We all can easily experience the powers of hydro, thermal, electrical and wind energies in different forms. That Sabda or any form of sound also has similar or greater impact – cannot be believed or realized so clearly. Even the visible effects of music are found to vary according to the psychology or emotional state of the subject and are therefore experienced in varied contexts and intensities.
The scientific investigations on the existence and properties of sound waves indicate that the effects of sound could be as physical as those of the other forms of energy. The Doppler Effect is worth mentioning in this regard. The historical breaking of a bridge due to the superimposition of the cyclic sound created by the orderly footsteps of Napoleon’s army; Falls of several huge and stout bridges due to the synchronization of sound of noisy winds or noises of the surroundings – for instance, the falls of the Lao Bernard bridge in France in 1852 and 1871, the Ohio river’s bridge in USA in 1854 and those of its Niagara water-fall in 1864 and 1889, the bridge over Tacoma river in Washington, in 1940…, etc – are some of the well known examples of this significant effect.
Some German scientists are said to have gained, during the time of First World War, the knowledge about the development of a weapon that could produce sound waves of a frequency higher than 10vibrations per second. Such waves would ruin the targeted persons in less than a second because the resultant sonic effect would destroy the neurons of the subjects at a rate faster than that due to a high power direct electrical shock…
According to acoustic experts, even the harmonious tune of a musical instrument if repeated under appropriate synchronization (in terms of frequency, amplitude, intensity and rhythm) with other musical output (e.g. the tinkling sound of the bells in the ankle-ornament of a dancer) can result in the destruction of the stage set for the musical performance. Similar destructive effect could be observed by the orderly, superimposed high-intensity audible sounds….
Occurrences of earthquakes are also largely attributed to similar effects, of periodic resonance of superimposed sound waves (at specific frequencies in a specific order) deep inside the earth’s surface.
It appears that the destructive power of sound could be used, in lieu of dynamite for instance, to create high-energy explosions. In order to make constructive use of this gross effect of the amplified powers of superimposed sound waves some physicists have carried out systematic experiments in advanced laboratories. One interesting experiment conducted in the Wastingzt-House Laboratory at New York is worth citing here. An 8 ft. long Iron rod of 50Kg weight was hung in the center of this laboratory. A small bottle-cork, weighing merely 0.5 ounce, was also hung parallels near the rod. The experiment was set so that the cork would hit the rod at a constant frequency without any disturbance. An immediate thought in our mind would be that the hits of such a tiny cork would only result in its own destruction. But the facts are quite the contrary! After fifteen minutes of these periodic collisions the rod was found to have vibrations in it… An hour later, the rod began to oscillate like a pendulum….
If the orderly vibrations (and hence the sound) of such a tiny dimensions could be so powerful then one can imagine the gigantic impact of the enormous vibrations created by the ever more loud sound (ranging from day-to-day speech to the traffic-noise… and to the explosive sound of space crafts….., etc.) produced by the living beings on the earth…; and…. by the natural collisions and (meteoritic) explosions in the space….!
Modern scientific research has gone a long way in its study of the sonic waves. These investigations coupled with the advancement of electronics have now made the speech recognition by machines like computers and robots, an established reality. Applications of the radio waves and the lasers have become integral part of modern life. It is not far from sight when experiments will be set in the advanced laboratories to verify and demonstrate the super natural physical effects of classical music such as – the automatic kindling of oil-lamps by Raga Dipak, the potential of Raga Malhar in commencing rainfall at any time at the singer’s will, the power of Raga Sankar in transforming a dry wooden stem into a blossoming tree…, etc.
The progress, at the same pace, of the current practice of using the creative power of music in psychological treatments, stress management and in healthier maintenance of animals and vegetation…etc., would certainly pave the ways for the realization and use of the knowledge of the Sabda and Nada for an overall ascent of personality as described in the Indian scriptures of yore.
On the subtler front as well, modern science is moving towards investigating, to some extent, the latent powers and subtle energies of Sabda (Nada) as described in the ancient Indian scriptures. The journey of research from atoms to electromagnetic waves has finally been oriented on the fundamental and vital role of sound waves pervaded everywhere in the cosmic expansion. The big-bang hypothesis of the origin of the universe is also coming closer to the ‘theories’ cited in the vaidika literature.
