In 1973 Dr. Gerald Oster published a paper describing how sound affects the way and how quickly the brain learns new information, mood control, sleep patterns, and healing responses within the body, among many other items.
The part of our brain that receives sound also processes emotions and stores memory.
Different frequencies stimulate the brain to produce different neurotransmitters.
Sara Auster, a Brooklyn-based sound therapist, explains that
By using particular combinations of rhythms and frequencies, it is possible to shift our normal beta state (alert, concentrating, reacting) to an alpha (creative, relaxed), and even theta (meditative state) and delta (deep sleep, where restoring and healing can occur).
We get exposed to so many sounds during the day, from our alarm clocks to the ding announcing a new message. Screeching tires. Honking horns. The harsh tones of an argument. The soothing tones of classical music.
Each sound travels at a vibrational frequency that produces an effect within us. Sound travels faster through water than it does through air. Our bodies are 70% water.
The sounds you listen to can increase your cortisol — the stress chemical — or improve the function of your parasympathetic nervous system.
How often do you think about the sounds that you are listening to throughout the day?
What sounds are you listening to?
What are the sounds that are in your world and that you allow to permeate your nervous system?