Watch the video above, Sounds that Transform Consciousness about Intense Music Experiences (IME’s) and their effects as sound healing for our transformation. Or read the longer blog below with more details.
Reaching Higher Consciousness with Sound Healing and Reaching to the Mental Health Crisis
Curated sound healing is a profound method for reaching higher consciousness and reaching the mental health crisis as well. One of the benefits of the pandemic is that we became aware of areas that had previously been swept under the rug, or not identified as important. Our attention was brought to people’s mental health, and the mental health crisis with higher rates of mental illness than have previously been noticed. These numbers are particularly high among young people. While there is disruption rampant across our society in the economic and political areas, there is also an acceleration of artificial intelligence that is changing job availability. And places where people previously had community with others and guideposts in religions are dropping off in attendance.
While these areas are occurring there is also a simultaneous shift in grassroots influential areas about our consciousness. These are evidenced in the numbers of people interested in near-death studies, the International Association of Near Death Studies, the Spiritual Awaking International for transformative experiences, the movement towards noticing mental health diagnosis require compassion and the role of mental health changes as a transformative experience. There is also the movement towards using psychedelics for transformative experiences. There is a rising interest in the use of curated sounds, music, and rhythms because of their effectiveness, ease of use, and availability. I have used particular sounds, rhythms, patterns, as musical curated sound healing that transform consciousness with people with cancer and immune compromised illness, people with trauma, mental health diagnosis, addiction, and recovery, in internal medicine with people with pain, and with people with different spiritual transformative experiences for over 25 years.
The transformative effects of curated sound healing are a personal experience and proven by science, but these protocols give access to higher states that once were thought impossible and not within the reach of human potential. However, now we know there are practices that develop and heighten our abilities as well as help us to resolve challenges and difficulties and give us access to these profound states.
Moving Beyond Mindfulness Meditation to Advanced Meditation Practices
Introduction to Advanced Meditation
The form of advanced meditation are methods beyond basic mindfulness meditation and concentration practices. In advanced meditation there are deeper levels of mental focus, awareness, and introspection that are expansive. However, the term ‘advanced’ does not mean the practices are more difficult, instead it means the practice of curated sound healing is more profound.
Advanced meditation is not mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation is a more generalized meditation practice while advanced meditation accesses profound wellbeing, deep inner connection with deepening states that unfold with time and mastery. These states can be different kinds of deep insights, peacefulness, and even states of ecstasy and bliss. Other ways to describe these advanced states is expansive clarity, knowledge, and wisdom, flowing, learning, and awareness of really subtle aspects of consciousness. All of the above-mentioned areas from near-death experiences, spiritual awakening, and transformative experiences, and those using psychedelics are often inclusive of the above description of expansive clarity, knowing and wisdom for advanced meditation. Essentially expanding our capacity as human beings and deepening our understanding of the mysteries. But how to get there? And what do they have to offer?
Reaching Higher Consciousness Through Curated Sound and Music
A term used in research settings using music and the profound experiences people have with music is identified as an “Intense Musical Experiences” an (IME). The research reveals people who experience an IME consider it to be of high significance with long-term effects.
- An IME occurs as an altered states of consciousness that is an experience of harmony and self-realization.
- Once a person has an experience of an IME they are significantly motivated to create the same harmony in their daily lives.
- During an IME, the person develops various resources
- Experiencing an IME results in long-term changes in personal values including their social relationships, how they engage in life, activities they pursue, personal development and perception of the meaning of life.
In essence there is a profound shift in awareness which can be compared to a spiritual awakening, transformative experience, psychedelic experience that is
fulfilling, harmonious, and connects the person in a deep way to their spirituality and values.
What is Happening Within a Person When They Have an Advanced Meditation Experience That Unfolds as They Continue to Use the Practices
The Science of Sound Healing
When we are using meditation and advanced meditation we are positively changing ourselves on many different areas of our being. The following is how our brain waves are changing from our ordinary state of beta where you are listening to this video or reading this blog which is the hypervigilant state. This is also the state where we store trauma in our neurological system, where stress occurs, where the stress hormone cortisol is produced and where inflammation occurs as an underlying contributor to mental and physical disease and decline.
Accessing Alpha Brain Waves and Deeper States
Alpha Brain Waves
Alpha brain waves (8-12 Hz) are where we experience a relaxed yet alert state of consciousness. This is the state we connect to easily when shifting out of ordinary beta brain waves where stress in diminished and creativity increases. When we listen to specific curated sound patterns we easily access alpha brain waves, where heart rate and respiration simultaneously connect to this restorative state that also creates mental and emotional regulation.
