How does sound influnce healing? Is there a relationship between sound and the body's internal system of organs, glands and psycho-spiritual centers (Chakras)? Find out the answers to these and other mysteries in the interview with musician Jonathan Goldman.
by Michael Lohr
{mosgoogle} I’ve been fascinated by sound, harmonics and tonality for many years. Several years ago while playing and recording a series of soothing electric guitar passages, which was low octave in nature, an odd thing happened. A friend of mine was sitting against the studio wall with his eyes closed. It looked as if he had fallen asleep, but later he told me he first felt an odd shudder, sort of a peculiar quiver. Then he said it felt as if he was slowly falling through the wall onto his back, as if his soul had dislodged itself from his flesh body. It was as if playing those octave notes resonated deep within his consciousness and he became overcome by a meditative trance. He said that when he “came to” he felt refreshed as if he had a night’s sleep. From that point on I was captivated by the transformative properties of the sound spectrum. So when the opportunity to interview Jonathan Goldman arose, I jumped at the chance.
Jonathan Goldman is an internationally acknowledged authority in the field of sound healing and a pioneer in the field of harmonics. An author, teacher, musician and world-renowned sound researcher, he has worked with masters of sound from both scientific and spiritual traditions including the Dalai Lama’s Chanting Gyuto and Gyume Monks. He has also been blessed by the Chant Master of the Drepung Loseling Monastery to teach Tibetan Overtone Chanting. He holds a BS in Film Production from Boston UniversityLesley College. He is also a lecturing member of the International Society for Music and Medicine. and a Master’s Degree in Sound Healing Research from
ML: Let’s begin by delving into just exactly what healing sound is and how it works. Could you please give us an overview?
JG: The ancients understood what our modern physicists are now saying: that everything is in a state of vibration. From the electrons moving around the nucleus of an atom to planets in distant galaxies moving around their suns, everything is in motion and therefore, creating a vibration. This vibration may be perceived of as being a sound. Everything also has it’s own resonance. Resonance is the natural vibratory frequency of an object. This includes the human body-- Every organ, every bone, every tissue, every system of the body is creating a sound. When we are in a state of health, we’re like an extraordinary orchestra that’s playing a wonderful symphony of the self. But what happens if the second violin player loses their sheet music? They begin to play out of tune, and pretty soon the entire string section sounds bad. Pretty soon, in fact, the entire orchestra is off. This is a metaphor for disease. With regard to sound, I ask, “What if we could somehow give the string player back her sheet music?” What if we could somehow project the correct resonant frequency to that part of the body that is vibrating out of harmony, and cause it to vibrate back into its normal, healthy rhythm, restoring it to a condition of health? That’s the basic principle of using sound as a healing modality.
ML: When people say that they can relax or fall asleep better to the sound of wind or rain, is this a natural, functioning sound healing method at work?
JG: Indeed it is. The sounds of nature seem to that fall within what is called the “alpha” brainwave bandwidth—that is, frequencies around 7 to 12 cycles per second. These sounds help generate calmness and relaxation by themselves. That’s why there are a number of recordings that simply feature these nature sounds. They’re very effective at instilling tranquility.
ML: So tell me about the Sound Healers Association, of which you are a founder. What are your mission goals?
JG: The Sound Healers Association was founded in 1982 as an organization dedicated to the research and awareness of the uses of sound and music as therapeutic and transformational modalities. We’re around and even more active 25 years later.
We have many different mission goals. Some of them are: 1. To research and explore the uses of sound and music for well-being, to share and promote awareness of this knowledge and to network internationally those active in such work for the betterment of all. 2. To promote the education and awareness of the therapeutic and transformative uses of sound and music, including dissemination of information and activities such as music and toning groups in hospitals, hospices, holistic centers and schools. 3. To network people involved in the area of sound, music and the health profession, including an International Directory of SHA members. These are just some of the goals. I invite all those interested to visit our newly designed website: www.soundhealersassociation.org We’ve got some amazing material on there including a Sonic Library that’s available to members with which allows you to listen to guest lectures from some of the great founding pioneers of Sound Healing.
