------------------------------------------------------- Resonance can be considered
the foe or friend of sound engineers,
but within the context of cognitive musicology,
it can become a powerful force when the
right conditions come together. It is
when certain frequencies and beat-states
(where two sounds that are close together
in frequency, are interpreted by the human
brain to create a third sound which sound
like beats), are set up in sympathetic
resonance with a given subject, that causes
the body-mind state to enter altered states
of consciousness. (Stefan , 1998) Certain
frequencies and music can entrain the
body-mind state when different forms of
biofeedback are employed. (Brown, 1974).
The Great pyramid, and the Mayan pyramid
- Chichen Itza, are considered special
places within the wisdom traditions of
ancient cultures. (Handcock , 1998). There
is a deep interconnectedness that unites
these cultures with these structures,
this can be best illustrated through the
use of music, vibrations and acoustics.
It has now been found that they contain
elaborate resonant patterns and thus is
argued that these sites were constructed
so the initiate of visitor to the site,
through the use of music and vibrations,
could experience entrainment of the mind-body
state. (Scarre, 1989)
Let us first explore
an overview of the complex acoustic systems
that have been discovered in ancient temples;
that have been documented by scientists
worldwide. First we look at the Great
pyramid which is situated in Giza, as
a gigantic monument in stone. The main
room of this study will be the Kings Chamber
situated in the 5th socket of the Great
pyramid. It is a solid granite room with
a coffer of solid red granite and air
shafts or now commonly recognised as star
shafts. (Handcock, 1998).
What has been found is detailed acoustical patterns that have a intimate connection with the surrounding environment. Sonic engineers that have done research in this chamber, found that the length of the kings coffer, is shaped according the size of the average human. When the acoustic testing was done, it was found that it resonated to concert A440. (This is the concert A, associated with the cur-rent western musical tuning tradition), (Howard, 2004). Further study also reveals that the chamber resonates to the frequency of F-sharp, this has been examined by Paul Horn a famous flutist and Tom Danley a NASA sound engineer. The researcher for the Academy For Future Science; Tom Danley, found there were intervals of 90cps 180 cps 270 Cps 360cps. Where 87.3 = F-sharp 174.6 = F-sharp 261.6 = C-sharp 369.8 = F-sharp. (Hurtak, 1998). More over Tom Danley also found that the star shafts also operate as Helmholtz resonators; a Helmholtz resonator can be liked to air blown of the top of a bottle. Let us examine what Tom Danley says about the Helmholtz effect and other presents frequencies: What I saw were the normal the room mode resonances from absolutely rigid stone room, but also what I found were a number of low frequency components that were present without the test signal, which, I suspect, were Helmholtz resonances caused by the wind blowing across the entry tunnel...One thing that was interesting - over a number of octaves, some of the resonant frequencies fell into the pattern that makes an F-sharp chord. (Danley, 2002). What was measured
in the Helmholtz resonator effect was
a number of low frequencies in-conjunction
with the presence of the F sharp and Concert
A in the greater mapping of the chamber.
These frequencies are significant because
they represent connections with the foundation
of the western musical system and even
ancient musical modes interconnecting
with the greater life space. ( James,
1993). It is some of these dynamic qualities
in relationship to acoustics; that include
harmonic resonance, dynamic range and
loudness, which could facilitate the entrainment
of the body-mind state. What is important
to under-stand here is that, there must
have been a very advanced engineering
that took place, which also only been
found with recent advancements in acoustical
testing. These frequency spectra are also
found in other ancient stone structures,
as examined in the next example.
The next study is the Mayan pyramid of Chichen Itza - Kulkulan, which likewise contains very interesting acoustic pat-terns. This pyramid is located in the region of the gulf of Mexico and is considered one of the main ceremonial centres of the Mayan culture. (The Castle, 2004).If we ascend up the stair ramp to an interior platform near the top of the structure, there is an ante-chamber that is the famous jaguar throne, this is where there is found a zone of resonance. There are also carvings of Quetzalcoatl, which are also important in the outer physical and acoustic structure. It has also been found like the Kings chamber that Kukulkan, contains a fundamental resonance frequency of F-sharp at 380hz, and F- sharp two octaves higher at 1550hz.(Hurtak, 2003).
These frequencies would allow the music vibrations to superimpose one upon the other, ending in a total immersion by a singer in the site using the F-sharp chord or scale. Kukulkan not only contains complex musical engineering but also other outer vibrations. Let us understand first who Quetzalcoatl is and why he was so important to the Mayan culture as Daivd Lumbann explains: "A Mayan glyph from the Dresden Codex makes the connection between the pyramid of Kukulkan and the Quetzal bird. This glyph shows Kukulkan, the "sover-eign plumed serpent" with a gigantic Quetzal behind him. We argue that the Quetzal bird represents the spirit of the Maya. We also argue that spirits often speak in echoes. It seems most appropriate that the spirit echo of the Pyramid of Kukulkan would speak in the echo-voice of the Quetzal."(Lubman, 2004). We find Queztacoatl appearing in the spring equinox of March 21st where the steps reveal the shadow pattern of an undulating pattern which is the body of the snake, cumulating in the face form of the head of Quetzalcoatl at the base. It was found that when you clap your hands at the base of Kukulkan, there is a sound reverberation that comes back in the form of a Quetzal chirp; the native bird of the area. When Lubman had this sound frequency analysed with the actual real Quetzal bird sound, there was found to be a very close match in the frequency analysis. What does this mean? John Perritano states in his article it's a "chirping pyramid"; "This might be the world's oldest known sound recording." (Perritano, 1999). It seems to be
that the ancients gave the pyramid the
ability to 'sing'. It seems that there
was advanced musical system not unlike
the Great Pyramid. So the question must
be asked, why do all of these 'sacred
sites' of antiquity seem to put an importance
on sound, art and music? We must first
look into the science of biofeedback to
explain the process to understand what
the initiates would have practiced at
these sites, to connect the music with
the body and mind entrainment.
