The Healing Power of Sound

I just finished my review of one of the required readings, "The Healing Power of Sound" by Mitchell L. Gaynor M.D. and wanted to share some of what I learned.  I think mostly, I learned to listen to my mind and spirit, my body and my instincts.  This book is written by an Oncologist that was introduced to the study of Sound Therapy by one of his Patients, a Tibetan Man, who he was treating for Cancer.  Fascinating stuff,  Eastern Medicine.

Western Medicine eliminated the "spiritual" healing of the Body-Mind by allowing the "body" to be studied but the "spirit" was to remain property of the Catholic Church.  This was determined back in the Renaissance Period.  So as Eastern Medicine has been practicing Sound Healing with Voice, Instruments and Meditation, Western Medicine has been treating only Half a Patient....

The good news...finally Western Medicine has the ability and the technologies to "prove" that Music has a measurable physiologic effect....chemically creating endogenous opiates, that are internal painkillers as well as healing agents in the body...Dopamine.  Which we can get hooked on, by the way!  But that's just the tip of the iceberg and I don't want to give too much away.

Most importantly, it gives great weight to how Music makes me feel...not just as a listener but probably as important, as the player.  The harp has a very special relationship with Music and Healing.  Our bodies are made up of lots of Water...which allows sounds to resonate through us quickly....and the Harp has such resonance that it touches our very core.  Did you know that if you unroll the human Cochlea, which is a cone shape and collects the sounds you hear, it is in the shape of a Harp?????  How darn cool is that???

My hope is that in the near future we have, what is called, "Era III Medicine" where ever Doctor, Nurse and caregiver is taught the values and practices of Sound Healing and Relaxing.  There should be a Department in every Hospital, Nursing Home and Mental Hospital, that treats the entire package....Body-Mind (which is one) and Spirit.  Do some exploring yourself.  First read the book...then see what you think, it's had a major effect on How I will live my life, How I will see the lives of others and How I will leave this Life.