By Jill Stein for The Village Chicago

The history of sound meditation (also known as sound healing) dates back thousands of years. All known cultures have used sound. The most ancient roots of sound healing come from Shamanic practices. The goal of Shamanic music is to allow the mind to drift away from thoughts so that our mind creates new conceptual boundaries. The earliest document showing sound therapy in 1550 BC from ancient Egypt, where priests used sound to rid people of sickness and evil spirits.

In Greece in 400 BC, Hippocrates used sound therapy for mental disorders and other illnesses. He believed that music soothed the soul and helped patients recover from their ailments.

Greek Philosophers Plato, Aristotle, and Pythagoras believed that music could influence our moods and behaviors. Aristotle noticed that music affects emotion and the body like fast rhythms accelerated pulse and slow rhythms reduced it. Ancient Greeks used music to heal physical wounds, sickness, mental problems, and believed that music could help them connect with the divine and reach a higher mental state.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in sound meditation as people are looking for additional options for mental, physical, and spiritual support. Its benefits are also now well-documented by contemporary science. Studies show that: 

• Music can meaningfully reduce the perceived intensity of pain, especially in geriatric care, intensive care, or palliative medicine.
• Listening to music reduces heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety in heart disease patients.
• Tibetan singing bowl meditation may be a feasible low-cost low technology intervention for reducing feelings of tension, anxiety, and depression, and increasing spiritual well-being. 
• The practice may have special benefits for older adults: “spiritual well-being score improvement for age group 51–60 revealed strong associations with improvement in both tension and depression post-sound healing. Given that older and middle-aged individuals may be at increased risk for stress-related diseases due to the possibility of increased cortisol levels (Feller et al. 2014), there exists significant potential for treatments such as sound healing to assist in spiritual well-being and improved mood for this age group in particular.”

Source:  NAMM Foundation 

Have we piqued your curiosity? Want to learn more and experience this ancient practice for yourself? Join Jill Stein (pictured at right with her singing bowls) for an Introduction to Sound Meditation on Thursday, March 16 at 11am. The presentation will cover more of what we know of this practice from history and science, and will include a sample sound meditation to offer you a chance to experience its benefits. Tickets to this virtual presentation are just $20.

Dick graduated from Harvard College in 1969 and received an MBA from the University of Chicago (cum laude) in 2002. In 1969, he joined the Chicago office of Accenture Ltd (then a division of Arthur Andersen & Co.) specializing in information technology and business process improvement. He was promoted to partner in 1980 and retired in 2000. Currently he focuses on the growth of two not-for-profit organizations that organize policy debating leagues for secondary school students in large inner city school systems. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor of MIS at DePaul University. Dick is unmarried and has two daughters and four grandchildren.

Therese graduated Magna Cum Laude from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Business Administration, completed her CPA in 1990, and her CFP® certification in 1995. She has 30 years of experience in the financial services industry and is currently a Financial Advisor and Senior Vice President, Investments at Raymond James. She previously served on the Board of Directors of the Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity and the Community Career Center in Naperville. Therese enjoys spending time with her husband, Bill, their children and their grandchildren. When not traveling, her hobbies include gardening, painting and yoga.

Jacqueline Boland is a graduate of Marquette University with a degree in Political Science, is currently the Branch Manager of Wintrust, Delaware Place, where she manages all branch operations and staff. Prior to banking, she had a successful career in local government, most recently as Executive Director of the Lincolnwood Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Sauganash Chamber of Commerce. Jackie has an extensive volunteer resume with chambers, community associations, historical and natural preservation organizations, and is currently a member of Rotary One. She lives on the Near North side and in her spare time enjoys sailing, reading, hiking, long walks in the city, movies and binge watching on Netflix!

Ira was born and raised in New Orleans, and has a JD from Tulane Law School. For most of his legal career, he has written opinions for federal courts in both New Orleans and Chicago, as well as criminal appeals for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. He also sometimes teaches appellate advocacy at the John Marshall Law School. He is an avid moviegoer and was a member of the documentary film jury for the New Orleans Film Fest before moving to Chicago.

A native of Philadelphia, Kate Spelman earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago, and an M.Div from Yale Divinity School. She is ordained as an Episcopal priest and has served congregations large and small in Chicagoland and on the East Coast. Prior to joining The Village, she worked as the LGBT+ specialist at AgeOptions, the Area Agency on Aging of suburban Cook County. In her spare time, she likes to work out, cook, read good books and watch terrible TV. She and her wife have a small son with a very big personality.