The study of human consciousness and healing processes is of increasing interest to mainstream science. Here I give an overview of recent research findings relevant to sound healing.
The science of pain
The neuroscience of physical pain is immensely complex, with many unanswered questions, but we do know that pain sensations occur at different layers of the peripheral nerves, spinal cord and brain. How pain is experienced (‘pain perception’) varies between individuals and circumstances. We know that:
- The same injury can feel more or less painful depending on mood, stress levels, and past trauma.
- Fatigue and anxiety can increase perceived pain levels.
- Pain can persist even when physical healing is complete, as seen in conditions like chronic pain syndrome and fibromyalgia.
- Psychological interventions can change pain perception, even in the absence of medication (the ‘placebo effect’).
Biofield Research
It is now widely accepted that the brain and nervous system operate via electrical activity distributed in a field-like fashion throughout the body. There are ongoing attempts to measure changes in this activity- including:
- measures of electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
- human biophoton emissions,
- infrared imaging,
- acupuncture ‘meridian system’ analyses,
- ‘functional magnetic resonance’ imaging, and
- electro-physiological changes during healing practices (electroencephalography, electrocardiology, and electromyography).
Some of the measurable phenomena include: changes in electromagnetic fields, electrical activity on the skin, light emissions from the body, and scalar waves.
Research examining biomagnetic fields has confirmed the measurable, magnetic emissions from the human body, and that these emissions vary according to emotional state or physiological changes. For example, intentional thought can affect measurements taken from biomagnetic fields.
There have also been groundbreaking results from the study of biophoton emissions and of EMFs related to nervous system and cardiac activity (Hammerschlag et al., 2015). ‘Receptor systems’ in the body have been identified which may mediate responses to biofields. A more unified understanding of biofield function is likely to emerge, parallel to understanding of the role of EMF theory and quantum physics in biology, where concepts such as ‘nonlocality’ and ‘entanglement’ have been suggested as mechanisms for biofield healing (Kafatos et al., 2015).
Biofield research has had several practical applications. Numerous electrical and electromagnetic therapies and diagnostics have been developed.
A growing body of scientific literature supports the existence of biofield interactions – including studies of the effects of human intention on the behaviour of electronic and biological systems, and devices operating via scalar waves (Muehsam et al., 2015).
However, it remains the case that no technology has been confirmed yet to directly measure subtle energy and/or the biofield. It may be that we cannot directly do this. The detection of subtle energies may only be possible by measuring their impact on the human body and other living systems, or perhaps by measuring their effects at the quantum informational level (as posited by Hameroff and Penrose).
Several groups (e.g. IONS, CHI, ACEP), as well as universities, have built up accurate information about the state of the science regarding subtle energy and biofield healing. Other working groups include The Chopra Library of Integrative Studies and Whole Medicine, and the University of Virginia’s Mandala system.
Collective Consciousness and ‘Mirror Neurons‘
This is an ongoing area of research. It is possible that collective energy is raised when more than one person is present in a space, with shared intentions and values. During group meditation, for example, ‘mirror neurons’ in each meditator’s brain have been shown to deepen and strengthen their meditation effects. Participants report feeling profound connections with one another during these events as they harmonize their energies toward a common goal. Could it be that when individuals come together—either physically or energetically—they can ‘amplify’ each other’s biofields? Further research findings are awaited.
Psychoneuroimmunology
The idea that our mental and emotional states impact our immune and cardiovascular systems, to influence health, has become widely accepted. Scientists have advanced the now well-established field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). It considers how psychological processes impact immune function, through neural pathways and hormonal responses.
Polyvagal Theory – new insights into the function of the Vagus nerve
Dr Steven Porges PhD, university scientist and psychiatrist, conducted extensive research in the 1990s on how the human body reacts via the nervous systems to life’s challenges. He discovered that the Vagus nerve splits into two branches: the ”ventral vagus’ (affecting organs above the diaphragm) and the ‘dorsal vagus’ (affecting organs below the diaphragm). Three ‘circuits’ are at work here:
(1) ventral vagal circuit (relating to social engagement);
(2) sympathetic nervous system (‘fight or flight’);
(3) dorsal vagal circuit (relating to states of freeze or shutdown).
The ventral vagal circuit travels from the brainstem to the heart. It is the circuit of social interaction – linking to facial muscles affecting vocalisation, listening and facial expressivity. Dysfunction in this circuit is an underlying cause of many life-impairing physiological & behavioural conditions, such as symptoms of post-traumatic stress; anxiety & depressive states.
One of the aims of Sound Healing is to improve the flexibility & functioning of the ventral vagal circuit, to reduce the severity of health problems, and in some cases reduce the need for prescription drugs. This is called ‘vagal toning’ , and creates a ‘vagal brake’ on dysfunctions in:
- the spinal sympathetic nervous circuit (chronic, mobilised states of fight or flight), and
- the dorsal vagal circuit (chronic immobilised states of freeze or shutdown).
The positive effects are cumulative – the ANS becomes more resilient every time we restore a state of social engagement by improving the flexibility & functioning of the ventral vagal circuit.
Sound Healing – operating at the edge of scientific understanding
As science continues to explore human consciousness, it seems fair to say that as individuals and communities we are usually, consciously or subconsciously, seeking a free flow of ‘energy’, through and around us. To have this energy flow blocked or depleted is counter-intuitive to what we really seek. The goal of all life systems, fundamentally, is to evolve. This requires movement towards harmony, i.e. ‘mutual respect’ within the species. We use many skills and qualities to do this – and in sound healing we apply compassion and intuition (a sense of knowing what is ‘right’ or ‘true’). Our intuition allows us to become aware of the continuous exchange of energy going on between our individual energy system and that of others.
Soundwaves, directed with compassion and intuition, seem to ‘deal with‘ stuck, excess or depleted energy, in ways which science has not yet fully explained. Yet those receiving sound healing report this happening, time and time again. It is clear that sound energy coming into the human ‘biofield’ can have a range of positive effects on mind, body, emotions, soul and spirit.