SHAMAEL INVOCATION
I INVOKE THE SPIRIT OF SHAMAEL
ANGEL OF SACRED SOUND
MAY THE SOUND OF LIGHT SURROUND ME
MAY THE LIGHT OF SOUND GUIDE ME
MAY SACRED SOUND COME THROUGH ME
FOR THE HARMONY OF ALL
Jonathan Goldman’s Healing Sounds®
www.healingsounds.com
(Please note: some material has been added to this booklet since the original 11:11:11 workshop in
order to enhance the ability of this information to assist the viewer in their learning and experience.)
(From) THE HUMMING EFFECT
© 2016 Jonathan Goldman & Andi Goldman
(compliments of Inner Traditions)
Excerpted and Edited from Chapter 2
The Physics of Sound
How and Why Sound Heals
An examination of the majority of spiritual paths and religions on this planet reveals an overriding belief that sound was the primary force of creation. Examples of this come from the Old Testament (“And God said, ‘Let there be Light’”) and the New Testament (“In the beginning was the Word”). It comes from many other traditions—Egyptian, Hopi, Mayan, Polynesian, and more—all have creation myths that invoke the power of sound. It is said, in the Hindu spiritual path that “Nada Brahman”—everything is sound. Even from a Western scientific perspective, we talk about the “Big Bang,” signifying that the creation of the universe was somehow sonic in origin. Modern scientists, like our ancient mystics, tell us that everything is in a state of vibration, from the electrons moving around the nucleus of an atom to planets in distant galaxies spinning around their suns. From the very tiny to the very large, everything vibrates. As many of our modern physicists understand, energy and matter are interrelated. Thus, if all forms of energy are putting out a vibration, all that energy can be considered sound, whether we can hear it or not.
Frequency
Sound is energy that travels as a wave. The wave enters our ears and travels through our auditory pathways into our brain, ultimately affecting our breathing, heart rate, and nervous system. We experience this wavelike energy primarily as a phenomenon that we hear. However, these waves also pass into our body, affecting us on a cellular level.
Sounds are measured in cycles per second, or frequency, as measured in hertz (Hz). Slow-moving waves of sound create deep tones. A sound with a frequency of 60 Hz, for example, is very bassy and low. A sound with fast waves, such as 1,000 cycles per second, would be a relatively trebly and high pitched. The lowest note on a piano has a frequency of about 24 Hz, and the highest note is around 5,000 Hz.
Our range of hearing extends from around 16 Hz to around 16,000 Hz (or sometimes higher—young children, for example, can hear upwards of 18,000 Hz or more). However, just because we can’t hear something doesn’t mean a sound isn’t being created. As an example, our friends in the ocean, the dolphins, can project and receive frequencies upwards of 180,000 Hz—that’s more than ten times our best range of hearing.
Sounds with a frequency below the human level of hearing are called infrasound; sounds with
a frequency above the human level of hearing are called ultrasound.
Resonance
Knowing that all matter vibrates, we can move on to explore the idea that every object—including every organ, bone, and tissue in our body—has resonance, or a natural vibratory state. There’s been much speculation on how to determine the natural frequencies of a healthy organ. Some find that they are within the audible sonic range (between 16 Hz and 16,000 Hz). Others find that they fall well below this audible range or, like ultrasound, far above it. When the body is healthy and balanced, these vibrations are in harmony with each other. When the body is imbalanced, it is in a state of dissonance—the resonant qualities of its constituent parts are in disharmony.
One of the most extraordinary demonstrations of the effects of sound and resonance was conducted by a visionary Swiss doctor named Hans Jenny. Dr. Jenny’s seminal work, titled Cymatics (a Greek word that means “wave form”), whose first volume was published in 1967, showed the effects that sound waves have upon different types of material, including water, pastes, and other liquids. Dr. Jenny placed these substances on a steel plate and vibrated the plate with a crystal oscillator, which produced an exact frequency, and then he photographed the effects. He photographed liquid plastic (a material similar to Silly Putty) that formed into an object resembling a sea anemone, and lycopodium dust (a material similar to talcum powder) that took on shapes resembling the cells of the body. Some of his most amazing photos were of water, which took on astonishing geometric forms, depending upon the vibrational frequency that was used.
Dr. Jenny’s work demonstrates the extraordinary power of vibration—that is, sound—to
create form. While the structures and forms he created with sound were not living creatures, many of them certainly look as though they were. You can almost imagine that, with a “divine” sound coming from a sacred source, in the beginning the Word could indeed create life.
What is equally important with regard to Dr. Jenny’s experiments is that the effects are
repeatable. If you take the same substance and expose it to the same frequency that Dr. Jenny used, you will get the same result. This consistent structuring—a certain vibration leads to a certain form—is a manifestation of resonance. If the vibration changes, the structure changes in concert with it.
Several people have carried on Dr. Jenny’s work in the twenty-first century, including Alexander Lauterwasser of Germany and John Reid of England. Following are two photos taken by John Reid showing the beautiful geometric forms that water took on when vibrated by two diverse frequencies on a CymaScope, a device similar to Dr. Jenny’s. When you think about the fact that the human body is mostly made of water, it’s easy to realize how powerful the effects of sound can be upon us.
The voice of author Jonathan Goldman rendered as a A female voice mandala made visible by a CymaScope visual pattern by a CymaScope .
How Sound Can Heal
Let’s visualize a healthy body like an orchestra that is playing all together in balance and harmony. Let’s call this music the “symphony of the self.”
Using this metaphor of the body as an orchestra, what happens when the second violin player loses his sheet music? Pretty soon that violin player might begin to play the wrong notes and the wrong rhythm. Usually, in a very short amount of time, the rest of the string section begins to sound off. In fact, as this dissonance develops, you’ll begin to notice that there’s something wrong with the entire orchestra. It just doesn’t sound right.
This is akin to a part of our body vibrating out of its healthy resonance—it’s vibrating out of
tune and out of ease, and we then say that this part of our body is diseased (dis-eased). One of the basic principles of using sound as a healing modality is to restore the part of the body that is diseased back into a state of healthy resonance. It is very much like getting the sheet music back to that string player.
It’s seems appropriate at this time to honor Dr. Peter Guy Manners, one of Jonathan’s mentors and one of the great pioneers in the field of sound therapy. Dr. Manners passed away at the turn of this century, but he had been engaged in the research and practice of sound healing since the 1950s. His work focused on finding the correct frequencies to restore healthy resonance to different parts of the body for different conditions. He created the “Cymatic Instrument” (now known by other names), which had the ability to project over six hundred different com-binations of frequencies (which he called “commutations”) in order to strengthen an imbalanced portion of our anatomy. Due to some legal issues, his work (and his instrument) was not as well known at the time as it perhaps could have been. However, today trained practitioners in the
field of sound healing readily employ numerous devices based upon the work of Dr. Manners, with remarkable healing benefit.
Although we have been introduced to many different types of instruments designed for sound healing, our preferred instrument is one that doesn’t require electricity or batteries, has an owner’s manual that’s really simple to use, and is free. This instrument is, of course, our own voice. And it’s what we’ve been teaching for dozens of years.
Please note, we are not talking about using the voice in a musical fashion such as singing —
that’s entertainment. We’re not talking about getting up in front of an audience and singing “Strangers in the Night” or whatever song turns you on. Here, in relation to sound specifically utilized for healing, we’re talking about the concept of entrainment.
The term entrainment comes from physics, and it describes the way in which the vibrations of
one object can affect the vibrations of another object. Through entrainment, we can synchronize or harmonize one vibration with another. For example, we can use our own voice to vocalize a tone through humming that can entrain vibrations in other parts of our bodies, bringing them into a state of balance. There are many ways to use entrainment for sound healing. At a basic level, you can use vibration—humming—to restore the natural resonance of an organ or system. When an organ begins to vibrate out of its natural frequency, its energy becomes blocked. The organ then becomes vulnerable to potential imbalances—deterioration, disease, viruses, bacteria and so on. When we reinforce its natural frequency, the organ’s resonance is restored, it regains its energy, the intruder energy that was causing damage ceases to exist, and the organ is restored to health.
