I recently read some interesting stuff on sound. We tend to think about sound in terms of music, voices, sounds in nature and so forth. Sound is very important. It’s how we communicate and it can be a great form of entertainment. At the same time, it can be annoying or even menacing if it disturbs our sleep.

Protecting your hearing with noise-reducing earplugs or musician’s earplugs can ensure a lifetime of hearing sweet sounds. You can also use earplugs such as sleeping earplugs to block the types of sound that cause distress. But what about the sound you hear in your own head? Do you need to protect yourself from sounds that have nothing to do with your ears?

No, and in fact, you should embrace these sounds and it may just help you accomplish goals such as improving performance or quitting a nasty habit or behaviour. You see, there are outer sounds that we can hear because of the vibrations they create in the ear which are then passed along to the brain via a signal that the brain interprets. We actually begin to experience outer noises before it hits our ears. The vibrations can be felt by the body. The sounds in our mind or visual sounds can be “heard” because we can imagine the sound. We can picture a conversation in our minds or think about a particular instrument or song. This type of sound is also why we can “hear” during dream.

Nada yoga is a practice based on meditation and sound. The word nada is based on the Sanskrit word “nad,” which means flow. The word nada means sound. Nada yogi’s practice a form of meditation meant to help them reach the highest form of sound, which is transcendent sound. It’s a bit difficult to understand, but the point is to reach a state of meditation to where you are tapping into the subconscious.

Have you ever tried to change your thought process? Perhaps you decided you were too judgmental and decided to be more accepting. At first, you probably had to argue a bit with your subconscious. This is because your subconscious has experienced many years of a certain thought process, probably dating back to your childhood. For this reason, there’s usually a “correction” of thought. You might begin to judge someone as a natural instinct and then tell yourself “stop being judgmental.” Until you can change your thought process at the subconscious level, you’ll have difficulty fully embracing your new philosophy.

Transcendent sound is “still” sound with no vibrations. The belief is this sound originates from the universe and we can only “hear” it if we bring our consciousness to the same level. The meditative practices using outer sounds such as drums, bells or chanting is said to bring us to the state so the transcendent sound can be heard.

It’s a lot to understand, but the bottom line is it may just help you tap into your subconscious and achieve goals you never thought possible. The key is making your subconscious believe it is possible by using affirmations and suggestions.

Just some interesting stuff about sound and one more reason to protect your hearing. It may just change your life!

Cheers for now!

Meghan