“From the atoms up to the universe, each of the cosmic movements possesses a tempo, a rhythm, a periodicity and can be compared then to vibration, therefore to a sound which expresses its nature,” wrote French historian, musicologist, and Indologist Alain Daniélou.
Recently there has been a revival of sorts in the study of music to ascertain just what effect music has on us—both physiologically and psychologically.
Western science has a lot of catching up to do. Most of us don’t dare suppose that, apart from gaining some temporary pleasure from listening to music, sound might have far greater effects and uses.
Many ancient traditions have known about the effects of sound on the human body and have been actively using these techniques for thousands of years.
Australian musician Ron Ragel is a virtuoso of Indian classical music, who also studied Western classical music, playing a whole array of instruments—from sitar and tabla to classical violin, piano, keyboard, guitar, and drums.
“The teachers [of classical Indian music] have an understanding of the healing power of music—not just learning to play notes or raggas as we call them, but also understanding the science behind the sound,” Ron told The Epoch Times.
“We call it Nada yoga, the yoga of sound, which is one of the most primordial forms of Yoga, you could say. The world was created with sound. That is the belief in many ancient traditions. In the Indian tradition we call that nada—sound.
“The world comes into being with sound and that is the word ‘om’—that is the primordial, the original note in music, and all our sacred chants start with that.”
Ron had a stroke nine years ago and had lost all motor skills on his right side, including the right hand. After a year, he took up playing the sitar and today he has full use of his body.
“I can do everything I was able to do before that. That was purely by having this knowledge and using this knowledge and working with it,” he said.
According to Indian tradition “the different sounds produce different frequencies that influence the different cells in our body. It is said that the frequencies of the musical notes actually match the frequencies of the chakras—there are seven major chakras in the body and so we have seven major notes in the musical scale. Rebalancing and the purification of the chakra system is brought about when it comes into balance.”
Ron says the chakras spin and their frequencies are quite specific.
“If we take the base chakra as an example, it has a frequency of 240 cycles per second,” he explains.
Ron also says that not all music, only certain types of music, can lead to being in this state and the science only works when being in a certain state of mind.
“By allowing myself to enter this field of consciousness, then the work is done automatically as a result of being in that field, as a consequence of being there. Because the mood is lifted, you feel that there’s a beauty in that music. You can see the nerve endings dance to the sound. The chakras also have a corresponding place in the brain. It’s very scientific.”
There are specific raggas for specific ailments, he says. For example, there is a ragga for people who have a headache, that when played, relates to the 6th chakra (the point between the two eyebrows).
“People have told me many, many times that their headache has lifted. All the listener needs to do is come there, be there—be in that state,” said Ron.
There are examples in the Western tradition as well, but it is not systematically applied. According to Ron, composers like Mozart and Bach have also created “that sort of music” and we also have Gregorian chants.
“There have been studies done about this: For example, when the abbot of the monastery stopped the chanting, the monks actually got sick. Then he reintroduced the practice and the monks got well again.”