ML: I personally have had many encounters with resonance, but one in particular that I remember was a couple of years ago, while walking through a Native American craft boutique, I came upon a display of large, hand made, bronze wind chimes. I was tired from a long trip, had a headache and felt a bit washed out so to speak. Also my mental focus was diminished. When I touched a bigger set of chimes the sound was so wondrous. It reverberated through me so thoroughly that my entire physical and mental disposition changed instantaneously. Not only that but I suddenly began to channel my artistic muse with greater clarity. This was amazing. How could a random encounter with tonality cause such a dramatic change?
JG: Luck and good karma. I say this because I know of a number of people who have had similar experiences somehow finding themselves in situations where they were exposed to sounds that balanced and harmonized them. It really made them believe in the power of sound to heal and transform. At the same time, I also know of people who have been tired and worn out and heard a sound that somehow aggravated the situation and made it even worse. So there’s an aspect of being in the right place at the right time with regard to your experience.
Now, with this in mind, I will tell you a brief story. A friend of mine who was a music writer (and in truth, quite a non-believer in the power of sound to heal) came to visit me. She got out of her car after having driven for many hours and was feeling quite tired with a powerful headache. I immediately sat her down, pulled out a set of Pythagorean Tuning Forks that were cut to the very specific (and healing ratio) of 2:3, and hit them together. Then, I brought the tuning forks around her head and her energy field. These tuning forks are extraordinary for bringing balance and harmony and indeed my friend’s headache immediately vanished. She felt revitalized and rejuvenated after just a couple of minutes of therapeutic sound. And she became a believer in the power of sound. I tell you this story because my hunch is that those chimes that you experienced in the store probably utilized these same ratios as these tuning forks and thus you had a healing experience because the chimes were actually sound healing tools.
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ML: What is the science of cymatics? Some people think that cymatics/acoustics may be the lost technology of the ancients.
JG: Cymatics is actually a Greek word that means “wave form”, because sound travels as a wave. I believe the word was coined by the Swiss Medical Doctor, Hans Jenny, who used it to describe his experiments showing the ability of sound on matter to create form. Cymatic Therapy was the term used by Dr. Peter Guy Manners of England to describe a therapy that utilized an instrument he created which used the direct application of sound on the body for healing. I certainly believe this use of projecting sound into the body for healing is one of the major technologies for healing that is both ancient and futuristic. Besides using a device such as the Cymatic Instrument, one can also use the voice as an extraordinary vehicle for projecting sound into the body. I call this particular technique of using the voice to scan the body and project specific harmonic frequencies into it “Overtoning”. There is a chapter in my book Healing Sounds (Inner Traditions) on this topic. The use of the Cymatic Instrument is futuristic. The use of the voice is quite ancient. Yet both are valid and both work.
ML: You had a chance meeting with Mysteries Magazine editor Kim Guarnaccia in Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland. She told me about you demonstrating your vocal healing talents. She said she was amazed at what happened. Could you please elaborate upon this experience?
JG: This is an extraordinary story. I had been teaching at Findhorn, a spiritual community in Scotland. My wife Andi and I had a couple of days before we were to be picked up in Edinborough, Scotland and driven to another location in the north of England where we would teach. One of Andi’s best friends was supposed to be married in Rosslyn Chapel on that particular day. Despite the fact that her friend (being in the USA) was unable to get married at Rosslyn on that day, Andi asked our driver if we could stop off to pay honor to her friend and visit Rosslyn Chapel.
In truth, I did not have a clue about Rosslyn Chapel—no idea about its history, legend or anything like that. Actually, I was a bit reluctant to even go there, wanting simply to travel to the next location where my teaching would occur. But I went along with the idea and so we arrived at Rosslyn Chapel. To be truthful, Rosslyn Chapel was under construction. It was raining that day and everything looked pretty dismal. Nevertheless we went in. My wife Andi was looking all around, at the marvelous architecture, etc., but, I was guided to the crypt—which was this stone area in what seemed like a remote region of Rosslyn. I was guided there to make some tones. This is not unusual because if possible, I like to make sounds in any sacred places I happen to visit. I looked around and didn’t see anyone near me. Rosslyn Chapel, in fact, was pretty well deserted. I though I could make some tones and see what happened.
