, breath, etc). Therefore, music with a certain frequency can entrain the body to relax.

Brainwave entrainment, also known as "brainwave synchronization" is concerned with this naturally occurring phenomenon. In Brainwave entrainment, an external stimulus is applied (such as singing bowls, drumming, chanting or even staring at a fire) that changes the dominant EEG frequency of the brain.

Binaural beats is a kind of brainwave entrainment that is achieved when two tones close in frequency generate a subsonic pulse that is produced by the DIFFERENCE of the two frequencies (e.g. 100 Hz and 110 Hz produce a binaural beat of 10 Hz). Brainwave synchronization with binaural beats is said to help 'synchronize the two hemispheres of the brain'.

Meditation and Sound Therapy
Some scientists say that the brain receives up to 80% of its energy through the ears. Therefore by creating an external sound that resonates with a Theta Brainwave, we can stimulate the brain into a meditative state.
Resonance refers to the phenomenon whereby one vibrating entity such as a tuning fork, musical tone or noise, will cause a second entity to begin vibrating at the same frequency.

Resonance has been used traditionally for centuries. Buddhist practices use singing bowls to support meditation, trance induction and prayer. Native American traditions include chanting and drumming for similar purposes. Today these practices along with other traditions and new research are employed worldwide for meditation, relaxation, healthcare, personal well-being and religious practice.

For more information on biurnal beats and brainwave frequencies please visit http://www.therelaxationcompany.com/acbrenwibibe.htm

To sample River's Tibetan Bowl Meditation cd visit http://www.therelaxationcompany.com/cd7104.html

* As described by Itzhah Bentov in Stalking the Wild Pendulum (Dutton, 1977)