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THE HISTORY OF VIBRATIONAL HEALING

Vibrational healing – the notion that all living organisms are infused with a life force or energy that is influenced by other energetic vibrations – can be traced back in its various guises to ancient civilizations around the world. The traditional medical systems of the Chinese, Japanese and Tibetans, the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks, the Native Americans and Australian Aborigines feature at least one, if not several different vibrational therapies and remedies. Over the centuries physicians and healers have discovered many different ways of using light, sound and other vibrational wave forms in ways that can bring about healing.

MYTHICAL LANDS

The inhabitants of some mythical places had a profound knowledge of vibrational healing.

The most ancient land of mythology is Lemuria or Mu, said to have been in existence some 500,000 years ago. Located in an area now covered by the Pacific Ocean, Lemuria was reputedly like the Garden of Eden, a vibrant land where all kinds of exquisite flowering plants flourished. The people could attune themselves to the Earth’s natural energies and they lived in harmony with nature. They were said to be highly sensitive individuals who could sense the energies of plants, flowers, animals and other people, and they found ways to harness particular vibrations for healing.

It is possible that flower remedies – essences encapsulating the energies of flowers – were first used therapeutically in Lemuria. They may have been taken as an aid to spiritual development and attaining enlightenment. The Lemurians allegedly harnessed the energetic vibrations of gems and crystals, primarily for spiritual expansion and growth.

The subtle energies (the therapeutic vibrational qualities) of herbs were valued for healing. By attuning themselves to the energetic vibrations of plants, the Lemurians were able to discern their healing properties. They realized that sage can help to dissolve energy blockages resulting from negative thought patterns, trauma and shock, which is why it was traditionally used as a cleansing herb. (In contrast, modern day herbalists use herbs according to their pharmacological properties: sage has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and is commonly used to relieve period pain and menopausal problems.) Sage was also burned as an offering to the four comers of the Earth – north, south, east and west – in a purification ceremony that is still practised by Native Americans.

In Indonesia the tradition of being able to sense the vibrations emitted by plants and herbs survives today. Typically the healer enters a state of meditation or mindfulness to increase his sensitivity to the vibrational qualities of a plant. Simultaneously he develops a capacity to sense sickness or disharmonious patterns within the physical body. This enables him match the appropriate herb to the vibrational flaw in the body.

According to myth, Lemuria gave way to Atlantis, a civilization which became far more technologically advanced than its predecessor.

It has been suggested that vibrational healing has its true origins in Atlantean culture. Numerous flower essences, gem remedies and homeopathic remedies were developed to treat illnesses that emerged for the first time in Atlantis.

The Atlanteans would have been aware that the energy of sunlight has a profound influence on all living cells. By creating flower essences and gem elixirs they were able to fuse the vibrations of nature with the subtle energetic properties of sunlight.

The Atlanteans are particularly famed for their knowledge of the healing power of crystals: they knew that the colours produced when sunlight passes through a crystalline prism can be used for healing purposes. Some speculate that crystals were grown artificially to achieve specific qualities and sizes for different uses such as laser surgery. A number of crystalline devices were utilized in the diagnosis as well as the treatment of disease.

Legend has it that when Atlantis crumbled, survivors fled to other parts of the globe taking with them their knowledge of vibrational healing. This is why different peoples throughout the world share similar healing philosophies and practices.

ANCIENT EGYPT

The power of Ancient Egyptian healer-physicians is legendary. According to Homer, the Greek historian and storyteller, their skills in medicine exceeded those of any others. There is little doubt that they knew of the therapeutic power of vibrational healing.

To understand the Ancient Egyptian approach to healing, we need to know a little about their view of man and his place in the universe. To the Ancient Egyptians, everything was interlinked. Man was a microcosm of the universe, which was charged with subtle energy currents: the cosmic ‘uranian’ forces and the subterranean ‘telluric’ forces. Like the Ancient Chinese philosophers, the Ancient Egyptians were intrigued by the relationship between Earth and the cosmos, and great emphasis was placed upon establishing a connection with the sun and stars. They regarded this link as fundamental to a sense of wellbeing.