While I’ve not yet visited the Pyramids, I’ve taught students a very simple technique using the voice that allows you to scan the room and determine the resonant frequency of the room. This is actually the same technique I describe in the “Overtoning” chapter of Healing Sounds. I did this technique in the crypt at Rosslyn Chapel, and sure enough both a frequency and a harmonic of sound almost immediately manifested for me. So I made this sound and something fantastic happened. First and foremost, the sound became loud beyond belief. And second, I became aware of a powerful light manifesting in the crypt. Well, as a sound person, this experience was a bit like heaven or Nirvana or whatever you want to call it. And so I forgot myself and really got involved in this feedback loop of sound and light that I was helping to create. I really don’t know how long I did this, but when I finally remembered where I was and what I was doing, I opened my eyes and became aware that there was someone behind me.
I sheepishly turned around and there was a woman who seemed to be shedding a tear or two and I felt awful—assuming I had been disturbing her. “I’m really sorry,” I began.
“No,” this woman said. “Now I finally understand how sound was used in ancient Egypt to heal”.
I did a double take, trying to believe that the universe had someone attracted to this experience someone such as this. I simply smiled and gave this woman my card and walked away. The woman turned out to be your editor, Kim.
I will tell you a couple of other things. First, this was several years before The DaVinci Code and I had no knowledge of the uniqueness of Rosslyn Chapel. (In the book you may remember that Rosslyn plays an important role in the Holy Grail). Second, I had never had an experience quite like that before, and my inner guidance immediately told me that the crypt, while made of stone (I think marble or quartz) was actually somehow suspended above another chamber and that this was one of the reasons it resonated so powerfully. I also because aware that there was something immensely sacred that was underneath the crypt which helped create the light I had experienced.
As I was leaving Rosslyn Chapel, I stopped by this small shop that had a number of books and souvenirs. I looked at the sales person and asked: “What’s so special about this place?” They replied: “Well, depending upon who you believe, it’s either got the Holy Grail or the Skull of Christ or the Ark of the Covenant.” I thanked them, bought a book about the place and left for my next teaching.
After The DaVinci Code came out, there was this speculation about the Holy Grail (the remains of Mary Magdalene) being in the Glass Pyramid in the Lourve. Without going into further explanation, I will tell you that it is my inner knowing that while this Glass Pyramid contains many works of art, it does not contain these sacred remains of the Holy Grail. Underneath the crypt at Rosslyn (which amazingly was fictionally was visualized in The DaVinci Code movie) however, I think is another story. I think there’s something there and I trust it will remain hidden for quite some time.
ML: If our magnetic poles shift, and according to scientists we are in the beginning stages of a polarity shift, will that change the vibrations of our natural world?
JG: I think this already beginning to occur. Some speculate that the Schumann Resonance, which is said to be the vibrational frequency of the ionosphere of the planet—kind of like the frequency of the Earth’s auric field—is changing. It currently is resonating at around 8 HZ (cycles per second) and some think if it is moving up to 13 HZ. I don’t know. I read some information that the 1st overtone of the earth, which is 16 HZ (the harmonics of a sphere are different than the harmonics of vibration string) has become the predominant frequency of the earth. I thought this was very important because while 8 HZ. was still the fundamental frequency, this overtone was actually “louder” and would be effecting us more. Personally, I think that such a phenomenon would make people more stressed out and make it even more important that we learn to use sound to calm and still our physical body, nervous system and electro-magnetic field.
ML: What are chakra chants and how do they relate to sound healing?
JG: In the Hindu and Tibetan traditions, there are energy centers called “chakras”. The word “chakra” means “spinning wheel” since they are actually seen as spinning wheels of light. These centers are sort of the mid-way point between etheric energy and the physical body. In truth, these energy centers are found in almost all different traditions, since mystics and clairvoyants have been able to see them. Each chakra relates to different organs, different glands, different emotional qualities.
