Sound and Music Therapy

Sound has been used to treat both physical and mental issues since recorded time. The first known people to use sound for healing were the Aborigines, a tribal group from Australia. Using a yidaki (also known as a didgeridoo, a traditional man-made instrument in which one blows air in to produce low vibrations) Aboriginal healers would create sounds to tend to ill tribal members. Not only were these sounds thought to repair broken bones and muscle tears, the sounds were also thought to stabilize individuals who were mentally ill, soothing their minds and internal flow. 

In ancient Egypt, it was believed that vowels were significantly powerful and sacred. For this reason, they were usually chanted by priests for prayer and healing. During that period of time, Egyptian priestesses would use a sistra, a type of musical rattle with metal discs. While performing healing rituals, this instrument would be accompanied by the harp, another therapeutic instrument, and played in reverberant chapels or burial chambers to amplify the sounds. Not only did this rattle produce pleasing jangling sounds, but it also generated sufficient amounts of ultrasound, a product that currently benefits modern hospitals and clinics as a potent healing modality. With this evidence, it is safe to assume that Egyptian priest did not use sistra simply to produce a calming environment, but to tend to the ill as an effective healing treatment.

During the Greco-Roman period, sounds and music were used therapeutically to sooth the psyche and reduce anger and aggression. Many of the healing temples functioned as healing centers, wherein patients underwent dream sleep during their stay. The reverberant spaces and calm setting allowed vibrations to have a maximum effect on the body.

These are a few examples of traditional vibroacoustic therapy throughout history. In each culture sound and music was understood to be a curative treatment for illnesses.