Sonic Theology

M. Alam
18 Jan 2013

a Sadaqayan Circle presentation

pointer to the Real
Sonic Theology is the field of study

of vibration and sound to reach ma’arifa or gnosis of God and reality
It is also the field which provides us better understanding and guidance on the use of Sacred Scripture’s language, Chants, Sonic Remembrance towards peace, harmony, tranquility of the self, healing and overall well-being.
Hazrat Inayat Khan wrote: "Sound is the source of all manifestation ... the knower of the mystery of sound knows the mystery of the whole universe.”

the ancient world, the concept that the universe is musical,

harmonious, and interconnected was seen as self-evident.
Since the Greek philosopher Pythagorus discovered the pure mathematics of music in the 5th century BC, the greatest minds in history have attempted to codify the harmony of the spheres.
Johannes Kepler, the 16th-century astronomer responsible for determining the laws of planetary motion, was convinced that the relationship between the planets – indeed everything in the universe – was harmonic in nature, vibrating in perfect attunement by the Divine Attuner.

everything – every atom and molecules in every nook and

corner of this universe is formed out of energy vibration.
Einstein's famous formula E=mc2 indicate that matter (m) is but an expression of energy (E).
Vibration is one of the most fundamental characteristics of the entire Universe.

molecules, and still smaller units known as atoms.
Yet smaller

still we find sub-atomic particles which in turn are made up of still finer particles and so on, until the ultimate constitution of anything is of pure Energy vibrating at specific rates according to individual characteristics.

objects, sound, light, electrical waves are what they are because

of their vibration.
Perceptible sound to human = 20 to 20,000 vibration/sec
Electricity = 1 billion vib/sec
Visible Color = 500 billion vib/sec
Invisible spectrum even higher
X-ray = 2 trillion vib/sec

different frequencies
As we progress still higher, the scale of vibration

we reach do not manifest any characteristics yet to modern science and hence totally ignored
It is erroneous to conclude that progressively higher levels of vibration do not exist, simply because they cannot be observed or measured by science.
Vibrating at speeds completely beyond the comprehension and observation of science are the inner dimensions of planes, part of alam al-Ghayb, the so called invisible or unseen Realms in contrast to the alam ash-Shahadah or observable /witnessing Realms

accepted principles of quantum physics with the discovery that sub-atomic

particles are ultimately not particles at all, but are rather progressively more subtle forms, until ultimately consisting of vibration, pure Energy and units of probability (quantum potentiality or Quanta)
Are we talking here a very subtle configuration of Divine Will in lucent manifestation?

also known as “Light”. This is not the light commonly

known in the physical Universe as for example emanating from The Sun, but rather the Primordial Light from which everything in the Universe was created, lives and has its Being, the Primordial Light of God ~ Nur e Elahi.
As observed by quantum physicist David Bohm, the physical Universe of matter can be considered to be “frozen Light”.

the beginning was the Logos (Word / Vibration / Light),

and the Logos was with God.
~ New Testament, John 1:1
Om as the primordial Sound / Vibration / Adi Nad
Kun! Fa Ya Kun! God said Be and all came into manifestation.
God is a Power The Power becomes light The light becomes vibration The vibration becomes sound The sound becomes word The word becomes language The language becomes scripture. Like that return to the Source.
- Bawa Muhaiyaddeen

(Essence)
~ Manifesting All-Pervading Divine Power ~ Power becomes pure

Light or Nur ~ Nur to Vibration ~ Vibration to Sound
~ Sound to Word
~ Word to Language
~ Language to Holy Scripture
From Holy Scripture
~ Language
~ Words
~ Sounds
~ Vibration
~ Nur
~ Divine Power ~ Allah’s Marifa

the primordial cosmic vibration at the point of beginning.
Adi Nada

– Primordial Sound.
It is the sound / vibration form of Parama Atma or Supreme Consciousness.
Om is the symbol of the underlying intelligence. It also symbolizes Reality.

or “Ameen” means “So be it” or “Let it be.”
This

corresponds to the first Divine Will, “Let there be Light.”
Similarly when we invoke any supplication, we intend to harmonize with the Divine Will by saying ‘Amen’ – so be it by Your Will.

is with Vibration. Big Bang. Om. Kun Fa Ya Kun.

