Written by Jaron Pearlman   

Over the centuries ancient knowledge is lost, misinterpreted, or suppressed by the powers that be. Many ideologies and arts that were meant to provide insight into the great questions of existence have become means of control, methodology that leads to war, and extremist doctrines.

But by looking deeper into some subjects, such as world religion and music, common ties can be found that link the myriad of human culture to all its global incarnations and even to modern science. Ancient peoples from around the world had a deeper understanding of man’s role in the universe than they are given credit for, and these insights likely being intentionally ignored or censored by modern rhetoric.

One of the most notable examples of this is known under the moniker of Musica Universalis (or the Quadrivium), the theory that musical laws underlie all physical reality. Since the dawn of civilization sound and music have been integral to human development, likely even more intensely than we realize.

An Englishman named Robert Hooke, explored one of these great re-discoveries in 1680.

Hooke found that by pouring sand onto a thin glass plate and running a cello bow across it, that said sand would arrange itself into even geometric patterns. These patterns changed according to the frequency of vibration the bow generated onto the glass, recreating beautiful, perfectly geometric arrangements. The sand itself stayed in perpetual motion, but never left the design imposed by the bow’s influence.

Hooke deduced that the higher the note from the bow the more intricate the patterns became, and the louder the sound from the bow the more fervent the movement of the sand.

Several centuries later in the 1970s, Swiss MD Hans Jenny continued Hooke’s work with the use of modern speakers, metals, and various liquids. By placing a speaker under a metal diaphragm with powders on it (or a container filled with various liquids) he bore witness to the same phenomenon as Hooke had. Patterns erupted from these mediums in congruence with the sound generated underneath them.

Jenny coined the term ‘Cymatics’ to describe his study of sound vibration’s effect on physical matter.

But these discoveries were far from new. In fact, African, Middle Eastern, Grecian, Far Eastern, and North/South/Central American civilizations dating back nearly a millennium have documented evidence showing their use of Cymatics- by sprinkling sand on a drum head or powders on thin wooden/metal diaphragms.

Da Vinci, Galileo, and the father of acoustics Ernst Chladni also studied Cymatic patterns with the use of resonant chambers and metal plates.

Many of these esteemed individuals also noted that the Cymatic patterns made had even wider appeal than perfect Euclidian geometry.

They encompass so much more; having potential to create the pattern on a turtle’s shell, to the shape of a flower, to exoskeletal designs, to a snowflake, to pieces of ancient lettering in Hebrew or Sanskrit, to religious symbols like the Celtic knot, Mandalas, the Sri Yantra, Om, the Star of David, several versions of the Cross/Ankh, or Swastika (gammadion cross).

In fact, cymatic patterns can even resemble the axial view of our own bioorganic DNA! The double helix when viewed from above has an intricate geometric form akin to the very patterns created by sound and sand in Hooke and Jenny’s experiments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtiSCBXbHAg

What does that mean though? How can a simple experiment illustrating the effect of vibration upon physical mass tell us about the confusing reality we exist in?

Consider Hooke’s diagnosis of Cymatics. A waveform of energy is aimed at a medium- in Hooke’s case the sound from the bow is aimed at a glass plate. The plate has stagnant matter on it, unorganized and lifeless, our “sand”.

As the sound wave hits Hooke’s glass plate (the medium) it physically moves it in a precise way that jostles the sand into perfect mathematical parameters. The pattern is consistent even though the sand is now moving constantly, full of life.

The more powerful the energy from the bow, the more the sand jumps about. The more frequent the energy waveforms from the bow the more complex the pattern of the jubilant sand.

To understand the underlying physics, it should be noted that the sound creating this phenomenon behaves like any sort of energy. Light, electromagnetism, and sound can all be expressed in waves- a series of peaks and troughs just like a wave in a body of water.

Though conventional waveforms are expressed in an X/Y diagram (where X is time and Y is units of measurement), they are three dimensional in reality. This means that energy waves extend to all sides, both up and down, and vary given their environment and what is around them.



An analogy to a body of water works well to explain this. Imagine that a rock is thrown at an acute angle at a lake. The energy from the rock displaces water on impact, creating waves of water in all directions. The resulting waves, however, are not all equal. Waves made in the direction the rock was headed before impact are undoubtedly smaller and more violent, with pent up energy that will take several moments to settle. Waves made in the opposite direction of the rock’s trajectory will be elongated and relatively passive, returning to the water’s regular level more gracefully.

Imagine as well that you are in the body of water- depending on where you may be the waves that hit you will be inherently different, even though they all come from the same source. If you did not see the rock’s impact you may interpret the source of resulting waves very differently.

In the broader metaphor, this simply explains relativity. Energy can be perceived in infinite ways depending on position, conditions, and medium. When said wave of displaced water hits are you in front of it? To the side of it? Behind a nearby shelter? Are you neck deep or ankle deep? The perception of one observer is always different than the next because the perceived energies themselves are literally different.