There are seven main chakras. These chakras are transduction points-- places where subtle energy from higher dimensions begins to become more solid. The energy from the chakras then becomes more dense as it next becomes the acupuncture points and meridians. Finally, this energy transduces into the density of the physical body. All of these different energies interface with each other. Imbalances in the physical body can be detected through the chakras. Frequently, healers who work with subtle energy can detect imbalances before they manifest in the physical body by feeling imbalances in the chakras. By balancing the chakras, imbalances in the physical body will often disappear. Through shifting frequencies by resonating the chakras, we can help create balance and alignment within ourselves. We can also accelerate our consciousness, experiencing the Oneness of all by sounding in this manner. It is quite extraordinary.
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When I was first investigating the relationship between sound and healing, I spent much time researching sound and the chakras. There are many, many different systems that work resonating the chakras with sound. For several of my CDs, including my award winning “Chakra Chants” (Spirit Music) and its follow up, “Chakra Chants 2”, as well as “The Tantra of Sound Harmonizer”, I used the following system:
lst CHAKRA - Root - Muladhara
Keynote: C
Frequency: 256 Hz.
Vowel: Uh
Bija: Lam
Element: Earth
Shabd Sound: Thunder/Earthquake
Energy: Grounding
2nd CHAKRA - Sacral - Svadisthana
Keynote: D
Frequency: 288 Hz
Vowel: Ooo
Bija: Vam
Element: Water
Shabd Sound: Ocean
Energy: Life Energy,
3rd CHAKRA - Navel - Manipura
Keynote: E
Vowel: Oh
Frequency: 320 Hz.
Bija: Ram
Element: Fire
Shabd Sound: Roaring Fire
Element: Fire
Energy: Power
4th CHAKRA - Heart - Anahata
Keynote: F
Frequency: 341. 3 Hz.
Vowel: Ah
Bija: Yam
Element: Air
Shabd Sound: Wind
Energy: Compassion, Love
5th CHAKRA - Throat - Vishuddhi
Keynote: G
Frequency: 384 Hz.
Vowel: Eye
Bija: Ham
Element: Ether
Shabd Sound: Crickets
Energy: Communication, Creation
6th CHAKRA - 3rd Eye - Ajna
Keynote: A
Frequency: 426.7 Hz.
Vowel: Aye
Bija: Sham
Element: All
Shabd Sound: Bells/Space
Energy: Insight, Wisdom
7th CHAKRA - Crown - Sahasrara
Keynote: B
Frequency: 480 Hz.
Vowel: Eee
Bija: Om
Element: All
Shabd Sound: Om
Energy: Transcendence
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ML: I know that you are familiar with Professor Masuru Emoto and his studies with sound and water crystals. The negative effect on crystal formation due to loud rock music is parallel to your experience as a guitarist in a rock band. Yet not all heavy rock music is negative to my focus or sensibilities. While much of it is harsh noise, some of the music seems to actually have a positive effect on my emotional outlook. How is this possible? And how does this relate to music therapy? I mean nothing works better for me from an emotional standpoint than to listen to Tuvan throat singing, or the music of Loreena McKennitt or Sevara Nazarkhan, but once in a while I get a strong craving to listen to Metallica or Led Zeppelin. Afterwards I feel sated and invigorated. That has never been something that I could rationalize from a spiritual perspective.
JG: Personally, when I first began my investigation into the healing effects of sound, there was so much information out there focusing on the negative effects of rock n’ roll, that I put down my electric guitar for many years. Then, while working on a book, I came up with the formula “Frequency + Intent = Healing”. Very simply, this means that the sound coupled with the intent (or consciousness) of the person making the sound creates the effect of the sound. Thus I don’t think that any one musical genre or type of music can be unconditionally categorized. I believe this is really true and something we should all understand. The formula may well be one of the more important teachings I’ve manifested on this planet. It keeps people from getting stuck in their belief systems that this type of music is bad or only this type of music healing. I also believe that we are all unique vibratory beings and what works for one person may not work for another. Thus, I think that any type of music, depending upon the time, place and need of the individual can potentially be healing and transformational.
