-In Tune Series Part 8-
Demystifying controversial beliefs within the field of sound healing and modern-day spirituality.
It is a common belief in the field of sound healing that there exist particular frequencies that have a specific healing effect. They are often called ‘revealed secret codes’ or generally ‘healing frequencies’. Their healing effects are promised to be applicable to all human beings, or even all living beings. 432 Hz, 528 Hz, 999 Hz and so on are just a few examples. I’ve been writing about several of these frequency-myths more in detail and in this article I’ll give you my overall conclusion why these so-called magical frequencies exist only in the fantasy world, stemming from a dualistic vision on reality.
I will also explain why this frequency-based sound healing (from now on I call it FB SH) is not in line with the holistic healing paradigm, and what is the difference between both. Obviously as a sound healer I work with the power of healing sound. This is absolutely possible, and even much more effective, without the current beliefs about generalised healing frequencies. With this piece of writing I intend to reach the roots of the dogmatic stories about healing frequencies within the field of sound healing.
5 reasons why FB SH is ineffective
Underneath I offer 5 statements that should make clear why any healing-frequency-theory (and thus FB SH) is a dualistic myth, works ineffective and why it is not in line with the holistic healing paradigm.
1) Applying specific ‘magical’ frequencies implies that all the other frequencies are less divine or less healing.
On the individual level indeed there are certain frequencies that are more beneficial than others. Just like one person benefits more from apples and the other more from broccoli, every person literally resonates more with one frequency or the other. Although this is a complex matter and something difficult to determine, there are surely clear differences on the personal level when it comes to resonances and dissonances.
Stating, though, that apples are healthy for everyone always, is as absurd as stating that listening to 528Hz is healing for everyone always. The Ayurvedic doctor Robert E. Svoboda states: "Anything can be either food, poison or medicine." This depends on the personal constitution and uniqueness of the personality (the latter being not static but constantly in process). Also the current outer conditions (e.g. the season, weather, social context, etc.) have a significant impact. Absolutely anything – any food item, drug, musical piece or any substance or experience whatsoever – can be either nurturing, poisoning or healing. In the same way any frequency can be potentially nurturing, harmful or healing, depending on the personality and the specific moment of one’s evolutionary process.
2) Specific frequencies are applied to battle an illusionary enemy.
In the same way as one chemical substance is applied to battle a symptom, one specific frequency can be applied. Frequency technology is in development these days and starts to enter the field of sound healing. (*1) Whether it’s through technology (e.g. the Rife machine) or intuitively, one of the main goals of frequency-based sound healing is to battle certain symptoms (e.g. cancer or tumors) by finding its resonant frequency and then destroy this group of cells through an amplification of these frequencies. (*2) Although this method is not approved by the scientific community this is an idea that is in line with the allopathic approach; battling an enemy. It’s an idea that speaks to many sound healers. (A clarification on the distinguishment between holistic and allopathic healing is given further down in this article.)
In case it would actually prove to do what is promised, it could be useful in severe cases indeed. Yet, this method could on the long term actually cause more harm. Unless the root of the illness (usually of mental nature) is transformed, treating a symptom – whether it’s through pharmaceutical drugs or frequencies – might push the illness to a deeper level within the human organism. On this deeper level it might cause more harm than the level on which it was operating before.
3) The complex of vibrations that constitutes our human being is in a constant flux.
One of my teachers repeatedly stated that “there is only one constant in the universe, and that is change”. Indeed, absolutely nothing in the universe is static. Although it often seems like that, in reality there is a constant movement of energy. Our human body as well as all other aspects of the human being are in a constant process of transformation. Although our being constitutes a complex of vibrations, these vibrations are in a constant flux and therefore difficult to measure and/or understand through measurement.
One of the problems with FB SH is that it assumes that natural frequencies are static. One example stems from the 432Hz-theory. There is a belief that the Schumann-resonance corresponds with 432Hz, which is not only mathematically incorrect, but also overlooks the fact (recognised by science itself) that this frequency is fluctuating and therefore not static. (For more info on this read my article about the 432Hz-theory.)
