The power of the sound

In the beginning was the Word (Logos): the Word was with God and the Word was God

With these words begins the Gospel of John. The “logos”, consists basically of words and the words are forms of sound. Although this phrase may have many interpretations, we will examine it from the simple and obvious side of the sound, which is emitted through speech.

All religions and all mythologies refer to the magical power of sound in shaping the situations that make up our lives. I will bring some examples from Greek mythology and the Christian religion, which are better known to us and are easier to be understood:

Orpheus was a figure from Greek mythology, who with the power of music could influence people and achieve the impossible, such as the descent to the Underworld and the liberation of his beloved Eurydice. This was achieved by the use of his music and his lyre that could enchant people and gods to satisfy his desires.

The Great Mystic Pythagoras had developed the theory of the music of the spheres, i.e., the planets, and based on this he had determined the sounds of the musical scale. Today scientists agree that the planets emit sounds, and in some documentaries I have seen, the sound emitted by the sun is heard.

In the Old Testament book “Joshua”, verses 6: state the following:

6 Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse, and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

This story tells how the walls of Jericho, an impregnable city, fell with the power of sound.

All these, of course, could be called myths and not be considered worthy to deal with them, since they cannot be proven and confirmed.

But what is important is that ancient traditions recognize that sound is a power that shapes the world and even, according to the Gospel of John, it has created the world.

Let us not forget that the miracles performed by Christ were also performed by his Word.

Today in some modern churches, especially in the United States, believers come into ecstasy by chanting rhythmically and loudly the Christian hymns.

These examples were given because they are closer to us and more easily understood. But all cultures and religions of antiquity used the power of sound and music to bring believers into such a mental state that they could experience the divine.

In the same way today, religions continue to use music to achieve an understanding of God’s words and a mental uplift.

All this might not have mattered in the modern society of science and technology if the topic of sound was not the subject of study by many universities and many scientists.

Ernest Hlandni (a German physicist of the 18th century, who laid the foundations for the creation of the science of Wave), did experiments with the action of the sounds of a violin on a small amount of fine sand. Specifically, he used a thin metal plate on which he placed a layer of sand. He observed that the continuous vibration of the same musical tone moved the sand creating specific geometric shapes, while each time the sound frequency changed, the geometric formation changed. These shapes resemble the mandala motifs used by Hindus in their temples.

These experiments continue to this day. In a documentary I have watched recently, the result of an experiment was presented, that showed a small ball hovering in the void of a transparent box, simply with the vibrations emitted by a musical instrument. This experiment was also confirmed by the famous Physics scientist Michio Kaku, who is considered the Einstein of our time.

At the same time, in the field of modern archaeology, the branch of Archaeoacoustics has been created. It is a branch of archaeology that studies the relationship between people and sounds, through history. Archaeologists and acousticologists participate, who, by using computer simulations, try to understand the sound potentials and effects on people of ancient places of worship, such as Stonehenge. These places have been constructed in such a way that they either reproduce or strengthen the sound.

Perhaps it would be easier to understand the huge field that opens in front of us through the study of sound, with this simple acceptance: sound is vibration. According to modern science, everything in the universe pulsates. Every cell of our organism, every cell that makes up the stone, the wood, pulsates and the frequency of this pulse determines the form of matter and the shape. If we accept this, it is natural that a world that vibrates is created by the power of sound, because sound is vibration.

It seems that today, modern Physics scientists are seriously experimenting to see how they could use sound and its capabilities to tame matter. Are they close? Are they far away? I do not know. However, experiments are being carried out.

Our ancient ancestors, however, who did not have at their disposal today’s technological achievements, possessed more insight and intellectual ability to understand these issues, without experiments.

So, let us not dismiss the myths and stories of the past as fairy tales unworthy of taking notice. No one knows what knowledge will be verified tomorrow and what miracles we will see in our lives.

I have tried to take you on a journey with me, in the simplistic way of the non-scientist, but of the person who is interested in learning the truth, beyond the status quo, and to share with you what I understood about this supreme knowledge that surrounds our world. They are infancy steps, but they could push you to search for more. And enlighten us with your knowledge.

Finally, since we live in a troubled world, vibrating with the sounds of destruction and misery, I would like to remind all of us to choose which sounds and what music we listen to and to which vibrations we expose our soul. Only in this way can we contribute to a resonant and happy universe around us.

I recommend following the links for more information

The experiment with the sand and sound

The power of sound and music

Archaeoacoustics

Photo: Mandala created by Monica Andreou