What we need to do is have balance with regard to the extraordinary spectrum of music that is available for our listening pleasure. I never found out what the exact music Dr. Emoto used which he qualified as “heavy metal”, but I’m pretty sure that what was affecting the structure of the water was not only the sound, but the intentionality of the sound. There’s a lot of negative music out there—with very negative lyrics, etc. And I think this is probably what was affecting the water. And that still doesn’t mean you should never listen to such types of music—it simply means that it’s important that if music is a energy nutrient for your body, mind and spirit, that you get a balanced diet of sound. Listen to all types of music. Experience it all—just be balanced about it.
I want you to know that after I came up with the “Frequency + Intent = Healing” formula those many years ago, I picked up my guitar again. I realized that some of the most positive music in the world was rock music—the Beatles and “All You Need is Love” are wonderful examples of this. Now, along with sounding my chakras and creating other healing sounds, I also still play guitar!
ML: The tradition of sound healing is very ancient in origin. There are many ancient sites around the world seemingly built with the concept of acoustics in mind. Has there been an archaeological consensus on who may have been the first culture to have discovered or routinely used sound healing? I know that sound healing has been a shamanic practice since remote times and the Hindu culture has a goddess of very ancient origins, Saraswati, who is the Goddess of Music and Medicine. Such a designation combination cannot be by random.
JG: Hmmm….that’s a loaded question. You can investigate nearly all the different esoteric traditions on the planet and find out the ancients of their tradition had an awareness of the use of sound as a creational and healing energy. So, who did sound healing originate with? That’s a bit like asking where the original primordial language came from. Whatever answer anyone can give with regard to that is guaranteed to offend all the other cultures that believe that their language was Divinely inspired and was therefore the first. So, I’ll suggest that perhaps Atlantis or Lemuria were the first places where sound healing was practiced. Since neither of these places has ever been officially confirmed to exist, it’s a pretty safe answer. And probably true as well.
ML: Do the modalities of sound healing relate to quantum physics? An ancient Egyptian proverb states that, “he who understands music, understands the cosmos."
JG: I’d heard that it was Pythagoras, the ancient Greek, who said that. But then again, he studied in ancient Egypt, so he may have borrowed from it when he is said to have said: “If you want to understand the secrets of the universe, study the monochord”. The monochord is simply a single string, that when plucked, demonstrates the phenomenon of harmonics.
ML: What are harmonics and how do they work in sound healing?
JG: When a string is plucked, it goes up and down and while it does this, it is simultaneously going up and down at many different frequencies which are mathematically related to it. Let’s say the first time it goes up and down, it does so at 100 HZ (cycles per second). This is called fundamental frequency. The first overtones vibrate at 200 HZ. And the next overtone at 300 HZ. And the next at 400 HZ. and so on and so on. They’re all mathematically related by whole number ratios.
What’s important about this is that much of nature, from the biological growth to the orbital distances of the planets seem to adhere to harmonic relationships. And many perceive therefore that such harmonic relationships are important for creating healing sounds. For those with greater interest in this important topic, I refer them to my book: Healing Sounds: The Power of Harmonics.
ML: What about Buddhist Om chanting, how does it relate to sound healing? It has been said that Om is the most sacred sound of the universe and I’ve seen studies that showed that several stars are known to emit an Om intonation.
JG: Well, many Hindus and Buddhists believe that OM is the original, primordial sound of manifestation. And I’ve created a CD called Ultimate Om (Spirit Music) which is nothing more or less than hundreds of voices chanting the OM in the sacred Pythagorean ratio of 2:3 (I mentioned this ratio before in terms of the tuning forks I used on my friend). It’s a wonderful CD that some people have on 24/7 because they believe it helps create a sacred, calming and harmonizing field for them. So, I obviously like the “Om”. But I have created a number of different recordings using different mantras from different traditions and I’m very eclectic—I like sacred sounds from all different venues, Hindu, Buddhist, Hebrew….every tradition has sacred words of power and I work with them all. Incidentally, it’s important to realize that the OM mantra can be sounded in any key, so that any information about a particular frequency being the “OM” is simply incorrect.