Before we close this chapter, we’d like to bring your attention to an interesting sound bite that’s been around for almost thirty years. It’s from a 1988 New York Times article about the uses of ultrasound, which, in speaking of focused beams of ultrasound, notes, “The beams can make, break or rearrange molecules, control the crystalline structure of matter and even levitate objects or blobs of liquid.”* As our work and that of other researchers has shown, this statement may not be limited to ultrasound; it may also be applicable to audible sound, and particularly humming. Our investigations are ongoing and evidence for this hypothesis is adding up. In the meantime, when we are asked about what sort of conditions can be healed through sound, we often repeat this line from the Times article and then ask: If sound can make, break, or rearrange molecules, what conditions cannot potentially be healed and transformed using sound
Jonathan Goldman’s
HEALING SOUNDS® P.O. Box 2240, Boulder, CO 80306
Int’l: 303-443-8181, Fax: 303-443-6023 email: [email protected] website: www.healingsounds.com
Jonathan Goldman’s HEALING SOUNDS® EXAMPLES
1. Root Chakra: Primal Ground (excerpt) from CHAKRA CHANTS Visionary Award Winner for “Best Healing-Meditation Album” and “Album of the Year”, this
groundbreaking album features different healing systems to resonate and balance the chakras.
2. Crown Chakra: Angelic Calling (excerpt) from CHAKRA CHANTS 2 Each of the sounds of the chakras on this CD utilize different Hindu Bija Mantras, Sacred Vowels, and
Sound Current Toning qualities. You can truly feel your chakras balance and align.
3. HOLY HARMONY (excerpt) – 2:19 Two never before heard sacred sounds: tuning forks of the complete Healing Codes of the BIBLE combined with the beautiful choral chant of YHSVH, an ancient name of the Christ.
4. 2012: ASCENSION HARMONICS (excerpt) Multi-dimensional harmonics of the human voice, healing bowls & bells create evolutionary sounds to
awaken and activate you for deep meditations, shamanic journeys and the ascension process\
5. Sei He Ki (excerpt) from REIKI CHANTS
From an ancient Oriental tradition of sound healing come these sacred chants which embody the energy of
the Reiki symbols. Great for energy work, all forms of healing and deep relaxation
6. Heart Chakra (excerpt) from CHAKRA/BRAINWAVE HARMONIZER
This revolutionary recording represents a new musical first—sound that simultaneously balances
the chakras and brainwaves! An incredible harmonious listening experience.
7. The Awakening (excerpt) from THE DIVINE NAME
This extraordinary CD that allows you to experience the sacred power of God’s personal name. It
is a sound, reproduced with the human voice, that has the ability to heal and transform.
Music used before/after Presentation: Harmonic Revelations from THE DIVINE NAME This recording “Harmonic Revelations,”was initially created as a meditative tool as the result of the
experience Jonathan had during toning on World Sound Healing Day, Feb. 14, 2004. That day is dedicated towards creating sound projected with the consciousness of love and compassion to Mother Earth—the Gaia
Matrix. In Boulder, Colorado, as in many other places throughout the world, people gathered and sounded
together. During one particular experience, as the large group sounded the “AH”, Jonathan began toning the
Divine Name along with these other sounds. “Harmonic Revelations” was his recreation of the sonic phenomenon he experienced that day.
(From) CHAKRA FREQUENCIES © 2011 Jonathan Goldman & Andi Goldman
(compliments of Inner Traditions)
Excerpt from Chapter 5
Breath and Toning
Please pause for a moment and take a nice, slow, deep breath. Hold your breath in for a
few seconds and then slowly release it. Perhaps you might do it again. And as you do,
observe yourself and notice any changes that may occur. By simply taking a few
conscious deep breaths, you have made remarkable changes in your heartbeat and
respiration.
The science of breath has been the subject of many great teachings. Books have been
written on the subject. It is the basis of many esoteric studies, including that of yoga.
There are indeed, many different schools on the proper way of breathing. Some believe
that proper breath should occur only through the nose. Others believe that the mouth is
the only way to breath. Still others combine the two.
Breath is the essence of life; it is sacred. Many spiritual traditions are aware of this, and
their actual word for breath incorporates this awareness of the life energy in breath. This
energy is called “prana” in the Hindu tradition. In the Orient, it is known as “chi” or
“ki”. In the Hebrew tradition, one word for breath is “ruach”, which is also the same as
the word for “spirit”. Wilhelm Reich, Sigmund Freud’s disciple, called this energy
“orgone” and spent many years studying its power. This energy goes by many different
names in the various cultures, countries and spiritual paths on our planet. Yet it is the
same. It is the energy of life—the energy of the breath.
As you breathe in, your body takes on a charge of this energy. As you hold your breath,
your body builds this energy charge. As you release your breath, your body releases this
charge of energy. This is a simplification of the science of breath, called “pranayama” in
the Hindu tradition. Yet, in its simplicity, there is much truth in the above statements
about breath, for when we focus our awareness on the power of breath, we can regulate
and change our energetic bodies.
There are many variations on the theme of breathing techniques. Some people
recommend taking an “in breath” for 4 seconds, holding it for 4 seconds, and then
releasing it for 4 seconds. Others recommend breathing in for 8 seconds, holding for 8
seconds and releasing for 8 seconds. Still others believe that breathing in for 4 seconds,
holding for 8 seconds and releasing for 4 seconds is the best method. We suggest taking
slow, deep breaths, and experimenting with the above suggestions. Remember, doing
what feels comfortable and appropriate for you is our rule of thumb!
Diaphragmatic Breathing
With regard to taking deep breaths, we suggest that whether you breathe in through your
nose or your mouth, that your get your breath as deep down into your lungs and belly as
possible. This is called Diaphragmatic Breathing; it means to breathe down into your
diaphragm—that part of your body just below your rib cage. If, as you breathe in, your
rib cage and stomach begin to expand, then you are probably breathing in this manner. It
allows for the greatest amount of air to enter you body.
Many of you may remember being shown how to breathe in school, with your shoulders
raised and your stomach and ribcage remaining firm and unmoving. This breath has also
been taught in the military. It is totally useless in terms of expanding your air capacity.
If you take a deep breath and find that your shoulders are rising, you are most likely not
doing Diaphragmatic Breathing. You may also find yourself feeling tense. If this is the
case, it might be useful to learn to breathe in a different manner. Here is a suggestion:
Lying on the floor, put your hands on your stomach and take a nice deep breath. As you
breathe in, focus your intention on bringing the air into the deepest part of your lungs and
belly. Imagine your stomach as a balloon that you’re blowing up. Watch as your belly
rises with each breath as you breathe in. Then, breathe out and feel your stomach
contract as the air is pushed out of your lungs. Do this again and again, until it begins to
feel natural. Congratulations, you are now doing Diaphragmatic Breathing.
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Diaphragmatic Breathing, incidentally, is a very natural way to breathe. If you ever
watch infants, you’ll see it’s what they do. Sometimes we forget what is natural, so
it’s helpful to be reminded. So, we remind you to breathe down into your stomach.
If
you’re finding this difficult, it can be useful to remember that you once actually
breathed like this when you were a baby—and you can learn how to do it again.
By breathing in this manner you are increasing the supply of oxygen to your
bloodstream, giving all the organs of your body more energy. Slow, deep, breathing
not only oxygenates your body and brain, but it also slows down your heart rate and
brain waves, helping induce states of calm and relaxation. This is excellent for your
health, reducing stress, which is a major cause of dis-ease.
Since breath is the source of life, it is also, obviously, the source of sound as well.
You simply cannot make sound—at least any vocally created sound, without breath.
Thus before we begin to work with self creating sounds and tones, we want to be
sure that you are able to breathe as fully and powerfully as possible.
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THE CHAKRAS & THE SACRED VOWELS
© 2012 Jonathan Goldman
This is a brief exploration of toning the chakras through the sacred vowel sounds.
Of all the exercises that I teach, I believe toning the chakras may be the single most
important one to focus on.
Learning to tone our chakras with our own sounds is truly an extraordinary
example of the power of using our voice for self-healing and transformation. To
begin, we start with an examination of the chakras, as well as a story about how their
resonance with sound became one of my primary focuses.
The Chakras
In 1980 I first began my study of the uses of sound and music as therapeutic and
healing modalities. This study ultimately manifested with a Master’s Degree in
Independent Study of the Uses of Sound and Music for Healing from Lesley
University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
My initial investigation into the area of sound healing was the relationship
between sound and the chakras. The word chakra is a Sanskrit term meaning
“wheel”, for chakras are seen as spinning wheels of light by those with the ability to
see subtle energy. The chakras are found in many traditions, including Hindu and
Tibetan. Many esoteric and occult “Mystery Schools” throughout the world
describe these energy centers. While the chakras have been incorporated in many
spiritual practices, their existence seems to be based, not upon religion, but upon
awareness of energy. There is even scientific instrumentation that is beginning to
record and validate them.
There are seven main chakras. These chakras are transduction points-- places
where subtle energy from higher planes begins to become denser. The energy from
the chakras then becomes more dense as it comes into the body. It next becomes the
acupuncture points and meridians and finally, this energy transduces into the density
of the physical body.