Its crucial to remember that energy is physical and the same laws affect waveforms as mass. Think of the Doppler Effect:

There are two observers on the street, several blocks apart. An ambulance comes by, its sirens blazing passing observer one (O1) and then observer two (O2). Of course O1 notices the sirens high-pitched howl first, long before their peer down the street. As the siren passes, O1 hears the intense high wail of the moving ambulance slow down and lower in pitch as the vehicle moves down the street.

Halfway between the two observers O2 hears the siren for the first time. What O2 hears is the high-pitched wail O1 heard initially, not the low, long version O1 currently hears. Once again observers perceive the same energy in two varying ways depending on circumstance.

This is because the sound (energy) wave emitted from the siren is being crushed against the ambulance as it moves forward, shortening the waveforms and making them smaller-thus higher-pitched and shorter. The sound behind the ambulance is being sucked into a vacuum from displaced air as the vehicle moves forward and is thereby elongated, stretched if you will, thus sounding lower in pitch.

This also means that both observers will hear the ambulance much longer after it passes them than during its approach, because the sound waves left behind are physically longer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4OnBYrbCjY

Given this, lets explore the role of mediums for energy transfer. Water is again an excellent tool for explanation. When sound is transmitted underwater it takes on different properties. When someone speaks underwater they sound muted, with only the lower tones showing through. This is due to the density of water being higher than air, and it only allowing longer, lower energy waves to pass through it. Shorter, higher waves are snuffed out much faster in water than air, creating a sound that has all the smaller (higher) waves filtered out. Only long, more powerful waves carry through the density of water- whereas in air higher-pitched sounds are less inhibited.

Other mediums affect energies as well. Helium, for example, is lighter than air. Thus it’s too weak to hold onto low tones and elevates only the high waveforms it can carry, making our voices sound comically small!

This applies to all energies. A medium must be present for energy transfer to happen. For sound, the process works by a sound wave vibrating nearby air particles. Those particles in turn vibrate each other and pass the energy along (like a game of telephone). Eventually the energy runs out at a certain distance and is no longer audible.

Should a listener be in range, the vibrating air molecules make their way to the ear where they are converted to electrical impulses for translation in the brain. Without a medium, energy remains stagnant and can’t swing from particle to particle to any destination.

The logic applied here also indicates that though outer space is relatively empty compared to an atmospheric environment, it is not a perfect vacuum. Subatomic particles, atoms, and even molecules abound in space serve as a medium for light waves, electromagnetic waves, and sound waves. The only catch is the waves have to be long (low) enough to reach their next destination.

Which brings the discussion to its next point- there is an incredibly limited range of energy human beings are able to readily perceive. Sound, light, and electromagnetism all exist in spectrums that are far wider than what we can hear, see, or feel. Energy waveforms can be too small for us to perceive (like gamma rays or gigahertz), others too large (like infrared or radio waves). To perceive these waves human beings need special tools, and to utilize them special applications.

Without a shadow of a doubt, there is a universe beyond our senses that is so astoundingly full of energy and potential- yet mankind can’t naturally see, hear, or feel it conventionally.

The connection of all this to music lays in a formal definition of music itself. For our purposes let’s say that: ‘Music is organized sound- arranged in a series of patterns that reflect fractional rhythms and algorithmic, intervallic harmonies.’

For a musical note, or any waveform to be created there are several anatomical factors that must be present. First there is the zero point, or node (akin to the level of undisturbed water mentioned before). This is where vibration begins, illustrating there is energy to be released somewhere.

At the top of the waveform (the crest of the wave) is the fundamental- the purest, most powerful, and most accurate representation of the conveyed energy.

Following the fundamental is the trough, the inverse of the fundamental, which sends residual energy onto the next waveform. Waves in water still illustrate these properties very well.

Finally there are harmonics, semi complete versions of the fundamental that are expressed between the nodes, fundamentals, and troughs. These forms are in the process of developing into the fundamental, or are degrading after the fundamental. They are also algorithmically related to the frequency (of vibration) housed in the fundamental. Keep in mind that the fundamental includes all harmonics when it manifests.



In this view, we can interpret energies (sound or otherwise) as a series of mathematical interactions wherein each part is directly related to the whole.

For musical instruments, the variation of waveform harmonics is what creates timbre, or tone color. They are the reason a concert ‘A’ sounds different on a guitar, a piano, or a trombone.

Make no mistake however- this is beyond the conventional twelve tone musical scale, it simply abides by the same algorithmic principles as musicality.

For the universal connection to music there is one more factor to tie all this information together. When waves interact with each other there are many outcomes. A wave that meets its opposite will cancel out, causing a deficit in energy transfer. Two waves that have nothing in common will likely pass each other with little confusion.

But when two waves match up they create a standing wave. These ‘standing’ waves if perpetual will rise in power, goading each other on into an energy loop of whatever force they consist of. This is the principle behind resonance.

In a chamber where standing waves occur, musical notes can be created and held for any determined amount of time.

A cello for instance has a sound wave generated from the bow and strings. The wave travels inside the instrument and hits the back wall- reflecting in such a way that it compounds with the initial sound wave and projects outward for all the world to hear.

Without the prospect of a standing wave in the cello it would have very little volume (much like an unplugged electric guitar). The quality of an instrument’s make can often be judged by how accurately it resonates; Stradivarius violins for example are well known for their perfect resonant construction.

