What Does Science Say About Sound Healing?

Sound healing has been practiced for centuries, and scientific research into its effects is growing.

While studies are still emerging, there’s already a growing body of evidence suggesting that sound can enhance health & wellbeing.

What the Research Suggests So Far

While experiences vary from person to person (and even session to session), studies suggest that sound-based practices may:

• Reduce feelings of stress, tension, and anxiety

• Support mood, resilience, and social connection

• Encourage relaxation and emotional release

• Ease the perception of pain, including in chronic conditions

• Lower heart rate and blood pressure

• Improve sleep quality

• Support breathing and respiratory health (asthma, COPD)

These effects are not guaranteed — but they help explain why many people report leaving a sound session feeling calmer, lighter, or more at peace.

If you'd like to go deeper into the studies and research, I've listed some key papers and books below. This isn't a fully inclusive list of the texts out there, but it's a starting point and you're welcome to share any useful references with me via foundinsoundappointments@gmail.com and I'll get them added to here for the benefits of all readers and therapists.

Singing Bowls

Singing bowls — whether metal or crystal — are among the most studied sound healing instruments.

• A 2017 study (Goldsby et al.) found that one session of singing bowl meditation reduced tension, fatigue, depression, and anger, while enhancing wellbeing.

• Landry (2014) showed bowl meditation could lower blood pressure and heart rate, supporting cardiovascular relaxation.

Other research suggests benefits for anxiety and even improved cognitive function in people with cancer.

Sound massage is a related practice where bowls are placed on or around the body so their vibrations can be directly felt. Early studies suggest this may help ease tension and encourage relaxation, though more research is needed.

The Voice

Your voice may be the most powerful sound healing tool you carry.

• Chanting OM activates the relaxation response, calming brain activity and the nervous system (Lazar et al., 2000).

• Humming increases nitric oxide in the sinuses (Puhan et al., 2006), supporting immunity, circulation, and respiratory health.

• Group singing reduces depression and loneliness while enhancing social connection and resilience (Kreutz et al., 2004; Fancourt et al., 2016).

• Singing practices also support breathing and lung function in people with asthma and COPD.

Practitioner texts like Jonathan Goldman’s The Humming Effect and Githa Ben-David’s The Ultimate Book on Vocal Sound Healing describe how toning and intuitive singing can release energy blockages and bring balance.

Gongs Although gongs haven’t been studied as extensively as bowls, they are central to many sound healing traditions and practitioner training.

• Participants often report deep relaxation and emotional release following gong baths.

• Gongs produce a broad spectrum of frequencies — from deep low vibrations that can be felt in the body, to shimmering high overtones that engage the mind. This may explain why many describe them as especially powerful for “resetting” the system.
  

While formal studies are still needed, the principles overlap with vibroacoustic therapy (low-frequency penetration of tissues) and entrainment (the body syncing with rhythm). Drumming

Drumming connects rhythm with physiology, and research highlights its benefits:

• A study by the Royal College of Music showed that community drumming improved mental health and reduced depression.

• Research by Fancourt et al. (2016) found that group drumming lowered cortisol (the stress hormone), boosted mood, and increased social resilience in mental health service users.

• Other studies suggest that drumming can enhance immune function and elevate pain thresholds, making it a promising tool for resilience and recovery.

Vibroacoustic Therapy (with low-frequency sound)

Vibroacoustic therapy (VAT) delivers low-frequency sound (usually 30–120 Hz) directly into the body via specialised chairs, mats, or beds.

• Research shows VAT can reduce muscle tension and pain, with some trials reporting pain reductions of up to 53%.

• Randomised controlled trials (Punkanen et al., 2017) suggest it can also help manage depression and psychosomatic disorders.

• VAT has been used clinically to support conditions such as arthritis and chronic pain.
  

While gongs and large drums have not been studied in the same way, they also produce deep low-frequency vibrations that travel through the body. The principle is similar: low-frequency sound penetrates muscles and tissues, creating strong vibrational effects that many participants describe as grounding and deeply relaxing. More research is needed to confirm these parallels but anecdotally, it's something we see in our sound sessions.