ML: I thought your novel, The Lost Chord, was well written and a fascinating story. What motivated you to write fiction and do you think there are lost chords or tonal notes out there waiting to be discovered?
JG: What motivated me was very simple—I awoke from a dream in which I had written a novel about sound. As I was waking up, I heard a voice say “Get yourself a Power Book”. Now, this obviously was about 10 years ago, and in truth, I’d never heard of a ‘Power Book’. But within a week, someone had delivered a nearly new and affordable Power Book to me and within a couple of months, I completed The Lost Chord (Spirit Music). I really like it as a novel—many people who have read it compare it to kind of a Celestine Prophecy It’s got a fun storyline—about someone discovering a series of frequencies that are both addictive and create inter-dimensional gateways. This “Lost Chord” is stolen by a madman messiah who wants to take over the planet. There’s a lot of information about the power of sound to heal and transform, coupled with a good adventure. My only regret is that I’ve never marketed the book properly—I self published it, but my area of expertise is in the record business. So, if anyone out there reading this has a book publishing company and wants to take on a wonderful project—just be in touch. It would also make a great movie! of sound.
ML: American prophet Edgar Cayce once said that sound would be the medicine of the future. Are we witnessing the beginning stages of the formation of this new medical tradition?
JG: Yes, indeed. I just returned from the International Sound Healers Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico There were over 600 people at the conference. I’ve been in this field for over 25 years and I can truly attest to the fact that with regard to Cayce’s statement, the future is now. where it was my pleasure to do a number of presentations.
ML: We spoke about your experience in Rosslyn Chapel earlier, has there been any other ancient sites where you have had extraordinary sound encounters?
JG: One of my favorite experiences was in the ancient Mayan city of Palenque, where a Brujo (a magician) took me and several other people on a tour at night. He took us into ruins that had barely been unearthed and were not available for daytime tourists to see. In one of these ruins, he turned to me, pointed at an arch over a doorway and said: “Make sound here!” Then, he turned off his flashlight. I made sound and the room became illuminated. It wasn’t as though a light had been turned on, but everyone could basically see each other. Then, he turned his flashlight back on and we continued. Later, I spoke with the people who were with me and they experienced the same thing. It was quite outrageous. I have a much more detailed account of this in Healing Sounds and in Tantra of Sound (Hampton Roads), co-authored with my wife Andi, we even detail the sound I used in Palenque as part of an exercise. Tantra of Sound, incidentally, won the 2006 Visionary Award for Best Alternative Health Book. We are most grateful for this acknowledgement of the importance of this book.
ML: When did you first encounter Shamael, the Angel of Sacred Sound? Were you surprised by this entity’s appearance?
JG: In Shifting Frequencies (Light Technology) as well as in my recording “The Angel & The Goddess” (Spirit Music), I detail this experience as well. It was my 42nd birthday—I think about 15 years ago and this being appeared to me, announcing that it was Shamael, Angel of Sacred Sound and that I was to act as a conduit for its energy. Needless to say, I was pretty disoriented by the experience. And, since I knew a bit about the angelic realm, and beings such as Raphael, Michael, Uriel and other archangels, I was a bit confused because I’d never heard of Shamael. About a week later, someone delivered a book called A Dictionary of Angels and there was a reference to Shamael as being the Divine Herald and Master of Heavenly Song. So, I figured there must be something to this being and began first working by myself with this energy. I created a recording called “Angel of Sound” (found on the CD The Angel & The Goddess). Then, through this recording I started introducing others to Shamael. From my perspective, Shamael is actually the correct name of the angelic being called Metatron. All the other archangels have Hebrew names except for Metatron, which is a Greek word meaning “above the throne”. From my limited knowledge of Hebrew, Shamael translates loosely as either “Voice of God” or “Hear Me God”.
