The Healing Power of Sound

Whether it’s a sound bath, prayer bowls during meditation, or putting on a song that makes you feel joy, sound holds more power than you may realize

Sound and music are tremendous tools for emotional regulation. If you’ve ever been in a bad mood and put on a song that lifts your spirits, you may already understand how this is possible.

Prayer bowls (vibrational bowls that can let out a sustained tone) or bells in meditation to create a welcoming environment for introspection. “Sound baths” are meditations where these are the main focus, though many forms of meditation include them in some form,

Sound holds power in our lives, even if we don’t realize it. Here are some ways sound and music can heal, restore, and regulate emotions.

Emotional Regulation Through Sound and Music

It’s no secret that the right song — or, sometimes, the wrong one — can evoke strong emotions or return the mind to a peaceful place in times of anxiety. Different genres of music have different effects on our brains and can elicit various thoughts, emotions, and feelings.

One 2020 study scanned the brains of 24 participants while they listened to either classical, instrumental, or pop music. The paper boasts a 97.5% success rate in guessing the genre based on brain activity but researchers did slightly better (98.6%) based solely on participants’ subjective emotions after listening [1].

Music affects us reliably — we know when to reach for certain albums and when to avoid others. This study shows the reliability of music may relate to its specific effects on our brains.

The Benefits of Sound Baths and Meditation

Participating in sound baths and similar events shows it can reduce tension, anxiety, and depression and elevate feelings of spiritual well-being [2]. A sound bath uses singing bowls, bells, gongs, and other instruments to create a serene atmosphere for meditation. 

By surrounding meditators with ambient, relaxing sounds, it is easier for them to quiet the outside noise of the world and spend time in introspection. While the environment is relaxing, meditation offers a variety of benefits outside of simple relaxation.

One study even found that one form of sound meditation — Tibetan Sound Meditation — could combat cognitive decline from chemotherapy in cancer patients [3]. Though researchers point out that “traditional cognitive rehabilitation programs…have delivered only modest, if any, improvements.”

Meditation seems to be a more holistic approach to healing, offering a short-term boost to several key indicators, though the effects didn’t last long-term. Still, “verbal memory, short-term memory, and processing speed as well as survivors’ perception of cognitive function…mental health and spiritual well-being” all improved.

Tuning The Rhythm of the Body

Physiological changes such as shallow breathing or elevated heart rate often accompany emotional or mental stress. Learning to listen for changes to the rhythm of your body and figuring out when you need to return it to normal can be tremendously beneficial.

Some research suggests providing haptic feedback or visual/audio representation of a heartbeat can help reduce sensitivity to anxiety [4].

The next time you feel stressed, try sitting in silence, taking deep breaths, and focusing on the rhythm of your heart as it begins slowing back down.

Can Binaural Beats Help With Memory or Creativity?

Binaural beats play slightly different frequencies in each ear to make the brain perceive a third one. Some research suggests it can boost creativity or help the mind switch brain states like relaxation, concentration, or creativity [5]. 

The main goal is to mimic or elicit various frequencies of brain waves, each associated with a different brain state. These frequencies are alpha, beta, gamma, theta, and delta [6] and they occur naturally when in a state of:

• Alpha — Relaxation (8–12Hz)
• Beta — Anxiety or activity (12-35Hz)
• Gamma – Concentration (35-100Hz)
• Theta — Deep relaxation or meditation (4–8Hz)
• Delta — Sleep (.5–4Hz)

Binaural beats attempt to elicit these brainwave frequencies through “cognitive entrainment.”

Binaural Beats and Cognitive Entrainment

Cognitive entrainment is the process of synchronizing brainwaves to a desired frequency through sound, light, or other external stimuli. One study found that frequencies targeting lambda, theta, and delta brain waves can “obtain the meditation state” and that gamma, lambda, alpha, and delta waves can even accomplish a “marijuana effect [5].”

Another study in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found binaural beats “regardless of the frequency” can help with creativity [7]. Specifically, it helps promote divergent thinking — creative problem-solving as opposed to focusing on a single solution (or, convergent thinking).

Conclusion: The Healing Power Of Sound

Sound therapy takes a variety of forms and can be as simple as listening to a song that evokes feelings of joy when you feel stressed. Sound meditations, sound baths, and tuning into the rhythm of your body are ways to take that effect further and harness the power of sound to regulate emotions and aid in introspection.

FAQ: The Healing Properties Of Sound

Here are some common questions people ask about the healing properties of sound:

#1. How Can Sound Be Healing?

Sound and music can impact the rhythmic waves of our brain and shift our mood in various directions. Some practices — like sound baths and binaural beats — can also aid in meditation or facilitate deep states of relaxation.

#2. What Are The Benefits of Sound Baths?

Sound baths are the most common form of sound therapy and research suggests they can reduce stress, boost happiness, and help achieve deep levels of introspection.

#3. How Can Sound Improve Meditation?

Prayer bowls, ambient music, and binaural beats can encourage the brain to shift into a relaxed and meditative state with a calm, yet stimulating environment.

#4. Where Can I Find Sound Meditations In Tennessee?

Meditation retreat centers like Bask offer a variety of programs and meditative styles — including sound baths and sound meditations. Find a nearby retreat or meditation center and check their schedule to see what’s available around you.

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References

https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00786

1. Rahman, J. S., Gedeon, T., Caldwell, S., & Jones, R. (2020). Brain Melody Informatics: Analysing Effects of Music on Brainwave Patterns. 2020 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1109/IJCNN48605.2020.9207392

2. Goldsby, T. L., Goldsby, M. E., McWalters, M., & Mills, P. J. (2022). Sound Healing: Mood, Emotional, and Spiritual Well-Being Interrelationships. Religions, 13(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13020123

3. Milbury, K., Chaoul, A., Biegler, K., Wangyal, T., Spelman, A., Meyers, C. A., Arun, B., Palmer, J. L., Taylor, J., & Cohen, L. (2013). Tibetan sound meditation for cognitive dysfunction: Results of a randomized controlled pilot trial. Psycho-Oncology, 22(10), 2354–2363. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3296

4. Domschke, K., Stevens, S., Pfleiderer, B., & Gerlach, A. L. (2010). Interoceptive sensitivity in anxiety and anxiety disorders: An overview and integration of neurobiological findings. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.08.008

5. Baakek, Y. N. E. H., & Debbal, S. M. E. A. (2021). Digital drugs (binaural beats): How can it affect the brain/their impact on the brain. Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology, 45(7), 546–551. https://doi.org/10.1080/03091902.2021.1936236

6. Brain Waves—An overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2025, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/brain-waves

7. Reedijk, S. A., Bolders, A., & Hommel, B. (2013). The impact of binaural beats on creativity. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00786

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