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Features
Sound Trek: To Boldly Go Where Many Have Gone Before
by Christine M. Grimm
With its warp speed whoosh, the futuristic technology and message of peace in Star Trek have deeply influenced modern culture since the first appearance of this iconic vision over 40 years ago. The phenomena’s unique aural landscapes came from the electronic imagination of Alan Howarth, who created many memorable sound effects for the first six Star Trek movies. In the meantime, the film composer/sound designer has continued his own trek into the world of sonic space. Based on his research at the Great Pyramid of Egypt and its Mayan equivalents, Howarth has made startling discoveries about the role of sound and its profound implications in our lives.
Pyramids and Temples
Named after the Egyptian sun god, the natural frequencies of RA Music originated in the mathematical research of the late Wes Bateman and his belief that the architect of the Great Pyramid intended it as a mathematical model. Bateman’s concepts of the Prime Directive and the United Federation of Planets were incorporated into Gene Roddenberry’s original “Star Trek” universe in the mid-1960s.
After reading Bateman’s book, The Rods of Amon Ra in 1994, Howarth collaborated with him to explore the principle that the universe is literally in tune with itself. In 2004, the sound researcher gained the support of Dr. J.J. Hurtak, author of The Book of Knowledge: The Keys of Enoch and other works that influenced the makers of Star Trek. Hurtak’s Academy for Future Science (AFFS) became the sponsor for Howarth’s acoustics research in the Mayan temples of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula that are estimated to have been built around 800 BC. After taking more than 200 samples of sound from these temples in seven different locations, Alan Howarth created a database of acoustic resonances and discovered similar frequencies centered around 424 Hz or cycles per second. Using these findings, a white paper published by the University of Mexico City concluded that the frequencies were a conscious design element of the Mayan culture and its musical knowledge. It appears that the ancient Mayans understood the natural frequencies and designed the temples to produce transcendent sounds as part of their religious ceremonies.
In 2005, Howarth and an Academy for Future Science research team embarked on a private expedition to investigate the acoustics of interior chambers in the Great Pyramid, which was built around 5000 BC, to see if it created resonance with the natural frequencies mathematically predicated by Wes Bateman. The researchers were amazed to discover that the dominant frequencies of the King’s Chamber matched Bateman’s prediction of 424 cycles per second. Was it just a coincidence that these two advanced ancient cultures, separated by more than 4000 years, used the same natural frequencies to support their spiritual practices?
Music and Mathematics
When Alan Howarth examined the worldwide instrumental tunings in music, he discovered another significant fact: Many of history’s great composers worked with the RA frequencies, which actually range between 421.5 and 426.3 cycles per second and have 424 as the median average for the note of “A.” According to Howarth, “To fully appreciate Mozart or Handel, you must listen to their music in the tuning for which it was created: A=424 and not the modern standard tuning of A=440.”
What does RA actually sound like? Because the RA tuning resides lower than the tuning to which our ears are accustomed, the sound is naturally deeper and more relaxed. With the proper tuner set to -64 cents flat, most instruments can easily be tuned to A=424. Computers and keyboards can usually be recalibrated in the same way, but acoustic pianos require professional retuning—which is definitely worth the effort.
In the RA system, musical frequencies also correspond with mathematical ratios: A=424 is derived from Pi (3.14…), which resonates with the mental, emotional, and spiritual realm. These frequencies correlate to brainwaves in the ideal alpha state of relaxation and meditation, in which a person is most receptive to external input. Using this ratio as the basis for their extensive research, Alan Howarth and Wes Bateman also turned to nature’s kingdom of sounds and found the same phenomenon there: The whale’s song, the bird’s chirp, and wolf’s howl are all centered on the natural frequency of A=424 cycles per second.
The cycles per second describes the number of up and down soundwaves that occur in that space of time. In order for these waves of sound to mesh with the waves of our body structures, they must be in the same precise number of cycles per second. This is called the law of sympathetic vibration: If the vibration of one body matches the resonance of another body, this second body will begin to vibrate with the same sound. According to Howarth, the frequencies of RA Music correspond to our own natural vibrations. Instead of just hearing music with our ears, we can feel it throughout our mind and body. This also enhances the potential of healing ourselves and our world with sound.
The slightly higher frequency of A=432 corresponds with Phi (1.618…), which resonates with the proportions of physical structures such as plants, animals, and human beings. Phi is known as the golden mean and serves as the source for the Fibonacci numbers (as popularized in Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code) that are the basis for the musical properties.
How did we lose touch with these natural frequencies? The tuning fork was invented by John Shore of England in 1711 and had a pitch of A=423.5 (within .5 cycles of the RA median value). According to Jonathan Tennenbaum’s article in the Schiller Institute’s Fidelio magazine, C=256 (equivalent to A=426.7) was widely recognized as the standard “scientific” or “physical” pitch until the 20th century. Since 1925, most Western music has been played and recorded in a standard tuning of A=440. This arbitrary standardization was imposed by the music industry so that all musicians would be in tune with each other, although some European orchestras still use other frequency values. “Like so many decisions in modern society,” explains Howarth, “it was made for the sake of standardization without considering the deeper implications. Unlike A=424, the standard musical tuning of A=440 does not correlate with the frequency ranges that support the natural systems.”