Imbalances in the physical body can be detected through the chakras.
Frequently, healers who work with subtle energy can detect imbalances before they
manifest in the physical body by feeling imbalances in the chakras. By balancing
the chakras, imbalances in the physical body will often disappear. This is also true
for the healing of the emotional body, as well as the healing of other subtle bodies.
The subtle bodies are all interrelated with the chakras. This is due to a feedback
loop occurring with the energy of the chakras. The physical body as well as the
subtle bodies interfaces with this energy of the chakras and vice versa.
An imbalance in a chakra, for example, may manifest later as an imbalance in the
physical body. It is possible, such as through a traumatic injury, for both the
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physical body and the chakras to be simultaneously imbalanced. Healing of the
physical occurs much more rapidly when the subtle anatomy—particularly the
chakras—are aligned after physical injury. Frequency shifting through resonating
the chakras allows us to help create balance and alignment within ourselves. Thus,
for example, an imbalance in the physical body may be healed through being able to
resonate and harmonize the chakra associated with the part of the body that is having
difficulty.
There are seven main chakras, seven spinning balls of energy that are located
centrally in the front and the posterior of the body. The following is a brief
description of the chakras:
The first or “base” chakra located at the base of the spine is involved with the
physical process of elimination and the organs which work with that function. It is
the chakra associated with the energy of survival. This chakra is also associated with
grounding to the physical plane.
The second or sacral chakra, located about three inches below your navel. This
chakra is associated with sexual energy, the reproductive organs and with much of
the life force.
The third or navel chakra is located at the navel and a little above. Its energy is
associated with digestion and the digestive organs. It is also associated with power
and mastery of self.
The fourth or heart chakra is located in the center of the chest between the
nipples. On the physical, it works with the lungs and the heart. On the emotional, it
works with the energy of compassion and love.
The fifth or throat chakra is located at the throat, at the base of the neck. It is a
chakra that is associated with the process of communication; speech and hearing.
The ears are associated with this chakra, as is, of course, the vocal apparatus.
The sixth or brow chakra is located in the center of the forehead above the eyes.
Often called “The Third Eye”, it is associated with imagination and psychic abilities.
Mental activity and brain function are also associated with this chakra.
The seventh or crown chakra, is located at the top of the head. It is associated
with the induction of spiritual energy into the body. It is said to control every aspect
of the body and mind and is associated with full enlightenment and union with God.
This chakra is normally not fully open in most humans, though pictures of saints and
other spiritual beings with “halos” are depictions of activated crown chakras.
These are the seven main chakras found in the various traditions. In my study of
the relationship between sound and chakras are many different systems of sound that
worked to resonate, balance and align the chakras. A system that designed and that
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I have found most effective utilizes a particular sequence of vowel sounds for each
chakra. This system is the one which we’ll be working with in this sound
experience.
The Vowel Sounds
Vowels are found in every different tradition. They are a primary part of our
language. Many spiritual paths consider the vowels to be sacred. Often, they are
perceived of as being fundamental sounds of manifestation. Yet, because vowels
are simply a part of language, they can be used by anyone, regardless of the spiritual
path they are on. They are simply vowel sounds. Thus, the vowel is a sound that can
be used with many different groups—it is easy to sound, and regardless of any
beliefs by any of the different sacred traditions on the planet, it is impossible to link
with any one tradition. It is merely a vowel sound and vowel sounds are found in
every language on the planet. Vowel sounds are therefore safe. I like to work with
the vowel sounds because with this safeness comes comfort—I can teach bodily
resonance and even resonance of the energy centers without going into the taboo
territory of bringing in foreign mantras.
What is so wonderful about the vowel sounds is that in truth, for millennia
now, in both the Eastern and the Western mystery schools, the power and sacredness
of vowels have been known about for thousands of years. In Kabbalah, the mystical
path of the Judea-Christian tradition, the vowel sounds were considered the
vibrations of Heaven. The consonants contained the energy of the Earth. Between
the two, communication became possible. Many Kabbalists believe that the true
sacred name of God is actually composed solely of vowel sounds. In Sufism, the
mystical path of the Islamic Tradition, the power of the vowels is also understood as
are their divine attributes.
During my study of the many sounds that resonated the chakras, there was
one system of sounds that continually manifested, regardless of the tradition, and this
was the uses of vowel sounds to resonate the chakras. Edgar Cayce, the “Sleeping
Prophet”, a man, who in the 1920’s and 30’s would go to sleep and channel
extraordinary information about healing and esoteric material. He stated: “The
medicine of the future will be sound” and indeed we are in the future. In his
information, Cayce talked about the priests in ancient Egypt having knowledge of
the seven sacred vowel sounds to resonate their energy centers.
The system we are using is a system that came to me one day, on the Spring
Equinox of 1986 while I was in deep meditation. It is very similar to a number of
other systems, but also slightly different—in fact, different enough that in
HEALING SOUNDS (Inner Traditions), I could introduce this system along side
some of the other systems, calling this “Goldman’s System”. I am grateful that it
seems to have resonated with so many, since whenever I encounter a system of
chakra resonance these days, it seems to frequently be this system that I developed
back in the 1986 and presented in HEALING SOUNDS.
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Here is my system of Vowel/Chakra Resonance:
The vowel sound for the root chakra is “UH” (as in the word “cup”).
The vowel sound for the second chakra is “OOO” (as in the word “you”).
The vowel sound for the navel chakra is “OH” (as in the word “go”).
The vowel sound for the heart chakra is “AH” (as in the word “ma”).
The vowel sound for the throat chakra is “EYE” (as in the word “my”) .
The vowel sound for the third eye is “AYE” (as in the word “may”)
The vowel sound for the crown chakra “EEE” (as in the word “me”)
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Jonathan Goldman’s Healing Sounds, P.O. Box 2240, Boulder, CO 80306 www.healingsounds.com
7
SOUND ADVICE by Jonathan &Andi Goldman
An important sonic exercise that we recommend to all our friends and students, and one which we
personally utilize every day is the resonance of the chakras with vowel sounds. This exercise
is described in great detail in chapter 8 “Vowels As Mantras” of HEALING SOUNDS (Inner
Traditions), in chapter 6, “The Sacred Vowels” of CHAKRA FREQUENCIES (Inner
Traditions) and demonstrated in the “Healing Sounds Instructional” CD from Spirit Music.
These are excellent material sources for this and other sonic exercises.
From our experience the etheric centers known as the chakras, can be resonated and balanced
with one’s own voice. There are many ways to do this. We have found that using the vowel
sounds combined with specific pitches is the easiest and most effective way of resonating the
chakras. When experiencing this exercise, find yourself a comfortable and relaxed space
where you can create these sounds without being disturbed. With all of the sounds that are
created, do them in a gentle voice without straining yourself. Sound each vowel sound at least
seven times.
For the first chakra, begin with the very deepest “UH” (as in “cup”) vowel sound, a very
low, guttural sound that can be very gently encoded upon the breath.
For the second chakra, use a higher pitched, but still deep “OOO” (as in “you”) sound. For
the third chakra use a higher pitched “OH” (as in “go”) vowel sound.
For the fourth chakra use a higher pitched “AH” (as in “ma”) vowel sound. For the fifth
chakra use a higher pitched “EYE” (as in “my”) vowel sound. For the sixth chakra use a still
higher “AYE” (as in “say”) vowel sound.
For the seventh chakra use the highest pitched “EEE” sound (as in “me”) you can make.
After you have completed this last sound, be in a space of silence and receptivity.
When we make this and all the other sounds for the chakras, we first feel a resonance in our
physical body. This lets us know that we are on the correct pitch for the chakra for that day.
Sometimes we have to do a bit of scanning with our voice until we find that pitch. From our
experiences and those of our students, these pitches can vary quite a lot for an individual. Not
only are they unique for an individual, they seem to change on an almost daily basis,
depending upon where a person is at during the exercise. Diet, activity, meditation, emotional
states, etc. can all affect the pitch of a vowel sound for this exercise.
Visualization is an important aspect to add to this exercise. When creating the vowel sounds,
it is good to be able to imagine the specific chakra you are sounding actually resonating with
the sound. Color is an important element of visualization that can be added with this exercise.
Many people use the red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet chakra/color relationship.
Others use different colors. Use whatever feels comfortable.. All of these sounds are relaxed
sounds and should not create any strain on the vocal cords. They should be gentle sounds that
simply ride on the breath.
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Harmonics
From Chapter 4 of THE 7 SECRETS OF SOUND HEALING
© 2008 Jonathan Goldman
A major key in understanding sound as subtle energy is the phenomenon of
harmonics. Harmonics are the color of sound. Every sound that occurs in nature is
actually a composite of multiple frequencies called “harmonics” or “overtones”.
