The Impact of Ancient Sounds

Why did ancient peoples, without modern construction equipment, struggle so hard to build huge monuments? These monumental structures are found all over the world, from Easter Island to the pyramids of Egypt. Recent research suggests that they all have a common characteristic: they may have been specially designed to conduct and manipulate sound to produce certain sensory effects. At a time when our May Dreamland Festival is focusing on strange sounds (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to this show and they can ALSO save 10% on Festival tickets), this is exciting news!

For instance, a 2008 study of a massive 6,000-year-old stone structure complex on the island of Malta, created through the removal of an estimated 2,000 tons of stone carved out with stone hammers and antler picks, revealed that low voices within its walls create eerie, reverberating echoes, and a sound made or words spoken in certain places can be clearly heard throughout all of its three levels. Scientists have concluded that certain sound vibration frequencies created when sounds are broadcast within its walls are actually altering the brain functions of people who can hear them. It’s known that alpha waves in the brain, which can be caused by drumming, chanting, dancing, and other ancient shamanic practices, as well as by more modern repetitious prayers, can bring up these waves, which lead to altered, spiritual states.

The Popular Archeology website quotes researcher Linda Eneix as saying, "The findings indicated that at 110 Hz the patterns of activity over the prefrontal cortex abruptly shifted, resulting in a relative deactivation of the language center and a temporary shifting from left to right-sided dominance related to emotional processing and creativity. In addition to stimulating their more creative sides, 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." In other words, the prehistoric people listening to those sounds "were exposing themselves to vibrations that may have actually impacted their thinking."