These all are Isharat, or pointer to the unseen reality.
In Eastern religion we find the imagery that the end of time will be accompanied by the blow of Trumpet or Sound by Angel (God’s agent)
Again symbolizing that it is through a great Sound > Vibration that the end will come

Day when the earth and the mountains will be in

violent shake, and the mountains will be a heap of sand poured out and flowing down. ~ 73:14
On that day the earth and the mountains will shake / quake violently… the Hearts that day will shake. ~ 79:6
When the earth is shaken with her (violent) shaking. ~ 99:1

Mila Thöpaga meaning 'a joy to hear'), the most famous

mysticsaint of Tibet, yogi, wanderer and much loved poet of 11th century is often famously depicted with one hand cupped behind his ear. In Buddhist iconography he is as someone who is always listening deeply, symbolizing Milarepa's deep listening to the great voice of the cosmos, of the inner song of existence.

On the value of listening 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead' calls it Great Liberation through Hearing.

master who at that time was listening to a sufi

sama (mystical music that connects to divine) in an absorbed state. Seeing the sufi master in such a state made the visitor surprised. She knew at that moment that the master was not here, he was literally lost. Feeling the presence of the visitor, the master told her, sit here my daughter and listen three sixty. What he meant was an invitation for listening with whole being. Listening 360 is not merely listening but being absorbed, being totally immersed into the depth of the verses, in the tune, rhythms, vibrations. It triggers contemplative mood and deep state of meditation.

Prophet Muhammad, Allah’s peace and blessings be upon his soul,

started his long retreats and deep contemplation in Hira, the mountain cave near Mecca, he was also entering into the preparation what would become a 23 years of Great Audition / Listening of the Divine Voice, which ultimately became the revelations of The Quran.

As they descended to his inner heart, he would spontaneously recite the holy revelations, hence the name Qur'an (which means 'the recitation'). Often time, as he mentioned later that such revelation of Quran used to start with a sound which he had to listen with tremendous concentration and each time the experience was so intense that it would make him perspire even in cold desert night.

/ respond / accept - who listen (truly)... ~ The

Quran 6:36 Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best in it: those are the ones whom God has guided, and such are the gnostics. ~ The Quran 39:18 I have chosen thee: listen, then, to the inspiration. (Allah's mystical conversation with Moses on the Holy Mountain) ~ The Quran 2:13 When they listen to that which hath been revealed unto the messengers, thou seest their eyes overflow with tears because of their recognition of the Truth. ~ The Quran 5:83 Be not like those who say, "We hear," but hear not: ~ The Quran 8:21 Wa-iza quria-al-qur-anu fastamiAAoolahu wa ansitoo laAAallakum turhamoon / When the Qur'an is recited, listen to it with deep listening, and pay attention: that you may receive grace. ~ The Quran 7:204

ritual prayer (salat) practiced in Islam, as the devotee stand

up from bowing position, reminds himself or herself by announcing "Sami Allah hu liman hamidah" - 'God ever listens to every spontaneous praise'.

It is then followed up by saying, "Rabbana, wa lakal hamd" - 'Our Lord, and to Thee belongs all praise'.


So “Ever listening” (Sami Allah) is a Sifat or Attribute of Allah and when we are engaged in deep listening, we are practicing a Sifat, a quality of Allah and with right intention, this illuminates the inner being, the subtle centers / lataif.

Takhalluk bi khalqiLlah – embody the qualities (akhlaq) of Allah ~ says our Prophet (s)

ila ar-rasooli tara a’yunahum tafeedu minaddami mimma AAarafoo mina al-haqq.

Ya qooloona: ”Rabbana amanna faktubna maAAa ashshahideen”

When they hear (sami’oo) what was revealed to the messenger, you see their eyes flooding with tears as they recognize (ma’arafoo) the truth (al-haqq) therein, and they say, "Our Lord, we have believed, so count us among the witnesses (shahideen).”

~ The Qur’an 5:83

you glad you are alive. Everything in this world is helplessly reeling. An invisible wake was

created when God said to His beautiful dead lover, "Be!".
Hafiz, who will understand you if you do not explain that last line? Well then, I will sing it this way: When God said to illusion, "Be!" - Mawlana Hafiz, the master sufi poet and saint of 14th century

all the magnetism which an instrument lacks; for voice is

nature's ideal instrument, upon which all the other instruments of the world are modeled.” ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan
Our voice, the human voice, can be used as a tool for self-awareness, which is the foundational mindset to heal oneself.
With proper training, you can use your voice as a "sonic tool" to vibrationally activate, heal, resonate/harmonize body, mind and spirit.
Human voice can change state of consciousness almost instantaneously. It balances hemispheres of the brain, re-wires neural nets, and changes the vibratory pattern of the etheric, emotional, mental, and bioelectric bodies.