Just as white light is composed of all the colors of the spectrum, so the sounds that
we hear— including musical sounds such as notes on instruments or the tones of
our voice are in reality the multiple sounds of harmonics. Harmonics are
responsible for the “timbre” or tone color of instruments and our voice—different
harmonics that are most prominent and audible are responsible for the tones created
by different musical instruments as well as the extraordinary variety of sounds that
make each of our voices individual and distinct. Our body, our brain and in
particular, our ears are extremely sensitive to the subtle effects of different
harmonics. Even though you may not be conscious of them, harmonics have been
affecting you all your life.
Whenever a sound is created, such as a string being plucked, multitudinous
other subtle sounds—harmonics—simultaneously occur along with that first
fundamental frequency of the string. These harmonics are multiples of the
fundamental frequency, increasing in their frequency by whole numbers. The
second harmonic vibrates twice as fast as the fundament. The third harmonic
vibrates three times as fast; the next vibrates four times as fast, and so on. All these
sounds blend together creating the tone color of the note. As they increased in their
frequency, vibrating faster and faster (continuing conceptually into infinity) they
become more and more subtle in nature. Thus, these harmonics contribute greatly
to the subtle structure of sound.
Many people believe that much of the extraordinary healing power of
sound is due to the harmonics. My first book, Healing Sounds, was in fact, subtitled:
The Power of Harmonics and it dealt in detail with the phenomenon of harmonics.
The human voice has the extraordinary ability of actually creating distinct and
audible individual harmonics, which makes the tones projected by our voice even
more powerful. Known as “vocal harmonics” or “overtone singing”, this
ancient technique has been utilized in many sacred traditions including Mongolian
shamanism and Tibetan Buddhism. As we open more and more to the world of
sound, the power and importance of harmonics becomes another aspect of vibration
on which we can focus our awareness and our intention.
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HEALING SOUNDS®
A SINGLE VIBRATING STRING CREATES SIMULTANEOUS MULTIPLE VIBRATIONS
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Vocal Harmonic Examples
(except as indicated, all these recordings are available on amazon.com)
1. David Hykes (excerpt from HEALING SOLAR WINDS)
Beautiful and transformation, the entire album is cloudlike and very hypnotic. The open 8-minute
“Rainbow Voices” features the first solo Western overtone singing on record. David Hykes is a fine
singer as well as being an extraordinary pioneering harmonic vocalist. His work with the Harmonic
Choir is fascinating. Together they build chords based upon the harmonics in each other tones tones
and create Pythagorean tuned chords. The results are hypnotic and enchanting.
2. Tuvan Singer (excerpt from TUVA VOICES FROM THE CENTER OF ASIA)
In the 1980’s, Ted Levin, music professor and founding member of the Harmonic Choir, traveled to
Mongolia to make field recordings of the extraordinary sounds of this release. There are about thirty
pieces on this recording, features masters of the hoomi technique. Most of the pieces are about a
minute and a half long, but they are among the most unique sounds on the planet. This was the first
commercially available recording of hoomi singers.
3. Lama Tashi (excerpt from TIBETAN MASTER CHANTS)
This is the first album nominated for a Grammy by a solo Tibetan Monk, Lama Tashi, considered
one of the World’s foremost Tibetan Chant Masters The excerpt heard is from the “Om Ah Hum”.
There are 12 well known Tibetan Mantras of sacred Deep Voice Chanting. There is a specific order
and function for each of the chants on this recording, which work together in order to assist personal
and planetary consciousness.
4. Michael Vetter (excerpt from OVERTONES IN OLD EUROPEAN CATHEDRALS)
Michael Vetter created a number of different experimental albums. Many of these featured his
powerful overtone singing, including the excerpt from this album which was recorded in the
cathedral of Senanque. The album features two different half hour long pieces with Vetter
accompanying himself on tambura—an Indian drone instrument—while he sings vocal harmonics.
This is perhaps my favorite of his recordings. His overtone singing is splendid.
5. Stephanie Wolfe (excerpt from instructional cassette) –N/A
This excerpt of singing the overtone series is from an instrumental cassette by a woman named
Stephanie Wolfe. It was bought in Amsterdam in 1986 and features some amazing harmonics. All
attempts to locate Ms. Wolfe have been unsuccessful.
6. Christian Bollman (excerpt from DREHMOMENTE)
Christian Bollman, the director of the Dusseldorf Overtone Choir, performs both solo and choral
work, as well as some instrumetnal with flute, tambura and gong. The last piece on this album—the
track played during this section is a wonderful and amazing version of “Amazing Grace” that is
created solely through overtones.
7.-11. Always Do Your Homework – (from private collection of Dr. John Galm) –N/A
These four tracks were shared by Dr. John Galm, former head of ethnomusicology at the University
of Colorado in Boulder. It was created by a student of his who slowed down recorded speech (as
well as using some other recording techniques) in order to demonstrate the harmonics that naturally
occur when someone talks.
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1
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF
VOCAL HARMONICS
Excerpted and Edited from HEALING SOUNDS
© 1992, 1996, 2002 by Jonathan Goldman
All rights reserved. Courtesy of Inner Traditions International
INTRODUCTION
In the ancient shamanic traditions of Mongolia, Africa, Arabia and Mexico, in the arcane Kabbalistic traditions of Judaism and Christianity, and in the sacred spiritual traditions of Tibet, vowel sounds and harmonics, also known as overtones, have been utilized to heal and transform. They have been used to communicate with and invoke deities, to balance the energy centres of the body and to affect the resonances of the brain. Throughout my years of research and study in the field of therapeutic and transformational sound, there is no single technique which I have found which so truly embodies the power of sacred sound as does harmonics. The ability to create two or more tones at the same time is nothing less than magical. The fact that these sounds may be used to affect our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies makes them even more extraordinary.
Until recently, knowledge of the creation of vocal harmonics has been enshrouded in the esoteric mystery of traditions that would not allow the uninitiated access to this remarkable aspect of sound. Within the last decade, all this has changed. The Gyume and Gyuto Tibetan monks have given public performances throughout the world. Field recordings of Mongolian hoomi singers are commercially available. Western musicians, meditators and teachers of sound such as David Hykes, Jill Purce and Michael Vetter are bringing harmonic abilities to light. In this chapter we will learn to explore the mysterious and sacred ability of harmonic toning. This powerful and mystical ability enables us to create two or more notes simultaneously. It is one of the more extraordinary phenomena of sound. Creating vocal harmonics is an advanced form of self-transformation and healing where you will be able to sing harmony with yourself. Once you have achieved even the most rudimentary skill in harmonic toning, the very way that you hear and make sounds will be altered forever. It will open up the untold possibilities to be found in the vast spectrum of sound that resonates and reverberates throughout the universe.
We will learn some of the techniques utilized by shamans and others for the creation of vocal harmonics. While these are simple exercises which anyone can try, they are powerful tools. These exercises require no previous musical knowledge or singing ability. If you follow these step-by-step instructions you will find that with practice you will begin to hear other tones, those mysterious sonic particles we call overtones, along with the normal sounds that you are used to hearing.
2
CREATING VOCAL HARMONICS
Preparations
Complete reading this chapter before beginning the exercises found within it. If possible, try to listen to recordings of harmonic singers (as listed in the Discography) while you are reading and practicing. Before trying these exercises, find a comfortable space where you can make sounds and not be disturbed. When practicing these exercises, sit up straight, either on the floor or on a chair. While these techniques can eventually be done standing up or lying down, in the beginning sitting is best. You might want to keep a journal or a notebook to record any changes you observe in your physical, emotional or mental states which you may experience from your practice.
Toning the Vowel Sounds
The first step in the creation of vocal harmonics involves toning the different vowel sounds. The ability to create vocal harmonics is interrelated with the formants which are found in these sounds. As we discussed, formants are those clusters of harmonics where the energy of the sound spectrum is concentrated. They are the harmonics in various instruments, for example, which give these instruments their timbre or tone color. Different vowel sounds emphasize different harmonics. When we tone an ‘AH’ sound (as in the word ‘father’), different harmonics are created than when we tone an ‘EEE’ sound (as in the word ‘me’) or when we tone an ‘000’ sound (as in the word ‘you’).
All harmonics are found within every vowel. However the formants found within each vowel stress particular overtones. Because each voice is unique and we all pronounce vowels slightly differently, the exact harmonics that are created by the different vowel sounds will differ slightly depending upon the individual. If you have been practicing the exercises in the preceding chapter, you may have already begun to hear sounds within the vowels sounds. These were overtones.
