Spiritual Aspects Of Sound
Silence and sound are inseparable parts of the Universe. Silence is everywhere, where and when sound ends; silence can be experienced. Silence exists in the realm where the sound gets ceased. Silence can also be categorized into three-level- physical level, mental and spiritual level. Here we are discussing various spiritual aspects of sound. These all aspects will lead to ultimate silence.
The origin of the sound is silence and its ultimate destiny is silence. Silence is complete tranquility and harmony, when you get this, then feel even sound as an object or some physical things, it resembles obese. Yet the path is through enchantment, through sound, through songs, through music, etc. Music links the one to the universal. It expands the limited mind and makes it able to realize higher consciousness.
1. Nada Yoga
Talking about spiritual aspects of sound, we first need to know the Nada Yoga. It is an important part of knowledge about Cosmic Sound and Individual Sound where you will learn to be in sync with the existence. It is an eastern metaphysical, philosophical and therapeutic system that is mostly found in Nepal and India. Its speculative and pragmatic aspects are positioned on the apriorism that the unmitigated cosmos and all human and non-human, living and nonliving, which abides in the cosmos, have particular vibrations, called nāda. This theory is based on energy vibration or waves.
Nada Yoga is venerational way of access and reacts to vibrations. In this connection, silent waves of the Anahata-nada (self), sound, and music (ahata) bear an asomatous value more worthy, orderly, then what sensual features generally cater. Silent waves of the Anahata-nada along with sound and music (ahata) are regarded as a plausible mean to acquire an abysmal unison with both the external and internal cosmos.
Vibrations and resonances are also applied in Nada yoga, the spiritual aspects of sound to get sedative results on several enigmatic rarefied, mental and spiritual sectors. It is also used to heighten the conscious level of the etheric energy points called chakra.
Music is bisected into two parts in the Nada meditation system: silent vibrations of the self (internal music) i.e. Anahata, and external music, ahata. Many Indian and Nepali saints have used music as a ponderous and eminent mean for attending liberation; remarkable names comprise- Kabir, Kanakadasa, Meerabai, Namdeo, Thyagaraja, Purandaradasa, and Tukaram.
2. Understanding of Psychic Centers/ Chakras and Practice Sounds
Next part of spiritual aspects of sound includes the physic center and its relation to sound. It is said that there are 114 psychic centers or chakras in the human body. Among them 7 (Mooladhar, Swadishtana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddhi, Ajnya and Sahasrara Chakra) are considered to be the major psychic centers. These psychic centers are not physical, but the metaphysical, yet you have correspondence part of the body for each psychic energy center.
Unique sound has unique effects on a particular chakra. There are several practices of sounds for each chakra. The sound of a drum, chanting the mantra “lam”, etc. affect the Mooladhara. The big and small drums have effects is from the Mooladhara to the Swadishtana chakra. For Swadishtana chakra “vam” sound is also very important.
The area from Swadishtana to the Manipura is affected by “Ram” chanting, big wind instruments like trumpets, etc. The area from Manipura to Anahata is affected by metallic sounds so it comes under spiritual aspects of sound. As you hear a metallic sound or screech, you will feel something in your abdomen. The sound of string instruments such as Veena, Guitar, Sitar, etc., give effects from the naval to the heart. These instruments also “Yam” sound affects the Anahata chakra.
Similarly, flute music, piano sounds, wind instruments, “Ham” sound, etc. have relation from Anahata to Vishudhi (the throat chakra). Water sound, moving river, water-falls, bells, bird songs, very soft and subtle sounds of nature, Aum sound effect from throat to the Agna Chakra. Finally, meditation affects the Sahasrara.
There are various mantra practices, the enchantment of sacred pronunciation to produce effective vibration for chakra activation.
3. Find diagnose and knowledge own pitch, the 3rd spiritual aspects of sound
You can heal yourself with sound. First find out the condition of your sickness, which part of the body is affected. Accordingly, you can apply sounds. Even if you do not have an instrument, you can create sound through the enchantment of various Sanskrit mantras which have a great influence on several parts of the body and chakra.
4. Feel Sound Vibration at the levels of Mind and Emotion:
While talking baout spiritual aspects of sound, we need to separtate the different level of vibration for our mind and emotion. Sound is the vibrational energy produced by the movement of particles that can travel through solid, liquid, and air. Sound vibrations get touch physically through the body and creating effects on our consciousness, emotional and spiritual levels.
There is persistent motion and activity in the surrounding around us, and this creates a diversity of sounds, such as producing from Nature, from the air, from moving water, from animals and birds, procreated by humans in the mode of music, song; or emitted out by factories, vehicles, machines, gadgets, etc.
Whether we like sound or not; it is an intrinsic aspect of our lives. Musical sound is categorized as consonant sounds (pleasant), and dissonant sounds (unpleasant). They have a unique effect on consciousness. These consonant intervals create motivation, joy, happiness, courage, or calmness; dissonant intervals create anxiety, tension, fear, anger, or grief, thereby stirring the emotional part of consciousness.
Basically, the sound vibrations affect us in three ways- positively, negatively, and neutral; coming into our being, through the physical, mental and spiritual zones, thereby making great change in our existence. So, it comes under spiritual aspects of sound meaning to know what kind of sound your body and mind is asking for. You will feel these various sounds vibration at the level of mind and emotion; thereby bring a change accordingly.
5. Align the sound within and experience
Nature has given you the knowledge to understand the sound effects, awareness to recognize the suitable and unsuitable sound, and the ability to align it within to bring ultimate peace and harmony in life. There are various practices such as Nada yoga, singing bowl, the sound of nature, music, songs, chanting, etc. to align the sound within and experience its benefits.
6.Activation, Purification and Healing – Internal and External Sounds Most important spiritual aspects of sound
The internal and external sounds are in existence forever. The internal sound can be experienced internally within you when you close the ears to cut off the external sound. When you are fully aware you can it even without cutting off the external sound.
Bhramari Pranayama is very helpful for this practice. In context to external sound, it’s clear that it is the sounds that come from outside, as stated above. The perfect balance of the internal and external sound help to activate your energy centers, purify the body as well as heal all the diseases and miseries.
After know this spiritual aspects of sound, we can use different level of sound as per our body need and uplift our consciousness to next level by healing our chakras.