Psychic Sound Monuments

In the March edition of Popular Archaeology an article was published linking the construction of ancient monuments to create particular frequency range of sounds to induce altered states of consciousness and certain manipulations in sound effects.

The past few years has seen a surge in the creation of precision instruments thanks to explorations in the quantum realm, and exciting revelations have been made by altering light into sound, and sound into light.These include the creation of music from supernovas in Mickey Hart's project Rhythms of the Universe, to the subtle frequencies physicists have found beaming from pyramids around the world, and the possibilities of Stonehenge being designed for accoustic interferance to create a "magical auditory illusion.

The article begins by highlighting research of the subterranean, "6,000 year-old stone complex known as the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum on the island of Malta." The "underground" of the Safieni phase in Maltese history was estimated to be carved out of "2,000 tons of stone," by means that traditional archaeologist believe "with hammers and antler picks." The beauty of this three-leveled structure is that words and sound emitted in certain locations can be clearly heard throughout, and scientists are now suggesting that certain vibratory frequencies actually alter brain function.

Those familiar with shamanic practices and sound healing, or anyone who has every been to a live concert, particularly the improvisational sonic journeys of jam bands and the repetitive beats of the electronica-tribal culture, will not be surprised at this. Though the the researchers neglect to study the so-called "Theta Range" of 4-10 Hz (cycles per second) that are utilized by shamanic cultures to enter the theta state of consciousness (a state that is utilized for journeying due to its altered effects on consciousness), or the other subtle ranges that have been monitored in the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid of Giza; their findings are noteworthy none-the-less.

According to Linda Eneix of the Old Temples Study Foundation, an expert on the Malta temple, they monitored regional brain activity of volunteers with EEGs and their exposure to different sound frequencies. They found that, "at 110 Hz the patterns of activity over the prefrontal cortex abruptly shifted, resulting in a relative deactivation of the language center and temporary shifting from left to right-sided dominance related to emotional processing and creativity… it appears that an atmosphere of resonant sound in the frequency of 110 or 111 Hz would have been 'switching on' an area of the brain that bio-behavioral scientists believe relates to mood, empathy, and social behavior. Deliberately or not, the people who spent time in such an environment… were exposing themselves to vibrations that may have actually impacted their thinking."

New findings at the ceremonial center at "Chavín de Huántar, in the central highlands of Peru, practiced a fine art and science of manipulating sound with architecture to produce desired sensory effects. With the assistance of architectural form and placement, and sounds emitted from conch-shell trumpets, the 'oracle' of Chavín de Huántar 'spoke' to the ancient center's listeners." A central duct built into the connecting area of the Lanzon monolith, a sacred statue depicting the main deity of the ancient Chavín culture, with "an open-air place of ceremonial activity" known at the Circular Plaza was designed to amplify sound. Though "the reasons for the acoustic configurations are not entirely understood," studies indicate that the frequency range intentionally induce auditory hallucinations.

Another site referenced is that of Göbekli Tepe in southern Turkey, which dates to about 10,000 B.C. Believed to be built by "hunter-gatherers" on a hilltop in an area believed to be the transitional site of agricultural development and domesticated livestock, "it consists of 20 round stone-built structures." Excavations revealed "massive, T-shaped, standing limestone pillars." At the center of the circular shrine, a "limestone pillar 'sings' when smacked with the flat of the hand," and the structure itself is apparently "made to represent a human with a decorated belt and hands carved in relief at its waits, it bears unexplained symbols in the area of the throat."

Symbolic of the power of the human voice?

If archeologist incorporated the depictions of mythology and legend documented by anthropologists, like those rich in Egypt and corresponding with the building of pyramids, they may find important keys to activating these structures that are more than just elaborate designs of an aesthetic value, but actual "living" constructs designed to harness the bio-rhythmic machines of human beings. For now archaeology is stuck on the mystery of how cultures entirely disconnected have developed such similarities in ceremonial structures. The key lies in the biology of the human experience, and the uniformed knowledge understood by all shamanic cultures and expressed through all of the worlds religions and mythology, and that is of the power and interconnection of sound and reality, the vibratory pattern that sparked the motion of the universe, whether it is "the Word of God," or AUM.

Image: "Electrified Void" by Chris Kaplan