Noise Pollution
The Hindus maintain that the world is sound and according to the Bible too "In the beginning was the word". Sound is the fundamental principle and we are all vibrating - as are each of our organs - at different frequencies. Some even define health as being like a harmonious chord with all parts of our being being vibrating in harmony.
Click to watch Julian Treasure talking about Sound Health in 8 Steps (7 mins)
In this short talk, Julian Treasure puts the case for your ears being remarkable.
First, they are always hearing - unlike your eyes which are closed during sleep.
We can also hear a wide range of 10 octaves with the loudest sound we can hear being a trillion times louder than the softest sound we can hear.
Also, whilst hearing is passive, listening is an active process and there are two primary listening positions.
The first is reductive listening which is to 'listen for' information. This kind of listening is often employed by men.
The second position is expansive listening which is 'listening with' another and enjoying the journey. This kind of listening may be employed mostly by women.
However, according the European Union, noise also reduces the health of 25% of the population of Europe primarily by preventing sleep and is also held responsible for the deaths of 200,000 Europeans annually.
The problems of headphone use
In addition to environmental noise, many people now regularly wear headphones and this brings three problems:
1. Schizophonia This is a term coined by Murray Schafer to refer to the dislocation induced in the brain when there is a conflict between what you see and what you hear.
2. Compression A lot of data has been removed in order to make music portable and your brain actually has to imagine the missing data which can make people tired and irritable.
3. Noise Induced Hearing Disorders (NIHD) It is estimated that 10 million Americans have a NIHD which affects one-sixth of all US teenagers and one study of college freshmen showed 61% had some degree of headphone-related hearing loss.
Protecting your hearing
Julian Treasure offers 3 solutions:
1. Wear hearing protectors if indicated.
2. Buy good quality earphones. You should be able to hear someone talking to you whilst wearing headphones - otherwise they are on too loud.
3. If exposed to loud noises, don't be frightened to put your fingers in your ears.
The beneficial properties of sound
Healthy sounds are the stochastic, random sounds we have evolved with including the sound of wind, water and birds and the increasingly rare sound of silence is also beneficial.
The various ways that sound can be used to enhance our health therapeutically include:
1. The use of ultrasound in physiotherapy and cancer treatments.
2. Lithiotripsy where sound is used to break stones up in the gallbladder and kidneys so that they can be passed naturally avoiding the need for surgery.
3. Sound healing, which is particularly beneficial in the treatment of dementia and autism.
4. The sound of music made with love which is always healing and restorative.
Finally, he encourages you to:
1. Listen consciously
2. Create sound by playing an instrument or singing
3. Connect with others to make music and
4. To take a stewardship role by protecting others hearing and speaking up when required about noise pollution.
Further resources
"People affected by chronic fatigue syndrome will find the links made by this book between their condition and a range of medical/dental, environmental and emotional factors intriguing and potentially life-changing".
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