Music is referred to by many as the language of the universe, and quite rightly so!
-
Personally I think we often take for granted the power of sound and how it influences the experiences of our daily lives. We know too well the concepts of vibration and how they construct our physical universe, but how often do we remember that we actually exist as an instrument in part of the universal song?
The music we listen to on a daily basis can be seen as a microscopic reflection of the macrocosmic universe, a fractal of the whole, and for this reason ‘The language of the universe’ seems quite appropriate.
It was said by Pythagoras, a man viewed by many as the father of mathematics, geometry and subsequently music that music shouldn’t be used recreationally and only be used in accordance with divine purpose.
This can be a tricky one to digest as many of us listen to music in order to aid the fast pace of our daily activities, and simply because it makes us feel good.
To me, if music makes us feel good, then this is stimulating the divinity within. Let music be thy healer. If we use music to manifest energy in order to power through our daily activities, then this too can be seen as channeling energy from a source to provide benefit to our state of living. Let music be thy medicine.
Ultimately it comes down to the same thing many similar issues do; the power of intention. Many different cultures across the globe use sound to enhance their rituals of divinity. Some examples being Shamanic singing, meditative drumming, throat singing, Tibetan singing bowls, meditative bells and chimes, binaural and isochronic tones, music in the conventional sense, and silence of course! If music is the language of god, then god is the silence between sounds.
At a certain point in the development of our spiritual journey, we realize ‘Hey, I love doing this, I want to orchestrate my whole life around this’, and so begins the rearrangement of our fundamental principles to promote our intention take the driving seat and be the guide for our decisions, experiences and the rest of or life.
We begin making active decisions to consciously refine the influences in our lives, such as the people and situations we connect with, the music we listen to, the diet we choose to fuel our body and so forth. When we are operating from this state it is fair to say that nothing is done absentmindedly and that it is in accordance with divine nature in the sense that we are deciding from the heart, and can let the conscious thinking mind take the back seat as we follow our intention and trust in ourselves to deliver us to the best possible outcome of any situation.
When spiritual and personal development conjoins in this way, everyday becomes fun and recreational in this sense. An interpretation of Pythagoras words that I think translates for modern day would be that we should avoid using music absent mindedly as a distraction and instead focus on the qualities it possesses to enhance our quality of life. This applies to the consumption of all information and not just music - media.
During my discovery of Pythagoras work a friend introduced me to a YouTube video of a Pythagorean tone generator, this is a really cool instrument which is essentially a block of wood with hollow pipes somewhat resembling a Glockenspiel. The Pythagorean tone generator works by stimulating and aligning the chakra points of the body as the corresponding notes of the tone generator are struck, and then clear blockages through harmonically ascending the sequential notes of the scale.
This process is quite similar to colour therapy and other processes which work by aligning with the chakra system and healing. It is also quite similar to field of cymatics, which works by using sound to manipulate the physical form of matter.
The relationship between musical notes and chakra points goes C,D,E,F,G,A, and B from root to crown.
This corresponds with the relationship between musical notes and colours which goes C - Red, D – Orange, E - Yellow, F - Green, G - blue, A - Indigo, and B - violet.
Both of these then correspond with our brainwave frequencies,
- Delta 0-4hz - This is displayed as red in colour, is associated with instinctual reaction, deep dreamless sleep and is also the root frequency of the sequence. Theta 4-8hz - This is displayed as orange in colour and is associated with trance states, this can be seen as the sacral chakra.
- Low Alpha 8-10hz - This is displayed as yellow in colour, is seen as the major rhythm from which we operate as adults and can be seen as the solar chakra.
- High Alpha 10-12hz - This is displayed as green in colour. is associated with wakeful relaxation, increased self awareness and is the ideal meditative state for everyday stress relief. High alpha can be seen as the heart chakra.
- Low Beta 12-18hz - This is displayed as blue in colour and is the usual rhythm associated with active thinking and focus on the outside world, this can be seen as the throat chakra.
- High beta 18-30hz - This is displayed as indigo in colour and is again associated with active aspects of brain functioning such as analytical problem solving, judgment and decision-making. This frequency can be seen as the third eye chakra.
- Low and high Gamma 30 - 70hz - This is displayed violet in colour. Gamma waves are involved in cognitive processing, consolidation of information and sudden insight. High amounts of gamma are associated with intelligence, compassion and self-control. Many correlations have been found between gamma activity and transcendental mental states. Gamma can be seen as the crown chakra.
With this, we can see the synchronicity between seemingly different frequencies, how they compliment each other, and hopefully a way that we can align with this information.
For example, if we listen and align ourselves in meditation with a binaural tone of 30 to 70 hz, and do so in a violet room, we will be creating a significantly influential environment to stimulate and align with Gamma frequency. Even recognizing which parts of the music we listen to operates at which frequencies enables us to refine the music we listen to and how we listen to it.
Sound, colour and brainwaves are just three examples of frequency within the interconnected relationship of cycles in our reality.
It is also of benefit to be aware of the less favourable influence of sounds in our reality and how they effect us; such as the constant beeping of phones and alarms, or music we feel doesn’t quite tessellate with us such as that which is played in environments like bars, shopping centers, and the work place. When information of this nature doesn’t quite jive with us it creates stress and imbalance, especially when endured for longer periods of time. In the same way that eating absentmindedly causes stress to the body through accumulating material it doesn’t need, so too can the improper or unneeded reception of other material such as sound.
In saying this, it is to my understanding that if we can still operate at our best whilst working with obstacles, then we train ourselves to be at a much better position to perform when the obstacles are removed. Like walking blind folded would give us a much clearer perspective of walking when the blind fold is removed. So in this sense, it feels like if we are able to take in this excess information and harmonize it in our own way then we are doing the alchemists work of transmuting base metals into gold.
To close these words it was decided that a song would be created which would illustrate the fundamental points of this article; stay blissful and bouncy! The song we decided to make is Liquid Drum&Bass, a fairly unlimited genre which allows for an array of details in the higher frequencies whilst being carried by a safety net of sub bass which sequences notation in accordance with certain chakra points to deliver the appropriate drive and comfort whether used to accompany meditative states or used simply for fun.
Enjoy!
-Mat Wood