All the temples in Ancient Egypt were aligned to particular stars and all the sacred buildings were of cosmic design. Great pyramids and obelisks were built to reach up to the heavens. The pyramidal points of these awe-inspiring constructions were capped with gold or electrum to reflect the sun’s rays across the land. It is said that great quartz crystals were placed on the top of certain pyramids which scattered coloured rays in different directions.

The sun was worshipped as a god named Ra. The Ancient Egyptians knew that light rays emitted by the sun are essential for life on Earth. They undoubtedly recognized the healing power of its component colours, too. There were healing temples of light and colour at Heliopolis in Egypt as well as in early Greece, China and India.

The Ancient Egyptians referred to medicine and healing as ‘the necessary art’ and it was clearly designed to cater for the mind, body and spirit.

Originally all cures were thought to have been revealed by the gods and interpreted by Thoth, god of medicine and science, and author of a 42-volume encyclopedia which was part of the great library at Alexandria.

Throughout the ancient world the ability to heal or practise medicine was usually either a gift, or a vocation handed down from father to son or from master to pupil.

In Ancient Egypt there were various classes of healers. The most highly regarded medicine was temple medicine. Training was strict and secrecy was imposed to preserve knowledge. The most renowned of all the Egyptian healers was Imhotep, whose powers were so extraordinary that he became one of the most popular deities of healing. Born about 3000 BC, during the reign of King Zoser, Imhotep was a sage and scribe, astronomer, magician, physician and architect of the famous step-pyramid of Sakkara, near Memphis.

Some physicians were skilled in the art of healing with their hands, one of the most ancient and traditional techniques of amplifying and transmitting energy. Some temple healers were capable of tapping into telluric and cosmic forces and directing them by sweeping their hands over the patient’s body, without touching him or her. This healing process is depicted in bas-reliefs. In the villages there were bonesetters who could heal simple fractures and sprains simply by laying their hands on the wounded parts.

There is little doubt that the Ancient Egyptians also harnessed the healing power of flowers. They did, after all, perfect the art of aromatherapy and so it is likely that they used flower remedies in other ways too.

ANCIENT GREECE

Many currents of Ancient Egyptian thought found their way to Ancient Greece. Pythagoras and Hippocrates both spoke of healing energies: Pythagoras said that a central fire in the universe was the prime cause of creation and that from this originated all healing energy. Hippocrates called this healing energy ‘vis medicatrix naturae’. Around 500 BC the Pythagoreans were the first to record the aura as a luminous body.

Asklepios was the personification of divine healing powers and the guardian of patients. He gave and preserved health and relieved disease, by wiping away illness with his hands or just touching the patient. He built temples in places of extraordinary natural beauty so that patients would be nurtured by the harmonious energies of their surroundings. These sanctuaries were safe, tranquil places in which the individual could explore the centre of his being: those who wished to be healed were expected to rectify their way of life and ultimately take responsibility for their own wellbeing.

Music played an important part in healing rituals. Both Plato and Aristotle tell us that the Ancient Greeks developed the theory that sound in the form of music or tone can have a healing effect. There are tales of Greek musicians who could recognize a person by their unique note or sound, and of great healers who could tune into the inner harmony of a patient, then play one note on a lyre which totally healed him or her.

Pythagoras established that there is a strong connection between the senses and music, and that sound contributes ‘greatly to health if used in an appropriate manner’. He combined and composed ‘diatonic, chromatic and enharmonic melodies’ with particular rhythms, and the positive vibrations of these melodies alleviated negative emotions, especially sorrow, rage, pity, pride and anger. Unfortunately we have no idea what this music sounded like.

Aristotle reported that flute music could stimulate the emotions and release pent-up tension. Casiodorus believed that Aeolian music could treat mental disorders and help to induce sleep, while Lydian music was suitable for children and could ‘soothe the soul when oppressed with excessive care’.

NATIVE WISDOM

Scattered across the globe are tribespeople who believe that everything in nature possesses a spirit or kind of energy.

SHAMANISM

Shamanism dates back thousands of years and embraces this notion. The principles of shamanism are common to many cultures including the Native Indians of North and South America, the people of Tibet and Indonesia, the Australian Aborigines, the Laplanders of the Arctic Circle, the Altai of Siberia, and many tribes throughout Africa.