Michael Vetter, an accomplished overtone singer from Switzerland, learned his ability
in this manner from Karlheinz Stockhausen. ‘To sing overtones and to deal with them musically requires, as with any other musical instrument, a long and arduous training. But the voice as a tool for acoustical communication is innate in man….If one actually listens, one requires no further teacher for the development of the voice. One need only sing slow, continuous tones for half an hour each day in the comfortable register of quiet speech making all the vowel form movements of normal speaking. Everything else follows.’
As you may have already discovered, all the vowel sounds we make have naturally occurring harmonics within them. If you sing the vowel sounds ‘UH’, ‘000’, ‘OH’, ‘AH’, ‘EYE’, ‘AYE’, ‘EEE’, linking them together in one breath, you will begin to hear different harmonics naturally being created by your own voice. Since each vowel sound has its own set of formants associated with it, singing the vowel sounds will create different harmonics. This phenomenon is the basis of harmonic toning.
The ‘000’ vowel sound, for example, will help create the overtones of the octave and the fifth of the fundamental. The ‘OH’ vowel sound will produce the overtones of the major third and the fifth of the next octave. The vowel sound ‘AH’ will help create the overtone of the seventh. These may vary, of course, depending upon your pronunciation.
3
You will also find that as you change from one vowel to another, specific harmonics will be created. As you proceed from ‘000’ to ‘EEE’, you will hear the overtones following the harmonic series becoming higher with each vowel sound that you create.
As in the previous exercise, sit in a comfortable sitting position with your hands on your knees or in your lap. Now find a comfortable note to tone, making sure it is not too deep or too high for your voice. Begin to tone the vowels going from ‘UH’ to ‘000’ to ‘OH’ to ‘AH’ to ‘EYE’ to ‘AYE’ to ‘EEE’ in one breath.
The less you vocally enunciate the different vowel sounds, the more focused the
harmonics will become. Instead of actually singing the vowel sounds from ‘UH’ to ‘EEE’, consciously keep the vowel sound in the throat and project the sound energy out as harmonics. It is as though you are shaping your mouth to form the vowels, but not actually pronouncing them. By changing the structure of the jaw, tongue and cheeks, you will be altering the way the sound comes out.
Experiment with this now. Try toning the vowel sounds while adjusting the shape of
your mouth, cheeks and tongue. Many of us used to do this when we were children, experi-menting and enjoying the different sounds we could create. Move your mouth, opening it all the way and then closing it, while toning the vowel sounds. Play with this exercise and have fun with it.
In order to hear your own harmonics, especially in the beginning, take one hand and cup it around an ear in the same way as you would do if you were trying to hear someone talking in a crowded room. This amplifies the shell of the ear and allows us to hear the sound more clearly. At the same time, take your other hand and place it, with the palm towards you, about two or three inches away from your mouth. This allows the sound to reflect off your hand and bounce back towards your ear so that you can hear the harmonics more clearly.
It is helpful to understand that a loudly created fundamental will not create a loud harmonic. The two seem to have an inverse relationship at the beginning of learning to create vocal harmonics. With a loudly sounded fundamental, you are focusing the majority of the sound energy outside your mouth. This is ideal for certain styles of singing, but not for the creation of vocal harmonics. In Central Asia, the style of creating vocal harmonics is known as ‘throat singing’. Keep the sound energy inside your mouth, forming the fundamental tone deep in your throat. Then use your mouth and other vocal resonators such as the nasal cavity, cheeks and lips for the creation and amplification of the harmonics. This will create a stronger, louder series of harmonics. It is often helpful at first to make sounds that are not much louder than your normal speaking voice. As you gain the ability to create vocal harmonics consciously, you may increase the volume of the sounds that you are making….
The next step in developing the ability to do harmonic toning is to gain control over the harmonics which are created.
Working with the different vowel sounds enables you to create different harmonics. Going from ‘UH’ to ‘EEE’ and then back, you will be sounding vowels with formants that go up and down the harmonic series, creating overtones that are vibrating many times the speed of the fundamental of your voice. With a little practice, you will probably be able to create and hear eight or more different overtones.
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Practicing Toning Specific Harmonics
After you have learned to produce different harmonics you will want to pick out one particular harmonic that you are creating. Then focus your attention on this harmonic, holding it and making it louder. It does not matter which phoneme you have used in order to create it. Once you have done this with one harmonic, focus on another harmonic and do the same.
As we all have different singing ranges, it appears that we all have different harmonic ranges. If you have tried the various exercises in this chapter and are still having difficulty hearing your harmonics, try going up a little bit higher in pitch with your voice, or perhaps down a little deeper. You might find that a slight change in the fundamental you are toning makes all the difference in the world.
Along with the listening to recorded examples of vocal harmonics from other singers,
an excellent aid is a cassette recorder. Record these exercises and then listen to the sounds you have made. Often we are so concerned about creating vocal harmonics that we cannot hear them, or do not believe we actually have made them when they occur. By taping these exercises and then listening to them, we can hear the changes in our tone and pay attention to the naturally occurring harmonics in our voice. This is helpful in reinforcing the knowledge that everyone can consciously create vocal harmonics.
Remember that practice is the key. The more you practice, the better you will be able to
acquire the ability of creating vocal harmonics. It is an ability that you can acquire. Some-times you will begin to hear your own harmonics immediately after trying one of the exercises in this chapter for the first time. Sometimes it takes days before you can hear them.
As you practice these techniques for creating vocal harmonics, you will be exercising
muscles of the vocal mechanism in a manner in which they may not have been previously used. It may also take some time to develop the ability to project sound to places in the throat, mouth and nose that you may not have consciously resonated with sound.
Allow yourself adequate time for these exercises. A minimum of fifteen minutes per
day is recommended. Allow time to assimilate the experience in sound which you have had. You will be resonating your physical body with these tones and affecting your heart rate, respiration rate, flow of blood, skin temperature, brainwaves and more. As we have suggested, keeping a journal during this time is particularly useful.
In many traditions, harmonics are viewed as sacred sounds. You are now awakening
these sounds in yourself when you begin this process of learning to create vocal harmonics. These sounds should be made with reverence and respect. Yet, in the creation of these sounds, you will also enjoy yourself immensely. In Psalm 66 of the Old Testament it is written: ‘Make a joyful noise unto God”. Work with the joyful energies of sound. A whole new world is awaiting you!
5
ANGEL OF SOUND ACTIVATION
Information on the Angel of Sound CD
From SHIFTING FREQUENCIES
© 2010, 1998 Jonathan Goldman
Courtesy of Light Technology Publishing
As noted in the preface to this book, my initial introduction to Shamael manifested on
my birthday many years ago. As also noted, when the validation of Shamael occurred,
it became apparent that I needed to create a recording, Angel of Sound, to honor the
extraordinary energy of this being. This CD that accompanies SHIFTING
FREQUENCIES is that recording. It is an honor to be able to present this recording,
created to assist sonic transformational experiences, to you.
From my perspective, Shamael is the archangel known as Metatron and indeed this is
noted in Gustav Davidson’s A DICTIONARY OF ANGELS. All the names of the
archangels are Hebrew, except for the name Metatron, which is Greek. This Greek
name translates as “Above the Throne”—an interesting appellation since many
consider this angelic being to be “The Voice of God”. The name Shamael translates
from Hebrew as “Hear God” which seems most appropriate for this being.
For this new edition of SHIFTING FREQUENCIES, the actual recording of Angel
of Sound has been included with this book. It is a very powerful recording which
continues to create amazing frequency shifting experiences.
Because of the extraordinary ability of this recording to effect people on such a deep
and profound level, I ask that you only listen to it in an environment where your
complete attention can be given to the sound and its power. Please do not drive or
operate machinery when listening to it.
This recording of Angel of Sound is now incorporated as the CD The Angel and
The Goddess, which includes an additional lengthy recording to honor Saraswati,
the Hindu Goddess of Music & Medicine, Science & Sound. Both Shamael and
Saraswati are sacred beings from very different traditions that utilize sound as a
creational, transformation and healing energy form.
I trust that SHIFTING FREQUENCIES and Angel of Sound will bring you to a
new level of vibratory activation that will assist in evolutionary acceleration for you
and for our planet.
The following text is from the recording of Angel of Sound:
NOTES ON ANGEL OF SOUND
SHAMAEL –master of heavenly sound and divine herald.
--Gustav Davidson, A DICTIONARY OF ANGELS
This recording is a musical offering to Shamael, the Angel of Sacred Sound. It is an
honoring and an invocation to this divine aspect of vibration.
6
Angel of Sound is a sonic environment designed to create a space of sacred sound. It
is divided into four sections:
Part I: “Spirit of Kokopelli” honors Kokopelli, the ancient Anasazi and Hopi flute
player. Kokopelli represents one of the first known sacred beings that used sound to
regenerate and heal; his flute was the breath of life.
