In 1665 a Dutch scientist Christian Huygens, 'discovered' the principle of 'entrainment'. This principle states that whenever two or more oscillators in the same field are pulsing at nearly the same rate, they tend to lock in and begin pulsing at exactly the same rate. The powerful rhythmic vibrations from one source will cause less powerful vibrations of another source to lock into the vibration of the first source.
==Voicesand Singing== *Research in the USA has shown that certain sounds are under stress in our voices. These sounds correspond to imbalances in our bodies. Changing our voice pattern changes our brain wave frequencies and reduces illness.Removing the stress frequencies in the voice has helped to reduce high blood pressure; it has helped diabetes, emphysema, and eye problems, reduced pain and speeded up the bodys healing.Our voice is the ultimate healing instrument. All of us have the ability to create pure tone and vocal harmonics. There is a Sufi saying that "The voice is the only instrument made by God. All other instruments were made by man."Toning is an easily learnt skill that begins to free the voice again. Regular toning helps to re-energise the body and restore health to the mind, body and spirit. There is a saying in Germany that ' bad men don't sing'!When groups of people tone together, it produces a tremendous feeling of connectedness.Laurel Elizabeth Keys in her book 'Toning the Creative Power of the Voice' says: - "A whiny weak voice will suck in negativity, attracting lingering illness like cancer, asthma, allergies, tumors, rheumatism and arthritis. No healing will be possible until the person reverses their tonal pattern".Laurel discovered toning by accident. One day her body became filled with a sound so great that she had to express it: - "Each time I toned, my body felt exhilarated, alive as it had never felt before, a feeling of wholeness and extreme well-being". * Singing is medicine for the soul. Every voice is unique, and song can provide a vehicle to express our individual sound, our feelings, our whole self. At the same time it can furnish us with a wonderful focus to still the mind and to allow the vibrations of our combined sounds and harmonies to nourish and enrich the spirit. Song Meditation combines the essential tools of singing and vocal production with gentle mindfulness. It is designed to encourage a joyful stillness and an appreciation of the warm companionship and healing experience of group singing.
==Harmonics==
*Pythagoras lived on the Greek island of Samos from 560-480 BC. He is credited with the invention of the monochord and the discovery of the harmonic ratios in sound. Pythagoras said "study the monochord and you will know the secrets of the universe". The monochord is a long wooden box with one long string attached to two raised pieces of wood to permit it to vibrate. When the string is plucked it produces a sound that is called the fundamental tone of the string. Using a wooden bridge we can divide the string in two. When either half of the now divided string is plucked it will produce the same note as the fundamental except it will be an octave (eight notes) higher, since it is vibrating twice as fast as the vibration of the fundamental. If the string were divided equally into three, the note produced would be different from the fundamental note. If the fundamental note was 'C' the note produced would be 'G', an octave above the fundamental note. If the string were divided equally into four the note produced would be a 'C', the same note as the fundamental note but two octaves higher. Pythagoras found that whenever the whole string was plucked, higher sounds would be created at the same time as the fundamental note. These higher sounds or 'harmonics' were mathematically related in frequency to the fundamental note through whole number ratios of 2:1, 3:1, 4:1. These harmonics were related to each other in ratios of 2:3, 4:3, 5:8. Pythagoras discovered that these ratios were found in the proportions used in art and architecture.Pythagoras saw the universe as a giant monochord, an instrument that stretched between heaven and earth. The higher sounds were those of pure spirit and the lower ones were those of the earth. Pythagoras found the harmonic intervals in all phenomena in nature, the elements, the planets and constellations. In the 1920's a German scientist called Hans Kayser developed a theory of harmonics based on Pythagoras's work. Kayser states that the whole number ratios of musical harmonics are found in the basic laws of chemistry, physics, crystallography, astronomy, architecture, spectroanalysis, botany and other natural sciences. <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKq-uyxFT98 Example : Wolfram Wieser - Obertongesang, Monochord ]</span>