When waves cross each other’s paths, like in the cello scenario, they exchange energy at the points where they intersect. These points are called phi-damping wells and are essentially low pressure zones, acting much like a hurricane or thunderstorm.



As this excess energy is transferred into the phi-well it spirals into a telescopic form it drops down like a tornado would, concentrating itself more and more into a condensed area.

What is amazing is the key points of this descending spiral are not only related to natural archetypes like the Fibonacci sequence and golden ratio (1:1.61) but also acts in a way that can be interpreted mathematically as musical harmonics.

For example, the beginning point of the well may have a ‘tonic’ of 440 wave cycles per second (hz). As the well begins to spiral, its farthest edge will reach 880 cycles, or a musical octave. As the spiral comes back around it is now shorter, and its farthest point becomes (appx) 659 hz, an ‘E’ and a perfect 5th to the initial ‘A’ of the damping well.



This continues as far as the well can carry the displaced energy, creating musical harmonics and intervals.

Again, though these are not musical in the conventional sense that we may think of they do abide by the same laws that create resonance, harmony, and musical intervals.

To elaborate on phi, it becomes pertinent to explain the immense application of this ratio. Phi is a natural ratio based on the Fibonacci sequence, where each number is added to the previous amount (0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34). These numbers reflect everything from the shape of a nautiluses’ shell to the arms of a spiral galaxy (and obviously the damping wells explored before). Phi permeates the shape of an egg, orbital patterns in the cosmos, and even the archetypes for sentient life. Geometric interpretations of phi lead to the creation of the Pyramids, the Greek Parthenon, and the works of countless artists- including even the Mona Lisa.

The mathematical predictability of phi sheds light onto phenomenon like planets aligning in geometrical patterns over time (the Earth/Venus pentagram is especially notable), or the endless loop of crystal or manmade fractals.

https://www.google.com/search?q=golden+spiral+examples&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=8vQOVZGAAsaNNvO5gKAH&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=945&bih=581

https://www.google.com/search?q=golden+spiral+examples&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=8vQOVZGAAsaNNvO5gKAH&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=945&bih=581#rls=en&tbm=isch&q=earth+venus+pentagram

It becomes increasingly obvious that phi itself is a primary source for all we consider natural, harmonic, or normal. So how does it fit in with music- or more importantly, us?

Think once more of Hooke and Jenny’s Cymatics experiments. The energy impressed upon a medium made inanimate sand come to ‘life’. The mediums vibration imposed limits (laws) to where the sand could move but the sand itself stayed in perpetual motion. No doubt this is a small-scale version of what could be interpreted as our own reality.

The universe is chock full of energy. To elaborate, physical matter is literally energy as well.

The famous example illustrating this is singer Ella Fitzgerald shattering a wine glass by matching its resonant frequency with her voice. By creating a wave from her voice that matched the resonant frequency of the glass, she made a standing wave inside of it; that continually summed in power until the glass shattered. All matter has this characteristic. Resonant frequencies exist in people, objects, and even entire planets (Earth’s is though to be approximately 7.83hz at the fundamental).

If energy waveforms interact with matter as they do with each other, one conclusion can be drawn: Matter IS energy condensed.

The phi damping well explains how this is conceivable. When damping wells are examined on a human level they are microscopic compared to the immense tangle of energies in the cosmos. While a phi spiral may be small in the context of what is studied here on Earth, energies and their interactions in space have to potential to be titanic, even totally inconceivable to us down here.

If a long wave of energy, larger and stronger than anyone could imagine, were to cross another and create a damping well, its energy/frequency would be condensed as the spiral moved down and telescoped.

I ascertain from this that physical matter can actually be created as a harmonic, an incomplete version of the massive, pure energetic interactions that created the well.

If hypothetically the universe were a closed space (which is possible even with the prospect of universal expansion/contraction) the entire thing could conceivably be a resonant chamber like a cello, provided there were a sort of energy powerful enough to make it so.

As well as all this, other forms of energies will interact with the creation of a phi-well. Much like Hooke’s bow or Jenny’s speaker, energies abound in the universe and impact a medium (glass/metal sheet/space time/various molecules).

As they hit said mediums they create a definite area in which matter can move about, just as the sand on the glass plate. This could hypothetically be what we call classical physics or the observable universe.

Regardless of theology, this has enormous importance to mankind as inhabitants of the universe. When we hear music we FEEL, but we must understand why.

The deepest reality, the very fabric of our connection to the universe and to each other lies in music. Intervallic ratios and harmony don’t just exist for entertainment; they are for all intents and purposes, US.

No matter if it’s half-tonal, quarter-tonal, major, minor, soothing, aggressive, classical, or contemporary, the underlying laws of music and resonance bind us to our reality and to each other.

What is truly amazing is the detail and level of understanding that ancient peoples had of Cymatics and beyond.

No doubt the concept of many theologies developed as homage to this universal connection, rather than to a dogmatic God.

Though now these epiphanies are swept under the rug, there is nothing that can mute them, negate them, or cause us to truly forget them.