Acutonics[R], sound healing, and the new field of harmonic medicine.

A grippa von Nettesheim, a Dutch physician from the Sixteenth Century once wrote, "A person who is ill is no longer in harmony with the universe." In his book The World is Sound: Nada Braham, Joachim-Ernst Berendt states that "The science of harmonics knows that any form of organic life--a fish, a flower, a leaf, a fruit, a beetle, any creature at all--is sound, that in fact even the 'most beautiful' forms of the inorganic world, the crystals, are sound." When we take the word "person" back to its Greek root per son, it literally means "the sound passes through it."

Now, with multimedia exposure in films such as "What the Bleep Do We Know?" and Dr. Masaru Emoto's book The Hidden Messages in Water, the idea that everything is vibration, body, cells, particles, thoughts, feelings, is surely becoming more acceptable. Despite this fact, the field of Harmonic Medicine is still very new to our culture. There is a system of sound healing that is bringing back the science of harmonics, however. It's known as Acutonics[R] and its curriculum teaches Harmonic Medicine. Developed by Donna Carey, PhD, LAC, author of Acutonics: There's No Place Like Ohm, this sound healing method applies tuning forks instead of needles to the meridian system, acupressure points, areas of pain, and chakras.

Carey was inspired to develop Acutonics after a near-death experience during which she heard the "music of the spheres" (sounds emitted by the planets' motion in the heavens as referenced by Pythagoras). Now, after more than ten years of clinical use and case studies with certified practitioners all over the globe, this particular system of sound healing is gaining recognition and respect in holistic practices as well as hospitals. Both the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) and The American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) have approved Acutonics for continuing education in these fields. The National Certification Committee of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) also approves individual Acutonics Instructors to teach continuing ed to acupuncturists. In addition to tuning forks, the Acutonics system also uses Tibetan singing bowls, found to be effective in treating cancer patients.

How does Sound change patterns of disease?

At the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., one can witness the powerful effect of sound on matter. There is a steel plate with sand on top, and when different tones are applied to this steel plate, the sand forms perfect geometric designs. With each different tone, a new "snowflake" design is created. This demonstrates the ability of sound to actually organize matter. If it can move sand in an organized fashion, it can also move particles, cells, blood, lymph, etc. When combined with intention (which is also vibration) certain tones can produce different results at each level of one's being: physical, emotional and spiritual. This same principle can be seen in Dr. Emoto's work with water crystals. Thoughts, which hold vibration, affect the shape of the water crystals, thereby perpetuating either health or disease in the body.

What makes Acutonics Unique? * Acutonics is unique to other sound modalities because it is based on, and incorporates, the "music of the spheres," the motion of the planets in the heavens. Based on the Taoist Tradition that the planets in their heavenly elliptical spheres are held in place by the same power that keeps our organs and cells in balance, this eternal dance of the opposites-yin/yang, heaven/earth, day/night, activity/receptivity--is part of the cycle of contraction and expansion that is the heartbeat of creation. As above, so below. The microcosm (body) reflects the macrocosm (heavens), and vice versa.

In Chinese Medicine, one learns about the five branches of diet, exercise, meditation, astrology, and acupuncture. Unfortunately, over the years, astrology has been relegated to the "fanciful" arts by many in our culture. With The Acutonics Healing System and education in Harmonic Medicine, this trend is changing. Because the tuning forks are calibrated specifically to the planets' frequencies, the respective organ, meridian, or emotional pattern governed by that planet will become homeopathically attuned to it.

Scholar Thomas Michael Schmidt supports this link between planetary bodies and physical bodies:

"... it is hardly surprising to find that the proportions of the human body correspond with the mathematical proportions of the planetary orbits ... For each proportion of the human body corresponding to a musical interval, there is a corresponding proportion between two or three planetary orbits," The World is Sound. Nada Braham, p.81.

The act of simply listening to music without any intention for healing, will release endorphins to reduce stress in the body, balance left and right hemispheres of the brain, and thus create a better flow of energy within the individual. When combined with specific intention, however, sound has the power to unlock disease-producing patterns and re-establish fluidity, balance and health to one's life.

Jennifer T. Gehl, BA, LMBT is a Certified Acutonics[R] Practitioner, Teacher and creator of The Asheville Center of Harmonic Medicine, where she holds a private practice and teaches continuing education. For more information on Acutonics[R] instruction and treatment, please call 828-712-2446, email [e-mail] or go to www.ashevilleacutonics.com.