Advanced States of Theta and Delta Brain Waves
Theta brain waves (4-7 Hz) and delta brain waves (0.5-4 Hz) connect to deeper states of consciousness and advanced meditation, rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep where we dream, and profound relaxation. Often these deeper states are accessed with continued regular practice. Listening to particular sound patterns allows us through listening to shift from beta brain waves easily accessing alpha brain waves and deeper states fostering emotional healing, rejuvenation, and heightened states of consciousness.
What is Happening to Us When We Access These Deeper States?
Neuroplasticity
Meditation and advanced meditation methods develop neuroplasticity which is the neurological system forming new connections as neurogenesis that are part of learning and adaptation. This is also rewiring the brain where it is reorganizing the connections. In this rewiring process there are profound changes. While neuroplasticity is occurring there is also release of stress and trauma. And there is even more going on!
Epigenetic Changes and Evolution and Epigenetics and Sound Healing
Epigenetic changes occur when there is neuroplasticity. This means the growth of new neurons and synapses changes how we respond to stressors without changing our DNA. These epigenetic responses are so significant they change our predilection for illness and promote positive changes in gene expression related to stress reduction, emotional regulation, and cognitive function. But these are only part of the amazing and profound changes that are occurring when we are engaging in epigenetic rewiring of our neurological system. More on these changes coming up.
Evolutionary Implications
The ability to engage in methods that change our response to trauma and stress is empowerment and evolutionary improvement. And because there are so many areas that are physical, mental motional, spiritual, and other areas that are impacted by epigenetics, meditation, and advanced meditation practices that are now backed by scientific research we are on a threshold of profound changes.
The following is a detailed list of the different areas that are impacted when we engage in regular advanced practices as in curated sound healing that is rewiring our system
1.Stress Reduction and the Immune System
Regular engagement from beta brain waves increases our immune system function. This is a large contribution to staying in a healthy state and being resistant to illness. When there is regular access of meditative states and advanced meditative state there is a decrease in stress and inflammation that are debilitating influences on our health and longevity, resilience, ability to adapt, and innovate to evolving circumstances and situations.
2.Diminishing of External Influences that Distort Our Decisions
Engaging in methods that shift our perspective and brain waves, heart rate, and respiration as an advanced practice reduces our biases that are unconscious influences from our emotions, expectations, and social norms. Social norms are howe we are influenced by often non spoken but implied informal rules that govern our behavior in groups and society. Because meditation and advanced meditation methods access states of consciousness people are able to approach problems with significantly less or even without the influence of social norms, being more objective and arriving at a wider range of solutions.
Insight Through Meditation
- Deactivation of the Ego
When a person has an experience with releasing from ordinary consciousness there often is a release of negative thoughts, pervasive intrusive thoughts, and the ability to step outside of usual thought patterns. These structures are held by the ego and when we relax into the restorative states accessed through advanced practices there is a lessening of the controlling elements of the ego that can get in the way of new perspectives, insightful and creative solutions.
Developing Compassion, Insight, and Intuition
4.Compassion and Empathy
According to research conducted by Konrath there is a decline in empathy and compassion for others and there has been a steady drop since the early 1990s. Compassion and empathy are caring, compassion and concern for others as emotional empathy and cognitive empathy is imagining other people’s perspectives. The ability to have and connect to others with compassion and empathy are enhanced through brain wave regulation and methods that connect us to the emotional centers in the brain and heart. In practices that develop our inner connection there is a deepening into the states of compassion and empathy.
5.Insight and Intuition
Here to date in science there is an emphasis on reasoning however more recently there is recognition of the value of insight and intuition. Insight and intuition are experienced cognitively and beyond cognitively and also experienced within the body as feeling awarenesses. These processes that allow individuals to understand complex problems and make decisions beyond logical reasoning. These processes are often linked to the subconscious mind, which can be accessed through theta and delta brain wave states. Sound healing practices, such as listening to specific frequencies and patterns, can enhance these brain wave states, promoting deeper cognitive processing and the emergence of intuitive insights. Another component of intuitive development is to see patterns and notice relationships and patterns with what seemed to be disparate events or experiences as an enhanced ability.
Cognitive Benefits of Advanced Meditation; Enhancing Problem-Solving Abilities
6.Cognitive Flexibility and Creativity
Curated sound patterns as in advanced meditation practices stimulate and enhance cognitive our ability to have flexibility with new solutions. This is in part because of developing a rapport with relaxation and reduction stress that fosters open-mindedness, the ability to adapt to different situations and strategies with less or without judgement, view problems from multiple perspectives. These are methods of involving creative problem-solving skills that are expansive.