ML: Some researchers claim that certain types of phantasmal or ghost activity is virtually the same as a recorded sound or image stuck in time, perpetually repeating. Have you ever encountered ghostly occurrences that could be attributed to sound echoes or loops? How would such an occurrence be possible and is it possible to turn such an activity off?
JG: Michael, I’ve had so many of these experiences, it’s impossible to really discuss this without going into a book length article. I will tell you however, that nearly 20 years ago, when I was working on a recording called Dolphin Dreams (Spirit Music) that was being created for the birth of my son Joshua, I had a pretty unforgettable experience. It began in my recording studio after I turned the power “on” for the recording equipment and was preparing to mix down the multi-tracks of this recording. First, despite the fact that there were no machines that were actually operating and producing sounds, dolphin sonics began to come out of the speakers. Then, when I did press “play” and the recorded sounds were really coming out of the speakers (as they should have been), the control knobs on the mixing board began moving up and down by themselves. Something or someone was having a good time mixing this recording without me. I was with a friend who was assisting me with the project and we both realized what was going on. At the time, it seemed pretty humorous. I shrugged my shoulders, pressed stop on the recording equipment and said aloud to whomever or whatever was there: “Please, I’d rather do it myself.” And after that, I was no longer getting such assistance—at least at that level of physical contact. I do certainly appreciate inter-dimensional assistance and that seems to be the case in the creation and mix of many of my recordings. I don’t mind if there’s an occasional track that I never created that somehow manifests as part of a recording, but I think it’s important for me to actively be part of the process. Doing a mix down without me was just unacceptable—at least at the time. I think later on, I did find a mix of a project that I’m sure I never created. And we may have used that mix at another time, but that’s another story.
ML: Do you believe that cymatics or sound therapy could, at some point, elevate or evolve the human soul to a higher level?
JG: I think that ultimately, we can work with intentionalized sound—that is consciously created sacred sound that people throughout the world are simultaneously creating—and I believe that we can totally shift and change the vibrational rate of all the beings on the planet, manifesting planetary peace and healing. I call this process “Global Harmonization” and I believe it’s not only possible, I think that such a process may be the key to the continued evolution of our species and the elevation of our consciousness. We are currently in the process of creating a “Temple of Sacred Sound” on the www.soundhealersassociation.org website that will allow people throughout the planet to gather in sacred cyberspace temples and not only hear each other, but also hear themselves. Currently, the Internet is useful for activating the Global Mind of the planet. In Tibetan Buddhism there are three different aspects of being: body, mind and speech. Sound or speech is the interconnecting part between body and mind. Thus with something such as the “Temple of Sacred Sound”, through making sacred sound together, we’ll be able to use the Internet to activate not only the Global Mind of the planet, but also the Global Heart. It’s very, very exciting!
I want to thank Jonathan for taking the time out of his busy schedule to be interviewed. Truly, he is one of the most engaging individuals I’ve ever interviewed. To learn more about Jonathan Goldman and sound healing please go to: http://www.healingsounds.com/
Jonathan Goldman has produced 23 original recordings for meditation, relaxation and self-transformation, including the 1999 Visionary Award-winning Chakra Chants and Grammy-nominated Tibetan Master Chants. His books include Healing Sounds: The Power of Harmonics (Inner Traditions), Shifting Frequencies (Light Technology), The Lost Chord (Spirit Music), and Tantra of Sound (Hampton Roads), coauthored with his wife Andi and winner of 2006 Visionary Award for “Best Alternative Health Book”. He also facilitates Healing Sounds® throughout the planet.
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Michael Lohr is a university researcher, professional journalist, spiritualist, outdoorsman, treasure hunter and adventurer. His writing has appeared in such diverse magazines as Cowboys & Indians, Esquire, The Economist, National Geographic and Men’s Journal, to name a few.
His webpage can be found at: http://www.internet.is/artist/writer/michael_lohr.htm