elegant Secret:
The way we use our voice is a clear

indicator of our self-esteem. 
Changing our voice, its tone can change the whole way of expressing ourselves in the world - and how the world sees us! 
One’s entire history is recorded in every cell of one’s body: when you speak the truth to your body you can change your life.
Remember that in post-eternity the body will speak the truth and you will be witness, before that reality comes, may we speak the truth to our body:
Allah speaks: That Day, We will seal over their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will testify about what they used to earn. ~ 36:65

by Jonathan Goldman, he states: "From a physiological viewpoint, vocal

harmonics creates changes in the heart beat, respiration and brainwaves of the reciter."
When we sigh, groan, hum or sing, we are toning.
Laeh Maggie Garfield, in her book "Sound Medicine," writes: "Toning is a system of healing that utilizes vowel sounds to alter vibrations in every molecule in the body.”

which includes the thymus gland, lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen,

tonsils, adenoids, appendix, Peyer's Patches are all connected and these system can be affected positive by sound and vibration.
For example the Thymus gland plays a key role in the immunological defense system, stimulating production of white blood cells that fight disease and infection. The thymus gland is fairly large at birth and continues to grow until adolescence, when it begins to shrink.

During the first few weeks of life, T-lymphocytes created in the thymus migrate to the blood stream and colonize lymph nodes through the body. These later begin to manufacture powerful antibodies vital for immunity.

adjacent to the lungs and also heart, the sound which

are produced from within has direct vibratory effect and stimulates this very organ.
This possibly is one of the exoteric (zahiri) explanation of the mechanism of healing through boosting this vital organ responsible for immune system.

particularly beneficial to the body is a clean ”A” or

“O” sound which will make the chest, ster­num and neck vibrate.
Vibrations in the sternum will stimulate the immune system because the oscillations boost the thymus which controls the production of the body’s key defence cells called T lymphocytes.
Some researchers even believe that different infections and cancers in old people are closely linked to the decline in T lymphocyte production.
Hence, if you were to stimulate the thymus in some way e.g. through prayer or song, it is sure to be advantageous.

another important gland, the thyroid. This gland produces hormones that

regulate metabolism and thus the body’s energy consumption and body weight.
In addition, it also assists in strengthening heart function.

Apart from the fact that you can stimulate this gland to some extent with vibrations, a combination of generating sounds and movement of the neck (as done sometime in Dhikr) can increase blood flow to the neck and stimulating the benefit.

throat and the resulting vagus nerve stimulation is the immediate

reduction in blood pressure and number of heartbeats.
People with heart conditions or patients who have suffered a heart attack can combine breathing exercises with sound generation as a simple preventive or therapeutic method.
Another interesting significance of breathing while using your voice is simply that the breathing frequency is lowered and the natural breath becomes longer. The same happens when you hum or sing or chat, which causes a feeling of happiness and well-being.

the nose has the beneficial effect of mixing air from

the nose with air from the sinuses which is rich on nitrogen oxide (NO).  
NO has the ability to increase the blood's oxygen uptake significantly.
In addition, NO has an anti-bacterial and thus anti-inflammatory function, which makes this exercise an obvious supplementary remedy in the treatment of diseases caused by inflammation in lung tissue.
When we do dhikr which involves heavy breath-work, the unique properties associated with the small gas molecule nitric oxide can be utilize to boost function of lungs.

voice to aid in the healing of the human body."

The practice of toning incorporates using various sounds -- specifically vowel sounds, mantras, chanting, etc
Mitchell L. Gaynor, M.D., a leading oncologist and director of integrative medicine at the Strang-Cornell Cancer Prevention Center, states in his book The Healing Power of Sound, that "the very tools high-tech scientists have used to understand molecular biology are revealing that mind-body communication occurs on the deepest levels of cellular function... understanding mind-body unity is essential to recognizing how sound - which has vibratory effects on cells, organs, emotional effect on the brain, and which taps a spiritual dimension as yet undefined- is the next frontier in holistic healing."