RA Natural Frequency Music and Soul Types
Alan Howarth encourages both musicians and listeners to return to the natural frequencies centered on A=424 and at A=432. Howarth and Bateman developed a web-based patented process to convert any standardized recording of music into RA Natural Frequency Music®. These RA conversions are designed to resonate with the listener’s brainwave generating centers down to the cellular level in a sympathetic manner. The result is natural stimulation of the brainwaves and associated frequencies that correspond to higher levels of perception. Their website (www.ramusic.com) provides samples of popular songs to compare with their A=424 versions.
In addition to transposing existing pieces of music, the composer also recommends performing and recording music using these frequency references. He describes his first experience of composing and recording directly in RA frequencies: “I found myself within the most amazing pocket of creative energy…and I hit what musicians call the Zone. I was connected to my higher self and creativity flowed right out of my fingers. If you sing in these frequencies, your voice is in tune with the harmonics of your body and your mind, creating a similar inspired experience.”
The first products of these unleashed creative energies were Indigo RA and Paradise Within, his two meditation CDs that are based on RA Music. Both incorporate the power of natural frequencies on a sonic journey with guided meditations, followed by Howarth’s original music that integrates the soothing soundscapes of nature. These CDs are currently available at www.alanhowarth.com.
The nine format tunings ranging from 421.5 to 426.3 are another development of RA Natural Frequency Music. Researchers Alan Sheets and Barbara Tovey of www.newequations.com have linked these nine RA formats with their rediscovery of the Nine Soul Types, which are based on spiritual knowledge from ancient Egypt. Each of these nine energy patterns has its own unique path for creating a peaceful and sustainable global community—a goal that also harmonizes with the concepts of Star Trek.
Voice Analysis and Sound Healing
Another innovator in the realm of sound is researcher Sharry Edwards, who developed the concept of Human BioAcoustics with computer voice analysis at the Sound Health Research Institute in Albany, Ohio. She believes that the human voice represents the biochemical and structural aspects of the body, based on the observation that brainwave frequencies are impulse patterns:
“This direct conduit from the brain and body to the vocal cords suggests a message pathway, supporting the theory that frequencies in the voice are representations of the autonomic nervous system’s activity.” (www.bioacousticsforsoundhealth.com).
Incredibly, Edwards’ BioAcoustics Vocal Analysis computer software program can pinpoint individual frequencies related to various disorders and provide a mix of balancing tones to the client, who listens to them on a daily basis. A variety of voice analysis programs now correlate frequencies with specific disorders such as 54 Hz for kidney stones and 72.5 Hz for chronic melancholy (www.biowaves.com).
In addition to this technological approach, it is possible to use a sophisticated chromatic tuner without computer interface for voice analysis. Besides listening to the missing notes, the client can also sing them to restore the weak frequencies to the brain. In order to restore balance, it is important to release energy blockages reflected in the excessive tones.
The notes of the scale can also be correlated with the chakras (energy centers) from the ancient Eastern Indian tradition of yoga, starting with “C” at the Root Chakra. This is followed by “D” at the Sacral, “E” at the Solar Plexus, “F” at the Heart, “G” at the Throat, “A” at the Third Eye, and “B” at the Crown Chakra. India also has a tradition of sound healing called Nada Yoga that dates back several thousands of years. Ancient Ayurvedic doctors often diagnosed their patients just by the sound of their voices.
RA tuning forks are another sound healing tool that can be used to reestablish the balance of body, mind, and soul. In addition to the seven (or 12 chromatic) notes of the scale, brain tuners (delta, theta, alpha, and beta waves) or body (Om) tuners that match the Earth’s frequency at “C#” in the physical tuning of A=432 can be very effective for healing.
The Future of Sound Healing
Alan Howarth envisions a world where we are increasingly surrounded by the sounds of RA Natural Frequency Music. One of his recent inventions is his Sound Bubble 3D audio immersive technology, which he has demonstrated at various sound healing conferences. As a sound healing chamber, the Sound Bubble creates an immersive sonic shower of frequencies to reproduce how we actually experience sound.
Howarth is currently expanding RA technology for converting entire radio and TV stations into the natural frequencies in real time. He also imagines a future where technologies for sound healing are part of our everyday routines: “You could have your voice analyzed on the phone and receive an MP3 of a favorite song with the frequencies required to balance your daily health.” This also conjures up the image of the tri-corder from “Star Trek,” a hand-held device that emits sound to analyze and immediately correct a person’s imbalances.
But do we really have to wait for tri-corders and advanced technologies to heal ourselves with sound? These tools and techniques are already available for us to use. We are our own healers and have the power to create balance and health in our inner worlds. This approach has existed throughout time: It appears that the people of ancient Egypt, the Mayans, and other cultures already used sound to create harmony in their lives.
This is your opportunity to boldly go where many have gone before you—to the sanctuary of healing sound.
Sound therapist Christine M. Grimm offers workshops in Westwood (September 5 and 26), Santa Barbara (September 24), and Summerland (Sundays and Wednesdays). Her toning CD, Tune Your Voice - Tune Your Life, is now available in RA Music A=424 and the Nine Soul Types. The Santa Barbara singer/songwriter also produces and performs sound-healing concerts in the key of RA. For information on lecture-demonstrations with Alan Howarth, workshops, concerts, and private voice-analysis sessions (also on Skype), visit www.tuneyourvoice.com, e-mail christine@tuneyourvoice.com, or call 805.698.3580.