  
by Joshua Leeds
We now live in terribly unsettling and disturbed times. As stress levels increase, a calm work and home environment is ultimately essential. What we hear - and how we process it - has a far greater impact on our daily lives than we ever imagined. Because we don’t have ear lids, our auditory system must work 24/7. While some sounds enrich our lives, other sounds can deplete us, contributing to a cycle of exhaustion or overwhelm.
Sound is an ally of great value. When we have a basic understanding of the effects of sound on the nervous system, we can easily create sonic surroundings that support being calm, focused, and productive.
What is Sound?
Sound is vibratory energy. Sound touches us and influences our emotions like no other source of input or statement. It is the stuff of tone and timbre, silence and noise. It is as fragile as a baby’s gurgle and as frightening as thundering jet bombers. Sound is a frequency of vibration that we audibly hear between 20 and 20,000 Hz.
Traveling through the air at about 750 miles per hour (its exact speed depends on temperature, humidity, and wind), sound moves almost a million times slower than the speed of light. We perceive it primarily through our ears, where it is transformed into electro-chemical impulses sent to the brain. It is also perceived through the skin. Like air and water, sound is ubiquitous. It can be a great thing . . . or it can really be a problem.
How Does Sound Affect Me?
While every human is distinctive, certain universal principles apply. Resonance, a concept deeply rooted in science, has an effect upon everybody. Resonance can be broadly defined as “the impact of one vibration upon another.” From the study of physics, we know that anything that moves has a vibration. Though invisible, every aspect of our material world at the atomic level moves constantly. Wherever there is motion, there is frequency. Though inaudible at times, all frequencies actually make a sound. Tying this together, all sounds resonate and can affect one another. Given that humans are made of atoms, molecules, and a myriad of pulsing organs, external sound can even resonate our internal organs!
Here’s an interesting physiological fact: The pneumogastric, or tenth, cranial nerve is also called the vagus (wandering or vagabond) nerve because it meanders through the thoracic and abdominal cavities. The enormous task of the vagus nerve is the functional regulation of a host of organs, from the larynx, heart, lungs, stomach, liver, bladder, kidneys, small intestines, and colon all the way down to the anus. And the vagus nerve attaches to the outer and inner eardrum on its way south from the brain. What is the significance of this interconnection? Vagus nerve communiqués to the rest of the body are affected by the ear! This vagus nerve-acoustic interaction means that mixed into the parasympathetic instructions to our major organs are vibrations from the eardrum. And what makes the eardrum vibrate? Sound. And who determines the sounds we put into our ears? Or, getting intimate, who determines the vibration we put into our internal organs?
Clearly, the effect of sound can no longer be simply measured by how our ears feel. The ear brings in energy that touches us from top to bottom. Sound is not just vibrating the eardrum. It is actually resonating the entire being.
A fascinating and important aspect of resonance is the natural process of entrainment. With entrainment, our brain waves, breath, and heartbeat will speed up or slow down to match a periodic external rhythmic force. The very sound of the word, en-train-ment, implies transportation—to embark on a train. The “train” in this instance is rhythm. Our major body pulses can voluntarily ride external rhythms to Fasterville or Slowertown.
The most common example of entrainment is tapping feet to the rhythm of music. Just try keeping your foot or your head still when you are around fun, up-tempo rhythms. You will see that it is almost an involuntary motor response. The natural interconnection between the body’s motor skills and external rhythms is one of the most highly researched phenomena in the field of rhythmic entrainment. In fact, rhythm is successfully used as a complementary therapeutic technique for stroke patients, as well as for brain injuries, Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and more.
However, rhythm can also have a deleterious effect on the nervous system. If you are surrounded by rhythmic tempos that are contrary to your natural inclination (for example, you’re fatigued and need to sleep but loud salsa music comes through the walls of your bedroom), then your auditory system must go back to work, translating every pulse it receives. Additionally, you must expend additional energy attempting to mask or “tune out” the unwanted stimulus. This scenario is similar to eating a heavy meal right before bedtime; you won’t sleep deeply because you’re body must focus energy for digestion. Chances are you won’t awake well-rested either. Think of sound as a nutrient for the nervous system. Used in the right time and place, sound can charge or discharge your energy. It comes down to personal choice.
Imagine your brain as the ultimate personal computer. Light, sound, smell, taste and touch is the data to be deciphered, cataloged, and filed away. Research shows that the brain has the capacity to process millions of bits of information in any given hour. While there are some times when we want a lot of stimulation, other times is needed for rest and renewal. We inherently know this. That’s why we pull drapes at night to shut out light, and turn the music onto something soft and sweet. The goal is to know when stimulation works for you or when you are overworking to harness it.
Understanding that external sounds resonate and entrain the body pulses, the question is how do you manage sound for your advantage?
Sound Guidelines
Arguably, music is the most enlightened manifestation of sound. The timbre of an instrument is crafted to please the ear. Harmonies soothe the spirit. Rhythms create a current within which we joyously bathe. All in all, music is universally adored. Remembering that sound has the power to change heart rate, breath, and brainwaves, how do you use the gift of music to enhance your life - especially in challenging times?
