TABLE OF CONTENTS Sound is energy. From the beginning of time, sound, music, and rhythms have been associated by philosophers and scientists with the creation, or primary vibrations, of the universe itself. A four-month-old fetus can hear sounds that are outside the womb. Sound and rhythm are extremely powerful influences and are with us every moment of our life, whether we are awake or asleep.
Sound brings back memories. Every time I hear the distant sound of a train, I am immediately back on my grandparents' farm in Indiana. Sound is a friendly companion in the tinkling of wind chimes. It is the wind in the trees, the rain on the roof, the roar of the ocean. It is the sound of our own nervous and circulatory systems. It is music.
In the ancient world, music and rhythms were consciously used as mysterious and powerful tools for attuning and influencing the physiological and psychological conditions of the mind and body. We have all experienced the power of music as it excites us, saddens us, or makes us trip the light fantastic. Music brings back memories, keeps us company, and lifts our spirits. We have music at home, at work, at play, and at prayer. Music is a universal language and brings together people of completely different cultures.
Scientists have long known that music can affect the growth of plants. An increasing body of scientific research supports the idea that music and sounds can increase the ability of the human being to...
