Sound Healing: Mood, Emotional, and Spiritual Well-Being Interrelationships

Abstract

Psychosocial stress, tension, and depression are quite common in many parts of the developed world. Integrative medicine techniques which may potentially increase spiritual and emotional well-being may be useful in combating chronic psychosocial stress, as well as challenges with depression and excessive tension. The present observational study examines the effect of singing-bowl sound healing on emotional and spiritual well-being and particularly examines interrelationships between changes in spiritual well-being with changes in tension and depressed mood post-sound healing. Participants experienced a sound healing environment of vibrational musical instruments such as singing bowls (bell-like instruments), gongs, and other vibrational instruments. Sixty-two participants were examined in an observational study using singing-bowl sound healing. Emotional and spiritual well-being were examined by utilizing standardized questionnaires. Results revealed significant correlations between improvements in scores of spiritual well-being and reductions in scores of tension and depression post-sound healing. Moreover, effects varied by age of the study participants. Specifically, the association between spiritual well-being improvement and depression improvement was strongest for ages 31–40, while spiritual well-being improvement and tension improvement associations were strongest for ages 51–60. Implications for applying sound healing meditations as a potential low-cost, low-technology therapeutic technique are discussed for emotional and spiritual well-being.

Ayahuasca: A review of historical, pharmacological, and therapeutic aspects

“…295 Using music or sound, therapists can guide therapeutic experiences and evoke specific emotional processes. 296 Ayahuasca studies show that with optimized settings, positive outcomes can be achieved for depression, addiction, and PTSD/ complex PTSD, akin to psychotherapy. Qualitative data indicate that the framework supports healthy reprocessing of the traumatic episodes underlying these conditions.…”

“…Sound frequencies and pitch changes are believed to carry archetypal connotations that impact emotional responses in humans, underpinning sound healing practices 295 . Using music or sound, therapists can guide therapeutic experiences and evoke specific emotional processes 296 …”

“…295 Using music or sound, therapists can guide therapeutic experiences and evoke specific emotional processes. 296 …”

“Inner Engineering” for success—A complementary approach to positive education

“…Studies find that yoga of sound can increase physiological relaxation, and mental alertness from 5 min of daily regular practice (Shobitha and Agarwal, 2013). Healing by sound has shown a significant improvement in the markers of wellbeing and a decrease in physical pain (Goldsby et al, 2017). Studies indicate that listening to the "AUM" sound generates emotional empathy (Kalyani et al, 2011) and chanting these three sounds brings physiological relaxation and mental alertness (Shobitha and Agarwal, 2013).…”

5. Sound Experience and Imagination at Early School Age

“…This study describes a novel approach to facilitating children's musical development, creativity, and imagination with the use of vibrational percussive instruments in early music education. These musical instruments have been used in therapeutic techniques called sound bath or sound healing (Goldsby et al, 2022;Stanhope & Weinstein, 2020) and as tools for relaxation, meditation, and stress reduction (e.g., Benton, 2008;Crowe & Scovel, 1996;Lee-Harris et al, 2018;Trivedi & Saboo, 2019). We trialled the introduction of these instruments in early musical education to support children's imagination as a crucial element of creativity ( Duffy, 2006;National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education, 1999).…”