The relationship of Chakras and Sound Vibration (part 1)

There appears to be a common misunderstanding about the chakras and their relationship with musical tones or frequencies.  I believe this misunderstanding originates from crystal bowl manufacturers who have used astrology or some other 12 node esoteric system to randomly assign the 12 (western temperament) musical tones to specific metaphysical archetypes that seem to match the attributes of each chakra as written in the ancient Vedas.

This knowledge has been grossly simplified, probably to aid in the standardization, marketing, and sale of crystal bowls to practitioners. As explained above, we humans all come in different sizes, shapes, colors, and smell while at the same time we each have one heart, two arms, two hands, feet, and so on in common. We also all have the same set of chakras (both major and minor) manifesting in parallel to our physical bodies and organs.

What is different between us individually is the overall range in which our chakras resonate in concert with each other within any living unit or singularity as explained earlier. We are like musical instruments, or more accurately, musical instruments are imitations of our voices and the voices of other animals. Some of us are Big and brassy like the Tuba section, and others are light and windy, like the flute section.

The common attributes of significance are the arithmetical ratios and interactive attributes and patterns between ALL of the harmonics that make up each of our “cosmic chords” not the general pitch range that they operate within.

The overall pitch range of any cosmic chord varies widely from individual to individual, but the sacred geometric interference patterns created by the harmonic ratios contained within any cosmic chord are independent and unaffected by its overall specific collective pitch range. Therefore, the essence of everyone's chakras do not change with an overall collective shift of pitch or frequency, instead they can express the very same essence at another level or as musicians call it a different tessitura.

This concept forms the basis of a well known branch of mathematics called fractals. Fractals take on a similar shape no matter what size or level of depth you travel “down the rabbit hole”, (a fun term sometimes used to describe the common recursive nature of all fractal based objects). I believe this fractal nature of sound and intervals forms the basis of what Pythagoras taught to initiates in his mystery schools.

In summary thus far, a single pitch or frequency by itself is insufficient to describe, sound, or represent the essence or nature of any chakra. In fact, pitch or even pitch range, (tessitura) has very little, if anything at all, to do with it! Its the harmony, melody, rhythm and swing that's important.

Keeping the above paragraph in mind, lets dig a little deeper...

I believe the complete set of chakras for any given entity has a direct correspondence to the natural harmonic series of sound objects as shown graphically by Pythagoras using a monochord. The harmonic series is in fact a simplified blueprint for a much more complex multidimensional holographic map not yet fully understood by current science.

For example: The fundamental partial of a sound object, being lowest in pitch, corresponds to the root chakra. Each successive harmonic partial of the sound object, corresponds with its fundamental frequency in the same manner that each corresponding chakra of any given entity relates to its root chakra.

With sound objects we are talking about “n” multiples of the fundamental frequency. With the chakras we are talking about “n” multiples of the multidimensional holographic essence of the root chakra.

Many gifted folks, especially young children today, can detect, feel, see, hear or otherwise experience the essence of the chakras. They are many times described in classical text as beautiful iridescent mandalas. Science does not yet understand how this works, but I believe this knowledge was once known well in ancient times. I also believe we are at the threshold of re-discovering all of this ancient knowledge which has been hidden for several thousands of years.

Lets now talk about the concept of interval relationship.

In music theory you learn the intervals. Intervals are the combined sonic nature created when two notes of different pitch (frequency) sound together. Some intervals sound calming, peaceful, and make you feel at home. Musically these peaceful intervals are called consonant.

Other intervals are quite disruptive or transformative in nature and make you feel away from home or in transition. All music, and art for that matter, are a creative play between this fundamental law of tension and resolution. Artists have had this concept beaten into them at some point in their academic life. Its about as basic as breathing air in and out and has a dual yin/yang nature to it.

In a generalized way you can call the consonant relationships pure harmonic ratios which radiate out smoothly in support of a common fundamental which they propagate from. This is analogous to the smooth rings formed on the glassy smooth surface of a pond after a single round pebble is dropped carefully into the center.

Dissonance occurs at the higher harmonics on the outer edges of a spiraling wave front after it has had time to evolve and change its nature some distance away from the fundamental frequency occurring in the center.

Consonance and Dissonance also occurs more dramatically in various degrees and weights as the interaction between two or more completely independent fundamental wave fronts, each with its own set of accompanying strongly coupled “pure or consonant” harmonics near the center, and weakly coupled dissonant harmonics farther away out on the edge.

This is caused by the harmonic interference patterns that show up between the wave fronts when each collective set of fundamentals and corresponding harmonics meet, cross over, and intermingle with each other. Some of the mingling will result in consonance, and other mingling will result in dissonance.

In other words the interference between two completely different wave fronts with two independent fundamental sources. (i.e. two different sized pebbles were tossed into the water at some distance from each other creating two spiraling patterns to interact with each other).

I will continue and elaborate this discussion in my next post...