By Poonam Kumar
Sound is produced when an object vibrates. These vibrations cause the surrounding medium such as air, water and/or solids to vibrate as well. In essence, sound is a mechanical vibration that propagates through matter. Because vibrations can travel through solids, liquids and gases, sound can move through materials such as air, water, and even solid objects like vibrating floorboards.
I attended a session under the guidance of Ashwini Guruji of Dhyan Ashram where this concept of 'Science of Sound' was explored through experiments. I practically experienced how different sounds and vibrations influence the human body and Consciousness. One of the most fascinating demonstrations of how sound behaves is the Chladni plate experiment, which visually illustrates standing waves and acoustic resonance. In this experiment, a metal plate is fixed at the centre and vibrated at specific frequencies. When fine sand was sprinkled on the plate, due to vibrations the sand moved away from regions of strong movement (antinodes) and settled along stationary regions (nodes). As the frequency changed, the sand formed intricate and symmetrical geometric patterns, revealing the hidden structure of sound waves. Different sounds were played while observing the patterns formed by sand on the vibrating plate. When the sound of Om was played, the sand formed a pattern resembling a damru (the sacred hourglass drum associated with Bhagwan Shiv) which is also the symbol of infinity. Classical ragas and subtler frequencies were also played which produced harmonious and intricate patterns, while louder and chaotic sounds such as rock music scattered the sand randomly across the plate.
Another very interesting experiment conducted at the session explored the effect of sound and intention on the surrounding environment. Two jars were filled with rice and water. Participants were instructed to speak positively to one jar and negatively to the other, for several days. Since water is believed to absorb surrounding vibrations and energy, the experiment aimed to observe changes in the growth of rice, in both the jars. Over a period of time, the rice in the jar exposed to negative words decomposed and got rotten while the rice in the jar that received positive words remained relatively preserved.
I also had the good fortune of seeing the device referred to as a "Mantra Scanner" which revealed the visual mapping of Mantras. The participants in the session had subtler spiritual experiences when mantras were chanted by Guruji which showed how the subtler frequencies can have a positive effect on human body and elevate Consciousness.
These experiences were eye openers for me. They were in alignment with both Vedic wisdom and modern studies of vibration and frequency. The experiments also affirmed that-
- Mantras should always be chanted correctly. A wrongly chanted Mantra can do more harm than good
- How the sounds create frequencies around and inside us
- The Mantras must be given by a Guru who is not bound by maya and is a siddha in the science of Mantras