We can understand biofeedback as "a method of controlling a system by reinserting into it the results of its past performance." (Karlins, 1974). There-fore entrainment of the body and mind can be achieved, when we consciously learn and evolve beyond the old habits of the fight or flight syndrome; which is where our body reacts according to previous pre-conditioning. Biofeedback science can also be measured by the human subject(s) in relationship to rise or fall in skin temperature or slight changes that manifest in breathing patterns among many others symptoms. (Brown, 1974). It is taught that one is to become sensitised to these minute changes in the bodies many systems that allows the use of active control over the different states of consciousness. These ancient resonant
sites are considered places of praise,
worship and initiation. They are not considered
sites or rooms one could enter any time
of the day. This concept could be best
equated with the Jewish concept of the
Holy of Holies, where in inner most sanctuary
of the temple, was reserved for special
days and very sacred initiations/occasions.
What has been shown is that the visitor
or initiate to the site, would enter a
space where a holistic process would take
place. The sites were usually very secluded
and would cause sensory deprivation. Thus
through the holistic use music-chanting,
and use of biofeedback methods, one could
become fully immersed and begin to enter
into altered states of consciousness.(Bonny,
1997). What is not known is how across
different parts of the world the ancients
all had a similar form of consciousness
technology.
With the finding
of these advanced acoustical patterns
through modern science we are beginning
to see that the ancients did have an advanced
form of consciousness technology and even
incorporated into stone. As ancient geo-physical
computers are giving up there mysteries,
the ancients knew the correct frequencies
and biofeedback techniques so the visitor
or initiate to the site could really experience
altered sates of consciousness, so the
old habits of the "human psyche"
could be broken and re-patterned. Thus
it is only though the unity of the sciences
and arts that we can begin to decode these
mysteries.
References Bonny, Helen L and Savary, Louis M. Music and your mind: Listening with a new consciousness. (New York: Harper and Row, 1977). Brown, Barbara B. "Altered States of Consciousness" Pg 47. 1974. Brown, Barbara B. NewMind, New body: Bio-feedback: New Directions for the Mind.(London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1974). Burnett, Charles. Gouk, ed. "'Spiritual medicine': music and healing in Islam and its influence in Western medicine." Musical Healing in Cultural Con-texts. Sydney: Ashgate, 2000. Danley, Tom. "Transcript". ProSoundWeb Live Chat. March 12, 2002. http://www.prosoundweb.com/studyhall/chat_transcripts/danley.shtml (1st October 2004). Handcock, Graham and Faila, Santha. Heaven's Mirror, Quest for the Lost Civilization. (London: Michael Joseph ltd, 1998) pgs 53, 94. Howard, Rick. "Rick Howard." http://www.gizapyramid.com/BIO-Howard.htm (8th November 2004). Hurtak,J J and Bailey, Pat. "Music, Acoustics and Scientific Measurement in the Great Pyramid of Egypt". Future History. 2.7 (Spring 1998). Hurtak,J J."Chasing the pyramid winds: The physics of sound and the pyramids of the Yucatan." Future History. 4.3 (Summer/Autumn 2003). Karlins, Marvin and Andrews,
Lewis M.. "Chapter 1: Understanding
biofeedback." Biofeedback: Turning
on the power of your mind. Warner Books
Inc. James, Jamie. The Music of the spheres: music, science, and the natural order of the universe. ( New York: Grove Press, 1993). Lubman, David. "An archaeological study of chirped echo from the Mayan pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza." Acoustical Society of America. http://www.ocasa.org/MayanPyramid.htm (1st October 2004). Mc Adams, Stephen. "Music: A science of the mind?." Contemporary Music Review. 2 (1987) pp 1-61. Perritano, John. "This might be the world's oldest known sound recording." IT'S A CHIRPING PYRAMID. Current Science, 0011-3905. 85:6 (November 19, 1999). Roderer, Juan G. "Sound, vibrations, Pure Tones, & the perception of pitch." Introduction to the Physics & Psychophysics of Music. 2nd ed. Springer Verlag, 1995. Scarre, Chris. "Painting by Resonance." Nature. 338: 6214. 30 March 1989. Slododa, John A. "What is Music?" The Musical Mind: The Cognitive psychology of Music. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985. Stefan, James D.Lane. "Binaural Auditory Beats Affect Vigilance Performance and Mood" Physiology& Behaviour. 63: 2 January 1998: pgs 249-252 Unknown. "Frequency
Entrainment". Bio-waves. Unknown. General information. EL Castillo (The Castle). http://www.isourcecom.com/maya/cities/chichenitza/il.htm (8 November 2004) Unknown. "Hans Berger." April 6, 2003 http://chem.ch.huji.ac.il/~eugeniik/history/berger.html (8 November 2004) Unknown. "psyoche." The American Heri-tage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary, Mifflin Company, 2002.http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=psyche. (8 November 2004). Unknown."Sound Evidence".Scientific
American. Online - December 21, 1998. Images 1. Image Great Pyramid interior 2. El Castillo Chitzen
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