7.Focus and Concentration
An area that is developed when a person consistently uses advanced meditative methods is the ability to sustain focus and concentration. When we access these alpha, theta as deeper states of consciousness there is entrainment of our brain and body with these frequencies. This means the person is not distracted and can sustain their alertness and attention which improves concentration in solutions.
8.Reslience
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from challenges and difficult situations that we all find ourselves in throughout life. When people experience stressors and traumas their ability to be resilient often is more difficult because of cortisol and inflammation. When people have early trauma from 0-18 there may be less resilience. When we engage in advanced meditation practices there are changes that develop our resilience. This develops the ability to navigate through difficulties, not experience so much disruption.
9.Improved Working Memory
Decision making, behaviors and holding content is a vital function of our memory. When meditation practices are a regular and consistent practice there is an enhancement of this component known as working memory. Because meditation practices reduce stress and inflammation there is an improvement in recall and as previously mentioned neuroplasticity and the ability to adapt new information and process it.
10.Social and Cultural Evolution
While meditation-type practices or shifting from ordinary consciousness into restorative and advanced states can be done alone and anywhere there is a cohesiveness of knowing when others are also using methods to transform their consciousness. This is the cognitive knowing level. When people intentionally synchronize their advanced practices with others when the do not share the same geographic space and even across time zones there is a level of connectivity that enhances the experience as a social influential connection. And when people share the advanced practice, including curated sound healing methods there is an enhanced experience that is exponential that heightens the practice for the people who are physically sharing the same space and practice.
11.Mental Health
Research already shows there is a relationship with shifting out of ordinary consciousness into alpha brain waves that lessens depression, anxiety, trauma, and PTSD, schizophrenia and bi-polar. When we draw upon consistent advanced meditation practices we are accessing changes in how our brain is wired, rewiring it from holding stress and trauma. When there is regular and consistent practice of releasing our ordinary state of consciousness and shifting into restorative states our nervous system and body releases into restoration, healing, and recovery.
Integration with Modern Medicine
Integrating meditation, advanced meditation methods including curated
sound healing into restorative and preventive medicine not only enhances mental, physical, and emotional health outcomes but also revalues empowerment. An emphasis on self-directed engagement that is non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical is a completely different approach from the current model of enabling the public as an unempowered dependent.
Ancient Roots of Higher Consciousness
In many ancient cultures and throughout time people have used methods of entrainment and accessing entrancing states that we identify as a meditative states especially using particular sound patterns, rhythms, and tones, that transformed consciousness. These methods were used in gatherings for social connection and harmonization, inner connection, and wisdom, for healing, restoration, and for accessing expansive awareness. Often wisdom was sought through particular sound patterns that carried the listener into these advanced states for discovering insight for solutions and understanding. Just as meditation, advanced meditation practices are not new neither is curated sound healing methods. It is now we have the scientific research that vastly supports in many different areas of our mental, physical emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
However, these ancient practices were based on sound waves as mechanical vibrations that travel through air, water, or solid materials. When these vibrations interact with the human auditory system, they are transduced into electrical signals that the brain interprets and there are changes in the heart rate, pulse, and breathing/respiration that elicit desired neurological and physiological responses. Sounds also are interpreted through our skin and bones and are felt as pulsations and deep rhythms that roll through the air and the ground. Different sound frequencies induce specific brain wave states, including alpha, theta, and delta waves which are each associated with that derive the benefits mentioned above.
Rhythm and Repetition
In curated sound healing methods for advanced meditation there are specific rhythms that we respond to that sustain our connection to the particular brain wave state. We resonate with these repetitions in a harmonious and consistent way that allows us to be suspended in the connection to the frequency and patterns. This listening process that holds us in this state is what makes the effects easy and why different cultures worldwide today and in ancient cultures knew how to draw upon these methods for groups and individuals to access these heightened restorative states.
Empowerment, Advanced Meditation, Epigenetics and Evolution
Curated sound healing as a form of advanced meditation is a profound practice that extends beyond basic mindfulness and relaxation techniques. Evolutionary influences of advanced meditation that include enhancing compassion and empathy as components of a healthier society and culture are imperative. Rewiring our neurological structure from stress, trauma and inflammation enhancing cognition focus and memory, releasing social norm biases as well as improving the immune system are profound strides in our development and evolution. Influencing our ability to respond differently through developing neuroplasticity that increases our intuition, insight, and creativity, enhancing innovative responses are empowering consciousness transformation. Accessing deeper brain wave states that foster the development of insight, intuition, resilience, and problem-solving abilities is another empowering contribution underscore its significance highlighting the profound impact on overall well-being ultimately contributing to our individual empowerment and the evolution of human society.
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