Here are a few basic guidelines:
• High sounds tend to charge the nervous system. Bass sounds can discharge.
• Fast tempos speed us up; slow tempos chill us out.
1. Don’t overstimulate. A stressed nervous system is already running close to empty. Therefore, it does not serve to overload the system. Pick music that is easy for the auditory system to process. Single or duo orchestrations - like solo flute, piano, harp or guitar - will stimulate (or calm) without blowing a fuse. Symphonic complexities may be too much when you are depleted. Keep sound simple. Get the benefit of the resonance and entrainment without over-amping a fragile system.
2. Don’t under stimulate. Often a musical pick-me-up comes in real handy. These are the times to use more complex, fast, or even louder music. Whether jazz, classical, or rock, I find that five minutes of the right energy goes a long way. Think of music as a piece of very rich chocolate with liquor. A couple of bites is all it takes to get the glucose moving. The same is true with sonic energy. Less can be more. I find that when I use music sparingly, it makes it so valuable. I crave it and am then deeply satisfied with just a sound bite.
There is also a time for silence. When you begin to feel like there is too much distraction in your personal container of perception, then there is! The best thing you can do is thin out the stimulus. Silence permits you to hear yourself. In troubling times, we can be our own best counsel if we consciously provide the space to let down, to hear ourselves think and feel. In order to do this, effort must be taken to give yourself the gift of sonic privacy. This is not well supported in our culture. However, even if you simply use ear plugs when you need to tune-out neighboring static, you will find great relief.
Second-Hand Sound
Have you ever noticed the effect of dining in a loud restaurant, working with the TV (or frenetic music) in the background, or trying to sleep to the tune of traffic? Whether you know it or not, these second-hand sounds have an effect. Background sounds are not of our making, yet we are subjected to them. Like second-hand smoke, these sounds can have a deleterious effect.
It should be noted that everyone has a different tolerance to sound. What is nauseating noise to one may be invigorating music to another. A stressed person will relate differently to heavy metal or hip-hop music than a teenager. My young daughter doesn’t find relief in a Mozart aria like I do. I have a friend who won’t buy a computer until she checks the volume omitted by the hard drive. I’ve met children who can hear the sound of electricity running through the walls. There is now a higher incidence of hearing loss among college students than ever before... because of the unprecedented amount of time headphones are glued to their heads. We all relate to sound differently. However, the brain is still having to work very hard to process every incoming tone and beat.
Think about the amount of garbage noise we are surrounded with on an ongoing basis. Traffic, car alarms, helicopters and airplanes, fluorescent lights, the hum of the computer or refrigerator, jack-hammers, leaf-blowers, the neighbor’s radio, the TV in the next room. This doesn’t even include the noise inside your own head! All in all, there is a lot of sound to process and this begins to take a toll. Especially if one is not feeling well or overly taxed in other parts of their lives. The more stressed, the less defense we have to outside stimulation. In addition to weakening immune function, stress can compromise the auditory system, contributing to neurological disorganization and emotional over-reactivity. This can become a vicious cycle. Let’s explore what you can do about it...
Become a Sonic Activist
Sonic activism does not mean marching in the street with placards. Sonic activism can be individual action. I believe a sonic activist takes personal responsibility for their soundspace. It means creating personal sonic boundaries; controlling the sounds that impinge upon you and usurp your vital energy. It means knowing which sounds are good for you and when, and which sounds do not serve you in getting through the day. It means knowing when your hearing is at risk and taking charge of prevention to safeguard this vital pipeline. Think of sound as energy for the nervous system and your ears as the portal. Consider sound to be a nutrient for the nervous system - of tremendous importance for a vital and balanced life.
One of the goals in stress reduction is conserving and redirecting our vital energy. When we are overwhelmed with the events of our lives, we become fatigued - be it mentally, physically, or emotionally. By exerting choice over sound stimulation, we take control of this often ignored energy source and direct it as needed.
Psychoacoustics is the study of the effect of music and sound on the human nervous system. There are many sound programs, with or without music, that are psychoacoustically designed to enhance human function. All you need is a CD player and sometimes, a pair of headphones. In this new century, with it’s unexpected challenges, there is a new generation of music and sound “tools” that can help reduce stress, enhance productivity, meditate pain, or accelerate learning.
Since 9/11, new prescriptions for sleep aids, anti-depressants, and anti-anxiety drugs have risen 25%. Americans are craving balance in a world suddenly gone awry. Healthy sound environments are a natural, non-invasive alternative to drugs. Productive sound environments contribute to our individual and collective well-being. A new awareness of sound is golden.
(c) 2001 Joshua Leeds. All Rights Reserved.
Joshua Leeds is the author of "The Power of Sound: How to Manage Your Personal Soundspace for a Vital, Healthy, & Productive Life" and "Sonic Alchemy: Conversations with Leading Sound Practitioners."
For further information and on-line purchase, visit www.thepowerofsound.com
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