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© 2011-2016 Dharma Vibration

How Sound Soothes the Savage Beast

Sound as a TranspersonalHealing Modality

Karambir Singh Khalsa, M.A.


Education● B.A. Music - UCLA (1986)● Diploma - Peter Hess Akademie (2009)● Diploma - Barbara Brennan School of

Healing Europe (2009, 2011)● Trainer - Peter Hess Institut (2013)● M.A. Transpersonal Psychology - Sofia

University (2015)● Naropa University – Master of Clinical

Mental Health Counseling (2018)


Overview● Terminology● Sound & Human Development● Experiential(s)● Benefits of Sound Healing● What Makes Sound Healing Transpersonal● Questions


Sound● 3 sound noun

– c : mechanical radiant energy that istransmitted by longitudinal pressurewaves in a material medium (as air) andis the objective cause of hearing

– http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sound


Vibration 1/2● vibration noun

– 1 a : a periodic motion particles of anelastic body or medium in alternatelyopposite directions from the position ofequilibrium when that equilibrium hasbeen disturbed (as when a stretched cordproduces musical tones or molecules inthe air transmit sounds to the ear)

– http://www.mirriam-webster.com/dictionary/vibration


Transpersonal Psychology● Hartelius, Caplan, and Rardin (2007)

– “Transpersonal psychology: An approachto psychology that

● 1) studies phenomena beyond the ego ascontext for

● 2) an integrative/holistic psychology; thisprovides a framework for

● 3) understanding and cultivating humantransformation” (p. 11).


Transpersonal Healing● Khalsa (2015)

– “Transpersonal healing includes thevarious healing modalities that are inagreement with the principles oftranspersonal psychology and provide ameans by which individuals may cultivatetheir own transformation and healing withthe compassionate guidance and supportof a facilitator or practitioner” (p. 6).


Transpersonal Healing● Khalsa (2016)

– Transpersonal healing includes the varioushealing modalities that are in agreementwith the principles of transpersonalpsychology and provide a means bywhich individuals may cultivate their owntransformation and healing with orwithout the compassionate guidance andsupport of a facilitator or practitioner.


Mental Disorder● American Psychiatric Association (2013)

– “a syndrome characterized by clinicallysignificant disturbance in an individual’scognition, emotion regulation, or behaviorthat reflects a dysfunction in thep s y c h o l o g i c a l , b i o l o g i c a l , o rdevelopmental processes underlyingmental functioning. Mental disorders areusually associated with significantd i s t r ess o r d i sab i l i t y i n soc i a l ,occupat ional , or other impor tantactivities” (p. 20).



– “a syndrome characterized by clinicallysignificant disturbance in an individual’scognition, emotion regulation, or behaviorthat reflects a dysfunction in thep s y c h o l o g i c a l , b i o l o g i c a l , o rdevelopmental processes underlyingmental functioning. Mental disorders areusually associated with significantd i s t r ess o r d i sab i l i t y i n soc i a l ,occupat ional , or other impor tantactivities.”



– “a syndrome characterized by clinicallysignificant disturbance in an individual’scognition, emotion regulation, or behaviorthat reflects a dysfunction in thep s y c h o l o g i c a l , b i o l o g i c a l , o rdevelopmental processes underlyingmental functioning. Mental disorders areusually associated with significantdistress or disability in social,occupat ional , or other impor tantactivities.”


Sound & Human Development 1/2● Fetus has awareness of sound in utero● Speech recognition and language skills

develop after birth● Human ego is formed during first seven

years of one's life● One's relationship with sound is pre-verbal

and precedes the ego.


Sound & Human Development 2/2● Sound can be used to access, transform,

and heal parts of one's consciousness thattalk therapy cannot

● This might include but is not limited to:– Childhood wounding– Adult trauma that might result in:

● PTSD● Anxiety


What is Sound Healing?


Vibration 2/2● vibration noun

– 4 a : a characteristic emanation, aura, orspirit that infuses or vitalizes someone orsomething and that can be instinctivelysensed or experienced – often used inplural

– http://www.mirriam-webster.com/dictionary/vibration


Benefits of Sound Healing 1/4● Physiological Benefits

– Lowers pulse– Lowers blood pressure– Deepens breathing– Reduces oxygen requirements– Decreases carbon dioxide production


Benefits of Sound Healing 2/4● Physiological Benefits (cont'd)

– Increase in alpha and theta wave activity– Increase in blood sugar level– Decrease in cholesterol level– Salivary cortisol and norepinephrine drops– Sweat gland activity decreases


Benefits of Sound Healing 3/4● Physiological Benefits (cont'd)

– Increase in activity in the following regions[of the brain]:

● Amygdala● Hippocampus● Frontal singular cortex● Hypothalamus and midbrain


Benefits of Sound Healing 4/4● Psychological Benefits

– Mental freshness– Inward focused attention– Increased perceptual thresholds for

external stimuli– Increased associative thought– Feeling of serenity


Sound Healing Today 1/2● Leinenga & Götz (2015)

– Scanning ultrasound removes amyloid-βand restores memory in an Alzheimer'sdisease mouse model

– Science Translational Medicine 11 Mar2015: Vol. 7, Issue 278, pp. 278ra33


Sound Healing Today 2/2● Dubost, Bare, Holland, & Bellosi (2013)

– Frequency specific, specially tuned,amplitude modulated radio frequencyfields...showed dramatic disruptiveeffects on morphology of human cancercells in vitro

– “Destructive effects of pulsed electric fieldson cancer cells: the microtubulesmechanical resonance clue” BioEM2013,PB-224, June 2013


What Makes Sound HealingTranspersonal?

● Supports self-actualization (Jung et al.)● Individuals and/or healing professionals

can access aspects of consciousnessbeyond ego


Next Steps● More clinical research needed comparing

– Pharamacology and sound healing– CBT and sound healing

● Sound healing and developmentaldisorders

– Autism / Down syndrome● A call for funding


Thank You● Thesis available online at:

http://karambirsk.wordpress.com/

● Contact– [email protected]

● Questions
http://karambirsk.wordpress.com/

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