Sound Alchemy: Healing through sound.
Of all forms of energy, sound is perhaps one of the more powerful manifestations. Sound energy is intricately connected with the human consciousness and the innate spiritual side of man. It influences the mind and emotions; it is known to alter a person's life force, with its ability to heal.
Our ancestors composed harmonious chants and hymns to manipulate the intensity of sound vibrations and their healing capacities.
Sound as therapy can improve a variety of physical and mental issues including:
Sleep disorders
Anxiety
Depression
Stress management
PTSD
Depression
Pain management
SOUND ALCHEMY OFFERINGS
Sound Healing in Ancient Egypt
Of the many civilizations that understood the healing nature of sound, one of them was Egypt. Egyptians were well-versed in sound healing as an alternative healing practice. Using a method called 'toning', they manipulated the vowel sound using breath and voice to render therapeutic sounds.
Given the healing effect of vowels, resonating structures were built by the Egyptians to amplify the therapeutic effects of sound during religious ceremonies. These structures did not include just the temples but also the pyramids —especially those along with the Band of Peace.
According to the acoustician John Stuart Reid, the King's chamber in the Great Pyramid of Giza was designed to reverberate in order to increase the sound energy from ritualistic chants.
The exact functions of the Great Pyramid's interior chambers remain a complete mystery. Yet one persistent, recurring fact that cannot be unconnected with this enigma is something pointed out by many visitors to the Great Pyramid, this being that all its chambers appear to possess striking acoustic properties.
The Great Pyramid: Sonic Capabilities of the Dead-end Passage
The King's Chamber, contains a sarcophagus in which a cadaver might have been laid to rest. Even in this knowledge, there is no proof that this was the room's primary usage. Very likely, each room had its unique function, although what this might have been remains unclear.
The enigmatic Subterranean Chamber is located deep below the pyramid in the bedrock, at the end of the so-called Descending Passage.
An examination of a series of recordings made in the Subterranean Chamber in 2019, suggests that sounds from the Queen's Chamber cannot be heard in the Subterranean Chamber. In contrast, sounds made in the Queen's Chamber can be heard in the King's Chamber. If correct, then this upward conveyance of sound from one chamber to another via the vaulted Grand Gallery might well be linked with their primary function.
Even when silent, persistent levels of very low frequency (VLF) sounds were present in the ambient noise produced in all the main chambers. In the Subterranean Chamber the resonant frequencies were found to be quite different to those of the King's Chamber and Queen's Chamber, being within the infrasonic range (20 Hz to 1 Hz), meaning that they are completely inaudible to the human ear.
The most striking finding with respect to the Dead-end Passage was the strong presence of infrasound. What all this suggests is that the Dead-end Passage was indeed designed to function as a resonance tube, producing infrasound with a base frequency of around 5 Hz.
Yet if this is the case, what is so important about infrasound and were such sub-aural sounds known to the ancients? Infrasound is now thought responsible for not only feelings of otherworldliness, but that its presence can also lead to both psychic experiences and paranormal happenings.
My personal experience in the Great Pyramid
"It felt as if I had just returned home after believing it was gone forever."
In November 2020, I began my pilgrimage through Kemet (Egypt) at the Great Pyramid.
I had set an intention for myself that I was open to release any blockages and receive whatever my soul needed from this experience. I was prepared to feel altered states of consciousness and all kinds of energy moving through me during this trip, but I wasn’t expecting the changes to start happening immediately, on the very first day of my journey.
Upon approaching the Great Pyramid, I could already feel my heart chakra vibrating, moving things, awakening. The closer I moved towards the Pyramid, the more my heart opened. I could feel that something was combining energetically with each of my subtle bodies in some kind of upwards spiral. Everything in me was touched and revolutionized by it. I was experiencing a deep energetic release in all my energy systems.
After some alone time to integrate all these feelings, Rabie and I made our way into the Great Pyramid. We were fortunate to have the place pretty much for ourselves.
My frequency just kept rising as we walked, and finally, we reached the King's chamber.
My first instinct was to take off my sandals and walk barefoot around the room. After a few minutes, I took a seat right next to the "sarcophagous."
The energy in the room was beyond any words, and I never imagined that being in the middle of a dark, 10,000+ year old Pyramid made of limestone, basalt, and granite, which primary function is still unknown, could feel so incredibly warm and comforting.
“Time slowed down and it felt like an important upgrade of frequency. A before and after. Like I had just reclaimed my heart. ”
After meditating for a few minutes and still sitting on the floor, I began a chanting prayer of the Gayatri mantra; a mantra that has been in my practice for years.
I was utterly amazed at the way acoustics carried in the room. I can’t quite describe it. Sound traveled around the room like spirits dancing free. I have never in my entire life have experienced acoustics like these before. It seemed as if the place was definitely built for it.
As I kept chanting, praying, I could feel my heart completely opening; my entire body vibrating and in a very short time, entering a deep estate of peace and alignment. Time slowed down and it felt like an important upgrade of frequency. A before and after. Like I had just reclaimed my heart.
I can't explain everything that happened there that day. But, I can tell you that I could feel every atom of my body vibrating in a frequency so motherly, nurturing and intense, that I had no choice but to let go of all control and dive deep into the unknown. My heart opened and felt lighter, aligned with purpose. My mood lifted, and my tiredness was gone.
I had arrived in Egypt with a painful health issue that had kept me up many nights and had me taking anti-inflammatory remedies for months. I walked out of the Great Pyramid without any physical pain. And the pain didn't come back the next day or the following week. It never came back; I was healed.
The Great Pyramid seemed to act as an amplifier. Any thought, feeling, and intention I had in me that day were amplified. I am just one of many people who can attest to this mysterious, healing high frequency. Of course, not every person has or will experience something like this, and that is completely fine too. But I deeply believe that when visiting sacred sites with a history of healing, or when involved in spiritual practices, setting an intention is crucial. Letting go of control can actually feel incredibly empowering at the right moment.
I am very grateful to have witnessed the empowering and healing energy of this sacred place. My short time at the Great Pyramid was profound, beautiful, and life-altering, and I can't wait to return there with you.
Furthermore, I will be guiding a sound meditation for our group during our private visit, assisting in deepening the connection to our consciousness and opening our hearts wide on the first day of this incredible journey.
Zahr Ceremony:
The spiritual phenomenon of zar rises from the foundations of the community and originates from very ancient beliefs.
Zar is a traditional ceremony first introduced to Egypt in the early 19th century and soon spread into rural areas. Through circles of women dancing to the rhythms of heavy drum beats and chanting calls for the love of God and need of help. The practice is deeply believed to cure abnormal behaviors and symptoms that people have with no known medical reasoning.
Zar music is perhaps the most entangled with its dance form, as the musical style is almost exclusively performed as a spiritual experience that is believed to draw out evil spirits. It is one of the oldest forms of traditional Egyptian music, though it is believed to have originated from ancient Ethiopian or Sudanese tribes.
The music of zar itself is incredible to listen to, with its steady and repetitive rhythms and crooning and melismatic singing putting one in a sort of trance, which is precisely the intention.
We will have the opportunity to partake in an authentic Sufi/Nubian Zahr ritual during our time in Abydos.