Overtone chanting as a form of meditation

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 03 Jul 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

tigerlily	03 Jul 2002
Some years ago I bought a book by Jonathan Goldman, Healing Sounds, in which he described how you can use overtones for meditation and healing. Since I can't describe adequately what overtones are, I simply quote from an interview with Mr. Goldman: "Harmonics, or overtones, are a phenomenon of sound that occurs whenever sound is created. All sounds that are produced are not single tones, but mixtures of pure tone frequencies or harmonics. There is a fundamental tone as well as overtones which make up the spectrum of sound. These harmonics are geometric multiples of the fundamental, meaning that if the fundamental frequency is 100 cycles per second, and the next overtone vibrates twice as fast, at 200 cycles per second, and the next overtone vibrates 3 times as fast, at 300 cycles per second and so on. Harmonics are responsible for the tone color or the timbre of different instruments and our voices. Just as you can hold a prism to white light and refract the different colors of the rainbow, it is possible to learn how to use your voice to break up these harmonics into specific sound frequencies." (For those who want to read the whole interview, here's the link: www.healingsounds.com/articles/power-harmonics.asp ) I was intrigued by this phenomenon and wanted to learn it, but I had to actually listen to a cd with overtone chanting before I could do it myself (there's a section on the book that leads you step by step through the process, btw). I find that when I chant overtones, I can relax instantly and I have no stray thoughts floating through my mind - I very quickly reach that inner silence. Once I chanted runes that way and had the most fascinating visions, kaleidoscopic images that are hard to describe. I guess it's like an LSD trip without the LSD ... Does anyone here chant like this? What are your experiences? How do your pets react? My dogs go crazy every time - the start barking and lick over my mouth to shut me up LOL Can't imagine why... the sounds aren't disharmonic at all.

jade	03 Jul 2002
i've only used "om" as a chant but this sure does sound interesting. hmmm, jade

Fox	04 Jul 2002
I used to do something like this (I didn't know it was an established practice until I read your post, so I probably haven't been doing it properly), I'd just kind of lose myself in pure sound vibrations. It's beautiful, I should start doing it again. I haven't done this for a long time now, but I also found it was the best way for me to reach a deep state of meditation. And if my cat was around me he'd run frantic circles around me, yowling and pawing at me. It made him really agitated for some reason. I don't know why, the energies where good and like you said, the sounds weren't disharmonic at all. I'm really interested in knowing if anyone else has had similar experiences now too.

Diana	04 Jul 2002
tigerlily: thanks ever so much for sharing this. I'm really very interested in this. I am going to bookmark your link, and early next year, when I have finished studying other stuff, this will be one of my priorities. As to the animals going frantic, I imagine that this is just because the frequency of the tone is hurting their ears. Most cats, for instance, go frantic with vacuum cleaners - it is not the noise - it has something to do with the frequency. Animals ears and human ears are not made the same way (although this doesn't prevent researchers using the poor things in their scientific experiments on hearing.)

tigerlily	04 Jul 2002
That's exactly what puzzles me - the sounds are said to be healing; Goldman describes how he chants in front of people with headaches and the like and how the vibrations ease the pain almost instantly. I thought they might be helpful for animals, too... well, my dogs go crazy every time I do Yoga, too - they think it's unnatural to be upside-down .

Diana	04 Jul 2002
That just goes to show that animals are not humans. They have different vibrational levels to us. Otherwise there would not be "human beings" and "animals" and "plants". We are all living creatures, but do not experience the material realm in the same manner.

Fox	04 Jul 2002
Diana, I know what you're saying about animals having a wider sound frequency zone, but surely they'd just go elsewhere if it was bothering them in that way. When I did it I was outdoors in a wide open space, and usually if my cat gets disgruntled with me he leaves me there and goes home. Although it could have distressed or confused him I guess, and if he thought there was something wrong he wouldn't leave.

Diana	05 Jul 2002
Fox: yes, you are right. It is puzzling that they do not go away. I know someone who talks to animals. I only get to see him about once a year, but I will try and e-mail him and ask him if he knows the answer. If I get a reply, I will let you know, okay?

tigerlily	05 Jul 2002
Oh yes, please - I want to know, too!

Mermaid	06 Jul 2002
I read somewhere once (can't remember where) that dogs and cats will sometimes paw at humans who are making sounds at a similar pitch to puppies and kittens in distress. The example they gave was of an opera singer whose cat would reach over and pat her on the lips whenever she reached a certain note! Apparently reacting to sounds at that pitch is kind of hardwired into them, in the same way that humans find it really hard to ignore the sound of a baby crying. So Fox and Tiger, maybe your pets were just worried about you!

Fox	06 Jul 2002
mermaid: that's such a beautiful thought (I think so anyway) and it makes sense, too. I wonder if that's the reason? And Diana, you have to tell us more about your friend! Please ask him, I would love to know what he thinks.

The Overtone chanting as a form of meditation thread was originally posted on 03 Jul 2002 in the Spirituality board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Spirituality, or read more archived threads.