"Sound is life. The sound of God's voice created life, in Christian understanding. In the womb, sound is the first of the senses to apprehend the world beyond the body: a fetus is able to hear their mother's voice, while a chick in the egg hears the song of its parent birds. Hearing is thought to be the last sense to leave us in our dying, and we speak of the silence of the grave."
"Healing has traditionally been associated with sound, from the psychological medicine of a lullaby to the chants of monks and nuns in the early hospitals of monasteries, convents and religious centres. The incantations of shamans are some of the oldest of medicines. Melody and song are understood to have healing qualities, ancient and modern, from gong baths to Brian Eno's album Music for Airports (1978). When something is well, we say it is 'sound'."
Sound is presented as foundational to life and perception. The sound of God's voice is described as creating life. In the womb, hearing is the first sense to apprehend the world beyond the body; a fetus can hear the mother's voice and a chick hears its parent's song. Hearing is often the last sense to leave in dying, linked to the 'silence of the grave.' Healing practices have long used sound, from lullabies and monastic chants to shamanic incantations, gong baths, and ambient music. Well-being is framed as internal harmony, with Navajo 'Singers' restoring balance and attuning individuals to others and the world. Natural soundscapes—rainforests, streams, waterfalls, and birdsong—are depicted as intrinsically healing and as reminders of human embodiment within a plural world-choir.
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