PIC No. 17:
• Title: The Humming Effect: Sound Healing for Health and Happiness
• Authors: Jonathan Goldman and Andi Goldman
• Publisher: Healing Arts Press (June 27, 2017, 144 pages)
• Management Bucket #7 of 20: The People Bucket
Welcome to Issue No. 17 of PAILS IN COMPARISON, the value-added sidekick of John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. This blog features my “PICs”—shorter reviews of helpful books—with comparisons to other books in my 20 management buckets (core competencies) filing system.
“Good Vibrations!”
In the riveting book, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, Dr. Atul Gawande reminds us, “People die only once.” That's also my plan, but even at my advanced age perhaps I have a few years left—in spite of seeing my fair share of medical professionals this year. So recently, my radar was on high alert when a trusted friend gave me an unusual book, The Humming Effect: Sound Healing for Health and Happiness.
I had severe pain at the time. (Thank God I’m better today.) The book proposed an unusual approach to improved health—so, of course, I thanked my friend, Meri, and read the book.
Jonathan Goldman and Andi Goldman, the husband and wife “humming team,” have written a very compelling book (did I also mention “unusual”?). How compelling? I gave a copy to my doctor and he bought three more copies for his colleagues. I gave a copy to my favorite physical therapy team—and the PT leader there noticed she already hums frequently! This humming craze is plundering my book budget!
What’s the hypothesis? “The theory is this: The act of humming creates vibrations within the brain that stimulate a plethora of neurochemicals, such as melatonin and nitric oxide, as well as microtubules of different cells in the brain. The vibrational effect stimulates the repair of damaged or diseased cells, the generation of new cells, and the formation of new synaptic pathways. Simply put: it is possible to create new neural networks in the brain through self-created sound such as humming.”
The authors’ aspirations are lofty: “This is the humming hypothesis, and we believe it has great implications with regard to Alzheimer’s, strokes, various head injuries, PTSD, and many other conditions and diseases related to neurological imbalances, as well as an overall state of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. We trust that very soon the power of humming to create positive and beneficial vibrational effects will become recognized and validated by the scientific and medical communities and used to assist the healing process.”
Those hopes are from the 2017 edition of the book—but so far, I’ve not heard of a physician suggesting, “Take two aspirin, hum for five minutes, and then call me in the morning.”
LOL! While the book integrates medicine, brain science and much more—it’s still very readable. The authors inject both humor and substance. In the fascinating chapter, “Our Thoughts Matter,” they interview a doctor about his research on cell membranes. “He also determined that the membrane was highly responsive to environmental stimuli, including both physical and energetic—that is, vibrational factors.” To answer a related question, the doctor sang a chorus of the Beach Boys’ song, “Good Vibrations.” LOL! (I couldn’t resist—so I had to view the BBoys singing it! Click here!)
“Really, John? These authors have sucked you into a new age/Eastern religion mindfulness? I thought you were a Jesus follower?”
I am a Jesus person—and I admit to being Skeptic #1 as I read some of the chapters and relaxation methodologies. But the authors quote two studies demonstrating “that just five minutes of humming can radically reduce stress.” I’m all for that! They add, “It’s that powerful and that simple. So, before you reach for that Xanax, that glass of wine, or whatever you use to unwind, perhaps you’ll take five minutes for a finely tuned sonically prescribed hum.”
Should I keep reading this, I wondered? I often start a book on page 25—my standard for looking for the meat and potatoes (or just potatoes for some!). Bingo! Discussing how sound can heal, the authors point us to “videos of people shattering wine glasses with their voices on YouTube” (see also MythBusters on the Discovery Channel). And then this:
“Remember the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho in the Old Testament? Joshua and his men blew horns and gave a great shout and the walls crumbled.” They add, “With sufficient amplitude, sound is powerful enough to cause any object to shatter when its resonant frequency matches that of the object. This second approach to sound healing focuses on using sound to disintegrate whatever pathogen, malignancy, or energy is causing harm to the body.” (The authors point to a 2013 TEDx talk. Note the disclaimer from TED. Click here.)
My final thoughts? The authors affirm, “And please know that it is not necessary to hold any sort of spiritual or religious beliefs when experimenting with these exercises; they simply are powerful tools for transformation, manifesting via the realm of humming.”
My faith in Jesus Christ does not waver. (Read The Case for Christ.) I believe Jesus is the crucified, buried, and risen Son of God. The Creator knows me and fashioned me. King David said we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” We are made in the image of God—and humming was God’s idea!
Try this at home: Begin humming and then pinch your nostrils shut. (Humming stops!) God designed that system! And the next time you have a stuffy nose? You guessed it: Hum! “It’ll open up your nasal cavity.” (The authors suggest that humming also soothes sore throats.)
Bonus! The book directs you to online audio tracks with humming exercises (no extra charge). So join me—all together now: Hummmmmmmmmm.
PAILS IN COMPARISON: Reading this book reminded me of several other must-read books in the People Bucket, plus other buckets/core competencies. (Note: I slotted The Humming Effect in the People Bucket—because it’s likely that the four social styles (Drivers, Analyticals, Amiables, and Expressives) will each respond differently to the humming protocols. One humming “size” doesn’t fit all! Suggested reading:
• Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, by Atul Gawande (read my review)
• Fit at Last: Look and Feel Better Once and for All, by Ken Blanchard and Tim Kearin (read my review)
• Brain Rules for Work: The Science of Thinking Smarter in the Office and at Home, by John Medina (read my review)
• 7 Seconds to Success: How to Effectively Relate to People in an Instant, by Gary Coffey and Bob Phillips (The 4 Social Styles) - (read my review)
To order from Amazon, click on the title for The Humming Effect: Sound Healing for Health and Happiness, by Jonathan Goldman and Andi Goldman. Listen on Libro.fm (4 hours, 53 minutes). For more book reviews, visit John Pearson’s Buckets Blog and subscribe to Your Weekly Staff Meeting.
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John, I am also a devout Christian.
When I first heard these authors being interviewed
the humming idea sounded strange and I dismissed their concepts.
A bit later, after reading their book, I decided to give humming a try. The change in my energy level has felt amazing and my cardio fitness level has gone from below average 5 months ago to above average for the past 4 months!
Of course, I choose to hum Scripture songs so I receive a double blessing.
Your review is excellent!!!
Posted by: Louise | August 19, 2022 at 09:41 PM