Part II: “Mantras of the Mysteries” honors the Tibetan Buddhist Great Mysteries of
Multi-Dimensional Consciousness with the bija mantra “Om Ah Hum”. This mantra
is a great blessing of purification that also activates the crown, the throat and the
heart chakras.
Part III: “Celebration of Shamael” honors the sacred Hebrew Kaballistic vowels and
their corresponding overtones. These sounds, “Eee—Eye—Ah” are an ancient name
for the “Ehyeh” or the “I am” principle of the Divine.
Part IV “Return of the Spirit” completes the circle, taking us back to the energies of
Kokopelli, the flute and our breath.
Angel of Sound begins and ends with the Shamael Invocation. This invocation is used
to introduce and conclude a section.
I INVOKE THE SPIRIT OF SHAMAEL
ANGEL OF SACRED SOUND
MAY THE SOUND OF LIGHT SURROUND ME
MAY THE LIGHT OF SOUND GUIDE ME
MAY SACRED SOUND COME THROUGH ME
FOR THE HARMONY OF ALL
Throughout this recording is a vocal background designed to praise and honor the
energies of sacred sound. This combines mantras from different traditions including
Hindu, Tibetan and Hebrew. In particular it centers around a specific chant: ¨”Ehyeh
Shamael”.
The word “Ehyeh” comes from the OLD TESTAMENT. On Mt. Sinai, when Moses
first encounters the Burning Bush (the Divine Being) he asks: “Who are you?” The
Burning Bush initially replies “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh”. This has commonly been
translated as “I am that I am”. However, it has also been mystically translated as “I
am/will be what is needed of me”. When coupled with the name “Shamael” it means
“I am/will be a conduit for the Angel of Sound”. In this context, I have chosen the
pronunciation of “Ehyeh ” to be the traditional Hebrew of “Eh” — “He” — “Yay”.
My intention on this recording of Angel of Sound was to invoke and honor the energy
of Shamael, the Angel of Sound and to bring a new awareness of this being into our
consciousness. I believe that Shamael will be present on any sound created with the
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proper intention. What is this intention? The answer is love. In particular, love of the Divine
which is manifested in every conceivable shape, form and aspect. To sound with this love of
the Divine is to create sacred sound and to work with the energy of the Angel of Sound.
I trust that SHIFTING FREQUENCIES and Angel of Sound will bring forth a new level of
vibratory activation that will assist in evolutionary acceleration for you and for our planet.
Blessings of Light & Love through Sound
Jonathan Goldman
Angel of Sound (Time—27:19)
Created & Produced by: Jonathan Goldman Voices
and Instruments: Jonathan Goldman Drums on Part
III by Kathleen McClellan Technical Assistant:
James Rick
Recorded & Mixed at Spirit Studios Mastered by
Akshara Weave
Digitally Re-Mastered by David Glasser AirShow
Studios, Boulder
Angel of Sound is a sonic environment created to honor and invoke the energy of sacred
sound. It features Tibetan Overtone Chanting, Tibetan Bowls, Tibetan Bells, Conch, Native
American Flute, Vocal Harmonics, Mantras and Drums.
© MMX by Jonathan Goldman. (P) MMX Spirit Music, Inc. Administered by Spirit Music
Inc. on behalf of Jonathan Goldman and Sound Healers Publishing, ASCAP—All Rights
Reserved. www.healingsounds.com (303) 443-8181
Additional Note: Angel of Sound, initially made in 1993 still has great power. Students of the
Divine Name have found that utilizing the Shamael Invocation has greatly assisting their
experience with the Divine Name and that listening to Angel of Sound has empowered this
process. I trust this will also occur with you.
8
9
From THE DIVINE NAME: SOUNDS OF THE GOD CODE
Liner notes by Gregg Braden & Jonathan Goldman
Excerpted & Edited
© 2004 Jonathan Goldman
The Divine Name:
The Ancient Name of God
Kabbalah is the ancient Hebrew mystical tradition. It is a word which means “That which is
received”, for the revelations of Kabbalah have been divinely received by teachers through out the ages. In
Kabbalah, the most sacred word that a person may create, either spoken or written, is called the “Tetragrammaton” (a Greek term that literally means the “four lettered name”.) This is the unpronounceable
and most sacred name of God, using the Hebrew letters of “Yod”, Hey”, “Vav”, and “Hey”; YHVH.
While there were many additional names that God was known by, this was the personal name of
God, the name by which the divine presence could be summoned, invoked, incorporated into prayers, and
properly used to pay homage. The symbols that follow are the letters of God’s ancient name, written in their
original form, read from right to left.
יהוה It is this name, the “unspeakable” and personal name of God, that was held so sacred that it was
removed from the religious texts that form the basis of over one half of the world’s population. It is this
name, as well, that has now been found encoded into the DNA of life, itself.
Responsibly, professionally and with the blessing of leading religious leaders in both the Hebrew
and Christian traditions, it is our privilege and honor to share with you THE DIVINE NAME: THE SOUNDS OF
THE GOD CODE.
God’s Name in the DNA of Life
In the 2004 release of his book, THE GOD CODE: THE SECRET OF OUR PAST, THE PROMISE
OF OUR FUTURE, author and visionary scholar Gregg Braden described the existence of God’s personal
name within the DNA of each cell in our bodies, and of all life as we know it. Working beyond the boundaries
that have traditionally separated science from spirituality, Braden united the wisdom of our past with the
science of today, to reveal the message that has lived within each of us from the day of our origin.
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The key to this discovery was in recognizing the link between the “mysterious” numbers assigned
to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet over 4,000 years ago, and the numbers that we assign to the modern
elements of life today. Although the words that describe our world have changed over the centuries, their
number equivalents have not. Thus, by following ancient clues of Kabbalah and the Torah that invite us to
“Look within,” to solve our deepest mysteries, and applying the best science of our time, we may translate
the DNA within our cells, into a literal language that may be read by all.
The secret to revealing such a code, is that we must first recognize the universal ties that unite us
with our world, and perhaps most importantly, with one another. In doing so, we may find that our past has
been the catalyst, patiently leading us to the most ancient source of knowledge in existence, the library within
each of us that has held our secrets from the first day of our existence.
A Name To Be Hidden,
or a Code to be Sung?
Biblical scholars identify the traditions of the Old Testament prophet Abraham as the spiritual basis
for approximately one half of the world’s population. Census figures confirm that of the estimated 6 billion
people that share our world today, an estimated 2 billion follow the Judeo-Christian traditions, while another
estimated 1 billion follow the tradition of Islam. Each of these religious and spiritual traditions is linked through the life of Abraham, the Old Testament prophet, first recorded in the Hebrew Torah. It is said that
the Kabbalah was first revealed to Abraham, who passed its mystic teachings down to others.
Sometime between 2,300 and 3,000 years ago, the personal name of God was completely removed
from these texts. In the Torah, and subsequently the first five books of the Christian Old Testament, YHVH
was replaced over 6,800 times with substitute names such as “Adoni” (Lord), or “Ha Shem” (The Name). This
name was also transcribed in Latin as “Jehovah”…..(However) the passages of the Torah instruct us that it is only in the personal name of God, in the honesty and truth of the name YHVH,that we are to make our
solemn declarations of prayer.
In answer to the question of why some prayers appear to go unanswered, the Second Century
Torah scholar, Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, stated: “Why do people pray without being answered? Because
they do not know how to use the explicit Name.”
Though the true pronunciation of the Divine Name (YH/YHVH) remains a source of controversy
even today, most scholarly opinion suggests that the sound of the name was “Yah” or “Yah Way”. In the
texts, both forms of the Name are used interchangeably. Although we find YH/YHVH used throughout the original texts to address God personally, YHVH was said to be the form of the name known and pronounced
only by the Hebrew priests, within the temple, on very special occasions.
The Technology of Intoning The Name
While different sources suggest several slightly different ways of using vowels to pronounce the
Tetragrammaton, Jonathan Goldman suggests that the Tetragrammaton might only use vowels instead of the
consonants of the Hebrew Alphabet. When intoned, this name is composed of four vowels that allow an
entire sequence of the harmonic series to sound. (For more information about harmonics, see Jonathan’s
book HEALING SOUNDS. For further information on the Tetragrammaton, see his book THE DIVINE
NAME). As this occurs, through slowly going from one vowel sound to another, additional vowel sounds
(called dipthongs) are also created and heard. Thus, by simply sounding the vowels EEE-AH-OOO-AYE,
the entire spectrum of vowels and their corresponding harmonics would be created.