The scriptures on yoga render significant importance to Sabda – Sadhana, the spiritual experiment of the realization of the eternal cosmic sound, via the practices of – swara yoga, surati yoga and the mantra yoga. The science and philosophy of mantra has emerged from the in-depth knowledge of the – risis and their expertise in using the latent powers of Sabda and Nada – towards fulfilling the noble purposes of global purification and uplifting at the physical as well as the spiritual levels. This is the reason why in case of every mantra, it is the pattern and strength of vibrations and energy generated by its japa and not its linguistic structure, grammar or the word-meaning that play the key role in making the mantra so effective…
The vaidika mantras are said to have been created as specific configuration of phonemes and syllables corresponding to the ‘sonic pattern’ of the enormous expressions of the subliminal vibrations of the afflatus of the Brahm as realized by the risis in the state of deep trance.
Sonic energy, being a physical manifestation of Sabda exists in its original form in the universe forever, without any natural conversion into any other form of energy. The subtle vibrations and impact of mantra is therefore regarded as eternal.
In scientific terms, the vibrations in any material form or in the etheric medium constitute the fundamental source of existence and manifestation of sound. As we all know, the quavering of the wires of a musical instrument creates specific vibrations in the medium in the vicinity of these wires; due to this, the air (particles) around is first compressed and then spread periodically according to the frequency of these vibrations. The sound so generated is carried along the entire expansion of the medium.
The vibrations carried via the air medium are audible (i.e. recognized by the sensors of our ears) if they fall into the frequency range of 16 to 20,000 cycles per second in general. Upon perception by the nerve-sensors in the ears, these vibrations are transmitted – through appropriate electrical signals, to the neural system in our brain and the corresponding sound is ‘heard’ by us. The presence of the medium of air is essential for the normal functions of hearing by the ears in a human body. For most of the marine animals, the medium of water fulfils this purpose. In some creatures the centers for perception and transmission of sound are located along the skin pores or elsewhere in the body instead of the ears.
The position (vis-à-vis their connections with specific centers in the brain) of our two ears helps instantaneous hearing of the audible sound and the recognition of the direction from where it is arriving. However, despite optimal functioning state of the brain and the ears, we cannot hear the infra sound – produced by the vibrations of frequencies much lower than 16 cps, and the ultrasound – generated by vibrations of frequencies much higher than 20,000 cps. Moreover, even the sound belonging to the audible frequency-range, but produced at a long distance or in a noisy surrounding, would not be heard by our ears; because, the disturbances in the air-medium would perturb its original vibrations in such cases.
The orderly expansion of the sound waves (vibrations) of compatible characteristics produces well structured sonic patterns while a disorder converts them into a noise (in terms of communication signals). The velocity (around 1088 ft per sec) of sound is much lesser than that of light. This is the reason why the flash of lightening is seen before the loud noise of a thunder
bolt…..; or…, smoke produced by a cannon is seen before the cracking sound of its explosion is heard…… ‘How far a sound will be heard or received by a sensor that is perceptive to its frequency’– depends upon its intensity and loudness. The larger is the intensity, the lesser would be the effect of distance…. For example, the noise of a volcano, exploded in Indonesia in 1883, was heard up to a distance of over 5000 miles in open air.
The propagation of the sound is hindered or reflected back whenever its carrier medium is blocked. This gives rise to an echo or to a dispersed sound depending upon the (atomic) structure and shape of the obstacle. The quality (loudness and amplitude) of the reverberation depends upon the type of the original sound and the regularity and geometry of the dense medium (or the obstruction) with which the sound waves collide. At times, the sound produced at one place and perceived within a certain range can be heard beyond an intermediate region of its nonperception. For instance, an explosion that took place in Moscow sometime in 1920s became popular because, its noise was heard up to 60 miles but not at a distance from 60 to 90 miles. Amazingly, it was clearly heard at a distance of another 60 miles forward (i.e. within the distance from 91 to 121 miles approximately) from the place where it occurred.
Propagation of sound via radio waves amplifies its velocity up to the order of 186000 miles per second or more. This is how the radio stations can communicate from one end of the globe to the other in a matter of few seconds. Marching ahead from the knowledge and utilization of radio waves, the modern science and technology have advanced up to the level of capturing as well as generating infra sound and ultrasound with the help of sophisticated instruments. The present century might enable experimentation on still higher dimensions of sound and pave the way for experiencing the yet ‘hidden’ realms of its sublime existence.
Source: Eternity of Sound and the Science of Mantras