Tuning Forks

Tuning forks provide precise, targeted frequencies that can be placed on or around the body. Practitioners often use them on bones, joints, or energy centres, and some case studies report improvements in pain, circulation, and relaxation.

Eileen McKusick’s Tuning the Human Biofield documents how forks interact with the body’s subtle energy field. Formal clinical trials are limited, but forks remain popular tools for practitioners who value their clarity and focus.

Sound Healing In General

Beyond specific instruments, broader studies and reviews show that sound can have wide-ranging effects.

• Systematic reviews (Nieuwenhuijsen et al., 2017) show that sound exposure affects stress, cardiovascular health, and overall wellbeing.

• Movalled et al. (2023) reviewed sound in pregnancy, finding evidence that fetuses respond physiologically — underlining the importance of caution with very loud or low-frequency exposure.

• More generally, research links sound and music therapies with neuroplasticity, emotional regulation, and trauma recovery.

It’s worth remembering: sound healing is both science and art. Some people are drawn to the mysticism and spirituality of sound — others to the measurable, physical effects. This blog focuses on the research side, helping add credibility to a therapy that is sometimes mocked by the medical field for its lack of evidence. While it remains unregulated, the body of research is growing every year.

Foundational texts deepen this picture, including Hazrat Inayat Khan’s The Mysticism of Sound and Music, Farhana Ali’s Sound Healing: Vibrational Healing with Ancient Sound and Modern Science, Eileen McKusick’s Tuning the Human Biofield, Sheila Whittaker’s Sound Healing with Gongs, Jain Wells’s Gong Consciousness, and Mitchell Gaynor’s The Healing Power of Sound.

Where to Learn More/ Train:

If you’d like to explore sound therapy further, or even train in sound healing, here are some websites to explore:

• British Academy of Sound Therapy (Training)

• IPHM (International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine) - Governing Body

• Simone Salvatici: simonesalvatici.com  (Training)

• Anne Malone Sound Healing Training

• Sound Healing Academy (Training)

• College of Sound Healing  (Training)

• Sheila Whittaker (College of Sound Healing Gong Training)

• Don Conreaux Gong Master Training

• Complementary Medical Association (CMA)

• International Therapeutic Sound Association (ITSA)- Sound Governing Body

• Jain Wells Gong Workshops & Gong Consciousness book

References

• Ali, F. (2020). Sound Healing: Vibrational Healing with Ancient Sound and Modern Science.

• Ben-David, G. (2017). The Ultimate Book on Vocal Sound Healing.

• Conreaux, D. (2019). The Way of the Gong.

• Fancourt, D., et al. (2016). Group drumming modulates cortisol, mood, and resilience. PLoS ONE, 11(3).

• Gaynor, M. L. (2002). The Healing Power of Sound. Shambhala.

• Goldman, J. & Goldman, A. (2017). The Humming Effect. Healing Arts Press.

• Goldsby, T. L., et al. (2017). Effects of singing bowl meditation on mood, tension, and well-being. J Evid-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 22(3).

• Khan, H. I. (1923/1996). The Mysticism of Sound and Music. Shambhala.

• Kreutz, G., et al. (2004). Does singing promote well-being? Music Perception, 22(1).

• Landry, J. M. (2014). Physiological and psychological effects of Tibetan singing bowl sound meditation: A pilot study. Am J Health Promot, 28(5).

• Lazar, S. W., et al. (2000). Functional brain mapping of the relaxation response. NeuroReport, 11(7).

• McKusick, E. D. (2014). Tuning the Human Biofield. Healing Arts Press.

• Movalled, K., et al. (2023). The impact of sound stimulations during pregnancy on fetal development: A review. BMC Pediatrics, 23.

• Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., et al. (2017). Noise pollution and human health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Environmental Health, 16.

• Punkanen, M., et al. (2017). Vibroacoustic therapy in the treatment of depression: A randomized controlled trial. Nordic J Music Therapy, 26(2).

• Puhan, M. A., et al. (2006). Singing training for asthma: A controlled trial. Eur Respir J, 27(3).

• Wells, J. (2015). Gong Consciousness: Self-Healing Through the Power of Sound.

• Whittaker, S. (2012). Sound Healing with Gongs: A Gong Book for Beginners.