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This concept of toning the vowels and the multiple harmonics they create is particularly noticeable
when one goes slowly from one vowel sound to another, sounding first one vowel sound and then gradually
changing to another so that “EEE - AH - sound likes “Yah” and the OOO – AYE sound like the word “Way”.
Together these four vowels sound “Yah Way”. These four sounds when intoned very slowly also noticeably
create other vowel sounds which manifest as: “EEE - AYE - AH - OH - OOO - OH - AH - AYE - EEE”.
During his teachings of the “Vowels as Mantras” in his Healing Sounds workshops, Jonathan has
suggested the possibility of “The Tetragrammaton as Vowels”, having people tone the vowel sounds of the 7th through 1st chakra then back from the 1st to the 7th. The figure that follows is a chart of these sounds, and
their relationship to the chakras. have not been invidiually included in the vowel formula: “EEE - - AH - -
OOO- - AYE”. When sounded slowly, in the exercise of “Vowels As Mantras”, they are indeed sounded quite separately, and when pronounced singularly on each individual breath, their differences are quite
apparent and powerful. This is also true with regard to the “Tetragrammaton as Vowels”.
With regard to intoning this sacred code with the human voice, Jonathan observes “The more I have
worked with this sound of the “Tetragrammaton as Vowels”, the more I truly believe it is an extremely
powerful sound that is universally sacred. The descending and ascending series of harmonics that are created
by the Sacred Name can balance the chakras, going from the crown to the root and then back again. It is
quite profound.”
A Brief History of the Events of
the Rediscovery of The Divine Name
Much of the difficulty inherent in the speaking of the Divine Name may have come from the inability
of anyone to actually pronounce such a name. There were Kabbalists such as Rabbi Abraham Abulafia who
attempted the sounding the Divine Name by pronouncing permutations of the letters “yod”, “hey” and “vav” as a way to truly know God. From his writings, and the reports of his students, this form of chanting was
apparently quite powerful. Throughout exercises such as these, it is believed that the letters were pronounced
as consonants, and that just looking at the letters would lead to enlightenment.
However, what if the Divine Name were not composed of the consonants such as those that the
Kabbalists had worked with? What if the Hebrew Letters used in this context, were actually vowel sounds
that utilized the harmonic series as an energetic vibrational repatterning modality, allowing the sounder to bring the energy from above into their body and then back out again?
Taken one step further, what if one could use this energy to transcend the realms of physicality, and travel to even higher realms of consciousness? What if the sounding of the Divine Name transcended
the limitations produced by
When sounded rapidly in one breath, the vowel sounds of the UH and the OOO are often pronounced
very similarly (as are the EYE and the AYE sounds, as well as the OH and OOO sounds). Thus, for the
sake of simplicity, they consonants, language and speech, and was in fact, a TONAL NAME—a name that was simply unpronounceable because it was a harmonically related tone that could not be spoken. What if
the Name had to be sung?
While this Divine Name, the Tetragrammaton, has been believed to utilize the Hebrew consonants
of “yod”, “hey” and “vav”, a combination of direct experience and scholarly research has confirmed that
the Divine Name is actually composed of vowels sounds based upon descending and then ascending series
of harmonics. This understanding began after a particularly deep meditation experienced by Jonathan in the early 1990’s in which he was guided in a method of intoning this Divine sound.
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Some time after his personal experiences with the “Sacred Name”, Jonathan began to come upon
different books on both biblical Hebrew, as well as Kaballah, that discussed the possibility of the
Tetragrammaton being made of vowels. The first book he encountered had absolutely nothing to do with Kaballah or mysticism of any sort. It was titled BIBLICAL HEBREW by Oxford Professor R.K. Harrison.
To Jonathan’s amazement, Professor Harrison wrote: “the particular consonants being he, yod and vav in
practice was as follows: YOD signified EEE or EYE (as in le or li), HE signified AH (as in la) VAV signified OH or OOO (as in lo or lu)”. The uses of the consonants as vowels worked were amazingly similar to the
sequence Jonathan had discovered in meditation.
Then in December of 2003, Jonathan and his wife, Andi, attended a workshop given by a colleague and friend, Gregg Braden, on his most recent book THE GOD CODE. It was during this program that Gregg
shared the results of his research project that began in the late 1980’s, revealing how the ancient name of
God is literally encoded within the cells of all life. In the days following this program, Jonathan was guided to create a recording which would share the knowledge of this “Divine Name” as actual sounds—the sounds
of the God code. His feeling was that it would be valuable as an accompaniment to offer people a direct
experience of the power of God’s name within our bodies. Thus, he created a simple recording of the sacred name being intoned following the ancient formula; the Tetragrammaton as vowels.
Jonathan Describes his Experience of The Divine Name
When I first personally experienced The Divine Name through toning the vowel sounds, I had, as
previously described, a deeply powerful energetic and consciousness shift. It was, in fact, one of the most
profound and powerful experiences of my life. Initially, it was a little unsettling to discover that any sound could have such an extraordinary impact—especially for someone such as myself, who had been working
with the transformative nature of sound for many years. As noted, I felt energy come in through the top of
my head, go down through my body and then go back up through my head. I was left with a blissful
sensation, as well as feeling light headed and a bit woozy—my senses were more intense—colors were brighter, sounds sharper. I indeed experienced deep and profound inner revelations.
Since that time, others who have chanted the DIVINE NAME have also had similar extraordinary experiences, seeing colors or lights, hearing voices, feeling the energy shift within them. Some people
have even experienced healings. The same is true for people who have simply listened to the recording of
THE DIVINE NAME Just hearing the DIVINE NAME apparently is a transformational experience that can create profound shifts for people.
Gregg Describes his Experience of The Divine Name
I first received Jonathan’s recording of The Divine Name within days of returning from a trip into
Northern India, where the concept of the divine within has been preserved in the culture, texts and temple
walls for centuries. As I pressed the “ON” button of my CD deck, I was surprised at how powerfully I was moved by what I was hearing. My immediate experience was a rapid shift in awareness, perhaps best
described as a flow that moved throughout my body. In the presence of this sensation, I was bathed in a
sense of well-being, which, for me, translated into the irresistible urge to create, write and express.
Shortly thereafter, I had the honor of sharing The Divine Name before a live audience during a
public seminar. Similar to what I had felt personally, the results were immediate and unmistakable.
Following the very first program, participants began to report surprising, and life-affirming, changes in their bodies. From general feelings of “connection”, “peace” and “expansion”, to cancer patients describing
how they felt re-connected to their bodies following the pain of chemo therapy, to those with M.S. and
other neuro-muscular conditions feeling the constant ache in their muscles dissipate, it was clear that people were sincerely and genuinely moved by the experience of hearing the Divine Name.
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What Does It Mean?
Ultimately, one has to ask; what does this mean? What is the significance of this discovery? Or better yet, how can we use this understanding in our daily lives to help us become better people, to enhance
our health, our well being and more specifically, enhance our connection to the Divine? On a knowing
level (left brain), perhaps the greatest gift of seeing the ancient name of God within our cells is that the
message is universal. Without knowing how the message got there, or even precisely who God is, the fact that the ancient name of God (YH/YHVH) exists in each cell of every life reminds us, than in the most
intimate way imaginable, we are part of one another, and all life. At the very least, the message in our cells
tells us three things:
1. That we are here on purpose; the result of an intentional act of creation. 2. That all life that shares the message in their cells is related.
3. That we are part of a greater intelligence, and that a symbol of that intelligence resides within
each of us as God’s personal name.
On a feeling level (right brain) the experience of hearing the Divine Name carries a special and
unique significance, for a number of reasons. Because it is intoned as the vowels that unite, rather than the consonants that divide (a phenomenon that linguists describe as the Tower of Babel between alphabets),
the Divine Name is a truly universal and sacred tone. The power of this name is that it transcends language,
borders, bloodlines, beliefs and lifestyle. The vowels and their corresponding consonants are pure sonics, with no consonants to initiate differences between peoples, races, traditions, countries, etc. Jonathan
illustrates this phenomenon by describing the Divine Name as “The sequence of vowel sounds manifesting
the harmonics series in a descending and ascending pattern which energetically effects our body, mind and spirit. This name transcends language, and without language, the barriers of separations cease to exist. I
believe the Divine Name may be a rediscovery of an ancient universal vibration that will benefit all of
humankind.” Regardless of how we live our lives or what we believe, the sight and sound of the God Code
reminds us that we are a family.
As we embrace the power of sound and emotion to transmit energy and transcend dimensionality, the use of the Divine Name as a waveform of peace and healing becomes extremely clear.