These people share the belief that it is important to establish good relationships with the nature spirits if you wish to be healthy in mind, body and spirit. The shaman, or medicine man or woman, is a highly revered member of the community blessed with the special gift of being able to communicate with the nature spirits and call upon their help to heal the sick. Traditionally, through rhythmic dancing and drumming, the shaman enters a trance in which he is able to contact these spirits. Typically the medicines he uses are energetically charged stones and energy-purifying plants. By working with the subtle energies of nature the shaman is practising a form of vibrational healing.

Whilst the shamanic ideal of living in harmony with nature is shared by different cultures, each has evolved their own way of doing this.

In many South American cultures the planet Earth is given the name pachamama, meaning sacred Earth mother. Pachamama is a living being with physical, astral and spiritual bodies, which interconnect. She is a nurturer, and a spiritual mother who holds the secrets of the Universe within her.

The Ancient Incas of Peru referred to the Earth energies as the Apus. The Apus guard the Earth and when a person is born they take responsibility for his or her development. They are the intermediaries between humans and the Earth. The Inca shamans worked with these energies or spirits for guidance, resolution of disputes and all healing.

The Q’ueros are a Quechua speaking people living in the mist-shrouded mountains of south central Peru. They are the descendants of Incan high priests or shaman and the keepers of ancient mystical traditions. They have managed to keep their cultural and spiritual beliefs alive, untainted by the influences of the outside world, for over 400 years. One of these traditions is the despacho ceremony, where offerings are made to pachamama, in thanks and honour of her energies.

The Q’ueros speak of two realities: the panya and the yoqe. Panya is everything associated with the ordinary world or physical reality; yoqe is all that belongs to the extraordinary world or the invisible reality – the enigma of the energies that are present in all beings: people, animals, plants and stones. They refer to the subtle energy that exists in all people as animu. At birth this energy, which comes from pachamama, enters the body through the top of the head.

All the skills that the Q’ueros priests or shamans (known as pago) learn are to do with the harmonious interplay of energies. The shaman’s gift is the ability to heal his people’s relationship with the cosmic forces in ways that bring harmony and balance into their lives.

Q’uyas are power stones are used by the Pag’o shamans for healing. Each stone holds energies placed there by nature, and the most powerful come from areas very high in the Andes where lightning strikes the Earth. As well as having their own energies, each stone is endowed with a healing function by the shaman. They can be used to cleanse heavy energetic vibrations from the body arising from negative thoughts and feelings.

ANIMAL ENERGY

The South American Indians regard contact with animal guardians as especially important for healing and restoring harmonious relationships with Father Sky, Mother Earth and all the elements. Guidance, strength and knowledge is gained from tuning in to animal spirits or subtle energies.

In the jungles of eastern Peru there are shamans who use a mind-expanding jungle vine called ayahuasca in their ceremonies. This visionary plant expands awareness in such a way that it enables the shamans to see and hear animal spirits in their visions. The spirits of snakes, tigers, jaguars, eagles, condors, crocodiles or dolphins usually present themselves: these animals are believed to possess special energies that can cure the sick. Ayahuasca also helps to release negative vibrations held in the body as a result of destructive thought processes and all forms of trauma.

NEGATIVE VIBRATIONS

In shamanic traditions there is much reference to evil spirits which prey on mental, emotional and vital energy. These energy parasites are often nothing more sinister than our own negative thought patterns.

An ancient Tibetan myth (originating from the Bon religion) recounts the origin of negativity and the causes of illness. It tells of five demons which manifest five poisons (actually referred to in this religion as the five passions): ignorance, jealousy, pride, attachment and hatred. The Tibetan shamans communicate with the disturbed spirits, especially the five great demons, to persuade them not to create problems and confusion.

The Tibetan shamans see illness as an energy imbalance that humans create between themselves and all existence. Humans disturb the spirits of the five elements – space, air, fire, water and earth – the four seasons, and the spirits of nature – sky, sun, moon, mountains, rocks, rivers and plants. We do this by digging up the earth, polluting the air, rivers and lakes, and so forth.