Since the mind likes to ‘freeze’ things, static frequencies do exist in human-made technology. A tuning fork, for example, in 440Hz will continue to resonate in this frequency until the end of its existence. Some aspects of our being, particularly within the physical body, have a more stable resonant frequency. One example is our bones. They are more solid and continue to resonate in a certain frequency for a longer period of time compared to other parts of our body or being. Yet, as we are all different, we all vibrate in different frequencies and it is impossible to determine fixed frequencies for all human beings.
4) Frequency belongs to the realm of the mind.
Let’s clarify the most essential term involved here. What is frequency? This is a scientific term that points to the amount of cycles or waves per second. Within its definition we hear that frequency involves measurement of time. As the time-system itself is a human creation, and thus a creation of the mind, frequency is a creation of the mind as well. (Read my previous article ‘Time is an illusion’ to understand this better.)
Hareesh Wallis, a teacher of traditional tantra, states that “any reality which doesn’t have its origin in thought cannot be understood through thought.” That means that we can indeed fully understand the mechanism of something mind-created, like a car or a computer. When these men-created objects are broken, we can also fix them through rational reasoning, as they were created through the mind itself. On the contrary, we can never fully understand mentally a creation of nature, let’s say a tree or a human being. Because of this, it’s not only impossible to fully understand, but also impossible to fully fix or heal any natural organism through our mind. Since the term ‘frequency’ itself is a mental creation, any FB SH method is bound to fail in reaching the roots of a problem that rises within the human being.
5) The mind is not a healer, consciousness is.
In holistic healing we recognise that the mind is responsible for the great majority of illnesses or disbalances. This doesn’t mean that the mind is ‘bad’ or intrinsically ‘wrong’. The problem is that most people, most of the time, are a slave to their own mind. The mind isn’t wrong, it should simply be at service of the person, and not the opposite way. Some aspects of the mind (like imagination, contemplation or even reasoning) might be at service of our well-being. The great majority of our thoughts, though, could be considered useless and rather obstacles than allies. They are obstacles in the sense that they cover up our fundamental, true nature, which is essentially consciousness itself.
One of the aspects that differentiates holistic healing from allopathic healthcare is that instead of treating symptoms on the surface, the main goal is to become aware of the root cause(s) of the illness. Since the root cause is located within the mind (as a deep rooted mental conflict) only a change in the way of thinking can uproot the problem. This change is not brought about by the mind itself (again, one cannot heal the mind through the mind). This change can only take place through something greater than the mind, something that is located on a deeper level of our being; consciousness itself.
The essential core of our being, usually covered up by layers and layers of fluctuations of the mind, is like pure light. It is also called God, among different names. Any name falls short to describe our essential nature, since our essence is beyond mental concepts, beyond the mind. Yet, it is exactly ‘this’ that is the one and only true healer. When we enable ourselves to look beyond the layers of our thoughts, we become aware of the vibrant nature of awareness itself. This is true healing.
One that is in direct connection to this Source consciousness may create sounds that are free from mental limitations. This kind of sound healing is much more effective, because of the lack of its belief systems. In this way consciousness is able to give a direct expression (through sound) of its inherent healing power.
Why FB SH is not a holistic but a dualistic approach
Nowadays, we can differentiate between two main systems in healing or health care; the allopathic (classical health care) and the holistic systems. These two systems derive from two different paradigms and their related frameworks of thought. These are two utterly different perspectives on reality and each contain their own vision on reality, the human being and how to deal with disease.
Outlined below are the core differences between these two systems and paradigms.