by chanting and vocalizing sounds and vowels, and in mantras

by ancient teachers for "spiritual realization," allowing a person to bypass the mind, release obstacles, access creative and healing energy and awaken the self to a "higher consciousness.”
Laeh Maggie Garfield, in her book "Sound Medicine," writes: "Toning is a system of healing that utilizes vowel sounds to alter vibrations in every molecule in the body.”
Toning is an ancient method of healing

vowel sounds of A, I and U. These are what

the Sufis call the universal harmonic constants and they are used in all mystic paths that utilise sound. Master these sounds and you will ascend the stairway to heaven. ~ Shaykh Hakim Abu Abdullah Ghulam Moinuddin

Toning is defined as 'to make sound with an elongated vowel for an extended period.’
Toning oxygenates the body, deepens breathing, relaxes musles and stimulates the whole body.
Regular toning helps to restore health to the mind, body and spirit.

help released stress and repressed emotions.
The muscles of the

digestive system are massaged and stimulated by regular toning.
Research suggests that toning has a neurochemical effect on the body, boosting the immune system and causing the release of endorphins (stimulate the feeling of well being) in the brain.
Toning has also been effective in relieving insomnia and other sleep disorders.

an-naasu qad ja’atkum maw`izhatun min rabbikum wa shifaun limaa fee

as-sudoori wa hudan wa rahmatun lil-mumineen
O Mankind! There has come to you a guidance from your Lord and a healing for (the diseases) in your hearts, and for those who believe a guidance and a mercy. ~ 10:57
Wa nunazzilu mina al-qurani ma huwa shifaun wa rahmatun lil-mumineen
And We sent down in the Quran such things that have healing and mercy for the faithfuls. ~17:82
qul huwa lil-ladheena amanoo hudan wa shifaun
And declare hat [the Quran] is a guidance and healing for the believers. ~ 41:44
Six Healing Verses: 9:14, 10:57, 16:69, 17:82, 26:80, 41:44

sound waves generated during Qur’anic recitation are possibly mediated by

two exoteric mechanisms:
Firstly, through the ears sound waves are converted into electrical stimuli that activate the Auditory area of the brain that in turn stimulates release of chemicals and messengers that have healing properties.
Secondly, the sound waves especially at frequencies ranging from 50 – 800 db pass through the body and in the process they are transduced by the body tissues and cells leading to a change in the vibratory frequency of the cells and generation of electrical stimuli.

the Quran, the careful attention to listening and pronunciation of

verses stimulates an area of the brain located in the temporal lobe.
The temporal lobe is also where the hippocampus is located, which is the memory consolidation center.
It’s also the brain region activated for processing of musical sounds such as the case when the Quran is recited.

oral (mouth) cavity while we speak.
Recently scientists have found

out that there are very sensitive receptors underneath the mucosal lining of the oral cavity specially the hard palate.
Theses receptors are stimulated when even lightly pressed by the tongue. It has been documented that this pressure at various points is responsible for initiating the swallowing reflex and other motor movements when we have food in the mouth cavity.

“ALLAH” and notice your tongue.
The tip of the tongue

gently presses against a spot on hard palate in the mid line just above the back of the gums of the upper front teeth (incisors). Pressure on this spot stimulates the release of signals from mechanoreceptors embedded in the mucosa covering the hard palate.

existence of very sensitive ‘Mechanoreceptors’ in the oral cavity including

the hard palate.
Signals generated through pressure at this ‘magic spot’ are transmitted to centers in the brain; what these signals do is not yet known / discovered.
Notice the tongue movement and touch on upper mouth when reciting the following sacred formula:
La ilaha illallah (best dhikr and best tranquilizer of heart)
Lahaula wala quwata illa Billahi-L-Aliyyil-Adhim (cure of 99 diseases)
Allahu Allah (elevator of ranks)

loudly and not silently by saying: “The comparison between a

silent reader and a recitor is like a bottle of perfume when it is closed and when it is opened”.
In one of the few medical studies conducted on listening to the recitation of Holy Qur’an Dr. Ahmed E. Kadi and Associates (Cairo), have shown a reduction in blood pressure, heart rate, and smooth muscle relaxation in Muslims as well as non-Muslims.
The Qur’an itself recommend reciting it slowly (with pauses) for complete absorption of its effects. That means that if we recite very fast then the frequencies can overlap and mingle up resulting in a vibratory chaos thus rendering the beneficial effects useless.

Healing
http://www.sound-accord.com/sound_healing
Power of Quranic Healing
http://kaheel7.com/eng/index.php/secrets-of-quran-a-sunnah/69-the-power-of-quran-healing

6:91