So often, people from different religious paths will not engage in the sacred chanting of another religious
path because the words (letters that divide) they are chanting seem foreign to them. But no one can object to working with vowel sounds (letters that unite). During global events such as World Sound Healing Day,
where people gathered throughout the world to project the energy of peace and compassion, the vowel
sound “AH” was used precisely because of its universal nature, the universal sound of the heart. Now,
however, with the DIVINE NAME we can go farther. We can access and create a personal connection with the Divine simply through the power of sound. Thus, we have a universal sound created entirely
through vowels that on a both physical and subtle body level, will create similar universal experiences for
all who resonate with it.
One of the effects of such sounding (as well as listening to the sound) is that the barriers of separation that exist between us and everyone else (including the Divine) seem to break down. Suddenly,
we have the ability to experience the unity of all. This is an ancient and powerful awareness that spiritual
teachers from different traditions have been attempting to have us experience for millennium. When these barriers disappear, our fears also dissipate and we are left with feelings of love, peace and compassion.
Imagine what it would be like if everyone on Earth, sounding the Divine Name , were able to experience
this! Through our sound and our love, we could usher in a new era of existence based upon the Golden
Rule of loving your neighbor as yourself. With nearly one third of the world’s nations now engaged in armed conflict, such proof of a common bond offers an undeniable principle of unity, and a place to begin
when our differences seem insurmountable. What a blessing this would be.
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Intoning the Divine Name
הוהי
The Vowel Sequence of the Chakras The sequence of vowels and their resonant relationship to the chakras is this:
Vowel Sound Chakra
UH (as in “huh”) 1st— Root
OOO (as in “you”) 2nd –Sacral
OH (as in “go:) 3rd—Solar Plexus
AH (as in “ma”) 4th—Heart
EYE (as in “my”) 5th—Throat
AYE (as in “may”) 6th—3rd Eye
EEE (as in “me”) 7th—Crown
Below is an illustration of the vowel/chakra relationship
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הוהי
THE DIVINE NAME AS VOWELS (in English): EEE – AH – OOO – AYE By slowing sounding these vowels, using dipthongs (gliding vowels), the sound goes from the
Crown (EEE) to the Heart (AH) via 3rd Eye and Throat, then to the Root (OOO-UH) via the Solar Plexus and Sacral and finally back up to Crown (AYE-EEE) via all the other chakras.
SUGGESTIONS FOR USING THE DIVINE NAME AS PRAYER
Before using the Divine Name as prayer, one important idea is to conceive of the Divine
Name as a sonic offering to the Creator. In many different traditions, offerings such as the
lighting of incense or candles are made before the actual prayer. With this in mind, we can intone
the Divine Name as a sonic offering, projecting this offering on to our prayers. Not only are we praying in a manner of appreciation, giving thanks for all that is—we are concurrently generating
offerings to the Divine. This is another form of manifesting gratitude for all that is. Perceive of
your sound as a way of giving thanks to the Creator for all the blessings you are making.
Part I: Utilizing the Divine Name As Prayer
• Find yourself a comfortable space where you will not be disturbed—a contemplative
or sacred place where you can meditate/pray and make sound.
• Sit comfortably, with your spine straight and your eyes closed.
• Add the visualization of breathing in and out through your heart area.
• Begin to feel gratitude and appreciation for someone or something. This will place
you in a state of receptivity that will allow you to communicate with the Source. Be
in a state of appreciation—maintaining an ‘attitude of gratitude’ for all that is.
Part II: Utilizing the Divine Name As Prayer
• Next, begin to audibly give thanks for that which you have or would like to have in
your life as though it has already occurred. Some examples of this might be:
o Thank you for my partner (my children, my…….) o Thank you for my health.
o Thank you for my prosperity.
• Vocalize the Divine Name. Feel the energy of these sounds as they resonate from the
top of your head down into your body, and then back again out your head, creating a
connection between you and the Divine. Send this energy out from yourself to the Divine as you make this sound. Become aware of the positive feelings being
generated by this sound and the feeling of Love radiating through and from you.
Part III: Utilizing the Divine Name As Prayer
• Continue to speak aloud, giving thanks for that which you would like to co-create
on a more expansive level as though it has already occurred. Some examples of this might be:
o Thank you for the support in my business
o Thank you for the harmony in my marriage
o Thank you for peace in my life
• Each time you give thanks for something, vocalize the Divine Name, one time, feeling the energy resonate through you and sending this sound out to the Divine.
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Part IV: Utilizing the Divine Name As Prayer
• Conclude by stating aloud that which you would like to co-create on a universal
level as though it has already occurred. Some examples of this might be:
o Thank you for peace on the planet
o Thank you for the harmony of the environment.
o Thank you for the love and kindness which all humans share
• Each time you give thanks for something, vocalize the Divine Name, one time,
feeling the energy resonate through you and sending this sound out to the Divine.
Part V: Utilizing the Divine Name As Prayer
• After completing your prayers, sit in a state of silence, receptivity and gratitude
for the experience you have just had. Be open to receiving information, thoughts,
ideas, and feelings from the Divine. Allow yourself sufficient time to fully
experience this exercise. You may find yourself in quite a transcendent state as a result of using the Divine Name in this manner.
This, of course, is just one manner in which to pray. As you might have noticed, with these
particular steps, we go from utilizing prayer on an individual level to using it as a universal level.
However, please do as you are inwardly guided. You might want to focus first on giving thanks for global situations such as peace, and then focus on personal prayers. The above manner of
prayer is simply one model that might be helpful. There are numerous ways of giving prayerful
thanks, but they all involve the modality of utilizing breath, feeling and sound.
The Divine Name, when utilized in this manner of prayer, offers us a direct connection to
the Divine and awakens the Divine in ourselves. When we are in a state of resonance with the
Divine, we are in a state of perfection. As this occurs, we achieve frequency shifts that put us into
balance and harmony. Therein lies the healing.
Learning to intone and properly utilize the Divine Name is an extraordinary vehicle for
personal and planetary healing and transformation. From our perspective, the use of the Divine Name as a sacred technology to enhance these prayers is a joyous technique we are honored to
share with you.
May the Divine Name Resonate With You! Jonathan Goldman & Andi Goldman
Portions of this text were excerpted from THE DIVINE NAME: The Sound That Can Change the World
© 2010 by Jonathan Goldman (courtesy of Hay House) www.healingsounds.com
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A Short Suggested Reading List
The Humming Effect by Jonathan Goldman & Andi Goldman (Inner Traditions, 2018)
The Divine Name by Jonathan Goldman (Hay House, 2010)
The 7 Secrets of Sound Healing by Jonathan Goldman, (Hay House, 2008)
Chakra Frequencies by Jonathan Goldman & Andi Goldman (Inner Traditions, 2005)
Healing Sounds by Jonathan Goldman (Inner Traditions, 2002)
Shifting Frequencies by Jonathan Goldman (Light Technology, 1998)
Cymatics by Dr. Hans Jenny (MACROMEDIA, 2001)
The Healing Forces of Music by Randall McClellan, Ph.D (iUniverse, 2000)
Music and Sound in the Healing Arts by John Beaulieu (Station Hill Press, 1987)
Music: Physician for Times to Come by Don Campbell (Quest Books, 2000)
The Power of Sound by Joshua Leeds (Inner Traditions, 2001)
Jonathan Goldman, M.A., is an internationally renowned writer, musician and teacher. He is an authority on
sound healing and a pioneer in the field of harmonics. Jonathan is the author of several books including The Divine
Name, the 2011 Visionary Award for “Best Alternative Book” of the Year and The 7 Secrets of Sound Healing
(both from Hay House); A Grammy nominee, his award winning recordings include: “Chakra Chants”, and “The
Divine Name,”. He is the Founder and Director of the Sound Healers Association and CEO of Spirit Music. In
Spring 2011, Jonathan Goldman was named as one of Watkins’ Mind Body Spirit magazine’s “100 Most
Spiritually Influential Living People.”
Andi Goldman, M.A., L.P.C., is a licensed psychotherapist, specializing in holistic counseling and sound
therapy. She is the Director of the Healing Sounds® Seminars and Co- Director of the Sound Healers
Association. She is a musician, teacher, sound healer, award-winning author, and the wife and partner of Jonathan
Goldman.
Jonathan and Andi Goldman have co-authored Chakra Frequencies, winner of the Visionary Award for “Best
Alternative Health Book” of the Year and their new best-selling The Humming Effect which has just won the 2018
Gold Visionary Award for “Best Health & Healing Book” (both from Inner Traditions).
Together Jonathan and Andi have dedicated their lives to the path of service, helping awaken and empower others
with the ability of sound to heal and transform.
Website: www.healingsounds.com.