Allopathic | Holistic |
Disease = enemy | Disease = healing process AND as well a signifier and pointer to draw attention to a deeper misalignment |
Treatment of symptoms | Becoming aware of and treating the underlying cause(s) |
Effective in acute situations | Effective long-term and preventatively |
Treatment of disease | Treatment of person |
The patient undergoes treatment passively | The patient is actively / consciously involved in her own healing process |
Trust in human thought | Trust in nature / God |
Technology is central | Human contact is central |
Generally most sound healers resonate much more with the holistic perspective and intend to work from there. After all the big majority of sound healers is not a medic. The allopathic perspective connects to medical practices and practitioners. When it comes to the practice of sound healing, though, very often these two perspectives get mixed up, ending up with an incoherent and thus inefficient outcome. For example someone might truly believe in all of the aspects attributed to the holistic perspective but still trying to forcefully transform an emotion of fear (which is a psychological symptom) through a specific frequency that would counterbalance it. The same thing could happen for an energetic blockage or physical illness.
In sound healing there are two main approaches. One is FB SH, that intends to bring about specific effects by applying specific frequencies. The frequencies applied in FB SH are believed to bring about a similar or same effect in all human beings. In the other approach the sound healer connects with every individual in a different and unique way. Instead of focusing on the symptoms (whether it’s of a physical, energetic or psychological level) the sound healer is open for the correspondences between the sounds and the receiver(s) that are arising in the moment. Very often these two approaches are mixed up by modern-day sound healers.
Is this a problem? I actually do think so! Why? If vision and practice are incoherent that creates a blurry outcome. It can cause confusion, may create an illusionary perspective on one’s healing process or could simply be ineffective. On top of that it shouldn’t be the goal of a sound healer to work in an allopathic way. This is reserved for medics, and according to the holistic perspective should only be applied in acute cases.
Conclusion
Whether it’s through attacking ‘harmful frequencies’ in the body or entraining oneself to a magical healing frequency, FB SH is clearly not aligned with the core principles of holistic healing.
The entire story of ‘healing frequencies’ stems from a dualistic mindset; some frequencies are generally healing or divine and others are as a consequence generally either neutral or harmful. It entirely overlooks the fact that everything and everyone is in a constant vibrational flux, different from moment to moment. There are no static frequencies in natural organisms.
The term ‘frequency’ itself stems from our time-system and thus from the mind. Since the mind is not the healer (but rather the cause behind the need for healing), applying specific frequencies will never cause a true healing effect (in the sense of transforming the root of an illness or disbalance). Unless there are other healing agents at work specific ‘healing frequencies’ are empty boxes. The main healing agent is consciousness itself, although there are other qualities of sound and music that can greatly support and/or activate a healing process.
Essentially all frequencies are stemming from the same Source. All frequencies are divine. Their effect – whether it’s healing, nurturing or harmful – depends on the person and the specific moment of one’s evolutionary process. Anyway, since the human being is a complex of many different frequencies, really, it isn’t so much about ‘which frequency’ exactly.
Then what is it all about? In these past 8 articles I've been mostly breaking down myths. In my next and final article of this series I will write about the sound healing agents that are, in my opinion, much more important to consider, and constitute the true foundation of sound healing. To be continued…
Written by Maarten Surya Adriaenssens
Sources
1) One example here is the Sound Healing Center in California that applies sound healing from the paradigm of allopathy (E.g. as in trying to ‘conquer’ cancer through blasts of frequencies), mixing it up with a holistic vision, and trying to work its way up in the scientific community. https://soundhealingcenter.com/
2) This hypothesis is explained in the TEDx talk from Anthony Holland on ‘Shattering cancer with resonant frequencies’. It’s an idea that claims to be scientifically proven, but is far from approved by the scientific community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w0_kazbb_U
Photos by Melanie Dijkstra, Jan Huber, Michael Dziedzic and Greg Rakozy (on Unsplash), Sophie Snoecks and Ilse Raps
About the In Tune Series
This series contains articles and occasionally videos on vague, mystic and often controversial topics within the field of sound healing and modern-day spirituality. I’ll shine some light on some very ‘settled’ beliefs within this field, and investigate whether or not they really are ‘in tune’ with ‘truth’.