The shaman determines whether a person has an energetic imbalance or is being provoked by negative energy (or a demonic spirit). He then performs purification rituals: he summons powerful life force energy from all over the universe and condenses it into syllables which he speaks, and introduces into the disturbed person’s heart through her crown chakra (located on the crown of the head), to strengthen her life force. The life force may also be revived by recanting a mantra (words of natural power) of the life deity, which calls upon the blessings of the buddhas, the magic power of all the spirit protectors and guardians.

The shamans of the Altai people living in Siberia refer to vital energy or life force as chula. They see chula as one of nine souls, and as important for health and normal development. It is thought that a person with a predisposition to openness is vulnerable to evil spirits or negative energies which may ‘steal their chula’. When this happens the life force is weakened and the person becomes sick. The shaman can perform soul retrieval rites which rekindle the life force and restore the patient’s health and wellbeing.

INDIA

Over 5,000 years ago wise men or yogis living in the remote Himalayan mountains spoke of a universal energy. Known as prana, this energy is still seen by yogis as the basic constituent of all life. Prana, the breath of life, moves through all things and brings vitality to them. The yogis were aware that this energy is affected by different forms of vibrations. Their ancient Sanskrit language is actually comprised of words which set up a sympathetic vibration in the body. The word for tiger, for example, houses the essential energy of the tiger. When they spoke this word, people would be calling upon the spirit or energy of the animal.

The yogis developed a system of natural medicine known as Ayurveda, whose principles have spread throughout Asia and has been handed down from generation to generation. It is still alive today and has recently kindled much interest in the Western world.

One of the oldest Ayurvedic practices is chanting and reciting silent mantras. The repetition of sacred sounds maintains and promotes wellbeing in mind, body and spirit, because of the effect on the body’s energy systems.

The ancient texts of Indian yogic literature describe various energy systems associated with the body. According to the sages the physical body is energized and coordinated by an energetic subtle body called the etheric body. Within this etheric body are vital energy centres known as chakras, which are linked with each other and the nervous system by lines of life force. The chakras gather and hold different forms of energy, and can alter their vibrations so that they can be used for different healing purposes.

Chanting conditions the chakras so that energy flows smoothly throughout the body. When the body’s energies are balanced and free-flowing, the mind is still. When the mind is free of distracting thoughts and the disruptive effects of emotions such as anxiety, fear and guilt, it is possible to enjoy greater access to the soul or higher self. In other words, meditative techniques for bringing peace of mind also revitalize and rebalance the body’s energies. The yogis also discovered that certain movements and body positions encourage prana to flow through the body. Yoga is the classical example of this ancient form of energizing exercise.

FAR EASTERN PHILOSOPHIES

Common to Eastern medical and mystical tradition is the idea that the universe is a living organism, a rhythmic vibrational field, infused and permeated with life force. During the third millennium BC the Ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism emerged which holds that every living organism, as well as the universe itself, is infused and permeated with a rhythmic vibrational energy known as qi or chi. The Japanese call this energy ki, and in India it is referred to as prana.

Taoism teaches that if man lives in harmony with the laws of nature, his whole system will be balanced mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually, because qi will flow freely and evenly through the body.

Problems arise when we consider ourselves to be separate and superior to nature. Nowadays processed and over-refined foods, polluted air and a lack of healthy exercise often distance us from the natural way of life and stifle qi. Emotional stress, an over-indulgent or frenetic lifestyle, injury and illness also block the flow of vital energy. The Taoists suggest that energy imbalances are responsible for us becoming susceptible to emotional upsets such as anger, irritability, sadness and fear. These negative feelings can weaken bodily systems and make us vulnerable to disease.

The early Eastern philosophers devised ways of promoting the free-flow of energy to preserve wellbeing and instil peace of mind. Exercise regimes based on slow, rhythmic movements such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong were devised to balance qi. Today millions of people in China and Japan perform these slow moving, free-flowing movements as part of their daily routine. Various types of massage to encourage the swift and even movement of qi have also been developed. As in India, meditative techniques such as chanting were found to affect qi. In Japan there is also an ancient tradition of drumming which opens up the chakras and stimulates the flow of ki energy.