We dedicate this book to each other! It has been a work of deep love, respect, and joy, and we could not have done it without each other. With sincere gratitude and appreciation, we humbly honor the extraordinary relationship we have been blessed with and which has allowed this book to manifest.
THE
HUMMING
EFFECT
At the heart of health and healing is your bodys energies. At the heart of your bodys energies is vibration. The Humming Effect teaches you how to use your capacity to hum to create vibrations that promote health, healing, and higher consciousness. This is a worthy endeavor, and the book guides you on every step of the way. Jonathan and Andi Goldman are pioneers in the healing use of sound, and you are the beneficiary!
DONNA EDEN, AUTHOR OF ENERGY MEDICINE
This magnificent book will teach you new ways of using one of the most extraordinary instruments on the planetyour vocal apparatus. With what evolution has bestowed upon you, you can become a maestro at facilitating your own health, healing, and happiness. No gadgets or expensive technology required.
DAVID FEINSTEIN, PH.D., COAUTHOR OF THE ENERGIES OF LOVE
Hmmmmmmmm. So simple, yet so intricate! Jonathan and Andi Goldman have written a paramount book that reveals the science and art for why creating a humming practice is not only necessary, its fun! Knowledge is power. However, knowledge about yourself is self-empowerment. This book reveals a conscious application for using humming to optimize the health of your mind and body. The Humming Effect is a gift that keeps giving. Enjoy!
DR. DARREN R. WEISSMAN, AUTHOR OF THE POWER OF INFINITE LOVE & GRATITUDE AND DEVELOPER OF THE LIFELINE TECHNIQUE
Since the time of the Indian rishis the sound of humming has been acknowledged as the fundamental vibration of our divine self. The Goldmans have superbly, practically, and with great simplicity expanded upon this truth and demonstrated the potency of the hum to heal at all levels of our being. The Humming Effect, with its audio tracks, is an essential text in extending the range of what the human voice can achieve in self-empowered wellness.
JAMES DANGELO, PH.D., AUTHOR OF THE HEALING POWER OF THE HUMAN VOICE
I love this book! Once I started I couldnt put it down. It serves a great purpose in giving a deep education about sound, elegantly stated in a very friendly format. For anyone interested in the profound power of sound to heal and transform their lives, I heartily recommend The Humming Effect by the acclaimed maestros Jonathan and Andi Goldman.
TODD OVOKAITYS, M.D., COAUTHOR OF 12-STRAND DNA HEALING TECHNIQUES
The Humming Effect by Jonathan and Andi Goldman is a must-read primer for anyone interested in the effects of sound on cells, the body, and health. Their elegant and direct approach weaves basic research on sound with the specific benefits of sound and humming. Through infusing this book with stories and practices, they lead the reader on an enjoyable journey into their passion for humming as a tool for health and healing.
ANN MARIE CHIASSON, M.D., AUTHOR OF ENERGY HEALING
Soundfrom its historical perspective, mechanisms of action, and applications for wellnessis an integral part of Jonathan and Andi Goldmans new book, The Humming Effect. I intend to refer my readers to this book as a valued supplement to help them further understand the healing power of sound.
GEORGE L. LINDENFELD, PH.D., NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST AND AUTHOR OF BRAIN ON FIRE
A beautiful and invaluable masterpiece in sound medicine.
RANJIE N. SINGH, PH.D., AUTHOR OF SELF-HEALING
Acknowledgments
Wed like to take this opportunity to offer our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the many people who have contributed their time, energy, and support in helping to bring our book into manifestation.
We are grateful to the many people at Inner Traditions who have assisted our work, with special accolades to managing editor, Jeanie Levitan, assistant to the managing editor, Patricia Rydle, and our copy editor, Nancy Ringer. And we offer our greatest thanks to our project editor, Laura Schlivek. We are most grateful to acquisitions editor Jon Graham, who has been a longtime supporter of our work with sound healing. We also offer much thanks to Erica Robinson, who gave us her time so generously.
We are exceptionally grateful and honored to extend our appreciation to Dr. John Beaulieu for writing the foreword for our book and for his initiations into the sound current through humming. We wish to thank John and his wife, Thea, longtime colleagues and friends, for all their wonderful support.
Wed like to honor and thank some of the many people who truly helped initiate the concept of this book through their use of humming as a vehicle for healing and transformation. These include Jim Albani, for his story of humming at the Mall of America; Sarah Saruah Benson, for her activations of sonic compassion through humming; Vickie Dodd, for her exceptional knowledge and teachings on how humming can be used to heal; Dr. Charles Eagle, for his guidance in finding the scientific research and data; Don Campbell, for his awareness of the subject; Ed and Deb Shapiro, for sharing their knowledge of bhramari pranayama; and Sri Swami Satchidananda, for his spiritual essence.
We know that it takes a village to bring a book full cycle, and our book is no exception. We therefore wish to thank our family and many friends who have been with us suffering the birth pangs of this creation. We especially thank Gregg Braden, Dr. Steve Brown, Dr. Ann Marie Chiasson, Tony Davis, Trevor Earth, Dr. Bea Knight-Johnson, Dr. George Lindenfeld, Dr. Bruce and Margaret Lipton, Mary Magdalena, Dr. Peter Guy Manners, John Stuart Reid, Makasha and Katharine Roske, Alec Sims, Dr. Valerie Solheim, Lama Tashi, Joan Vann, Dr. Phil Weber, Jim Wright, and Patricia Kay Youngson.
We give thanks to our families, whose love for us has truly assisted in maintaining the energy to create this book: our son, Joshua Goldman; our parents, Andrew and Bettye Pullman and Rose and Irving Goldman; our brothers and sisters, Richard and Peter Goldman, Rick Pullman, and Suzanne Strauss; and to all our nieces and nephews.
Finally, with loving kindness, we acknowledge and dedicate this book to you, dear reader. May these words assist in manifesting beneficial shifts and changes in you and all whom you may touch. We send blessings of light and love through sound to all who pass through these pages!
Contents
Foreword
Humming is an instinctive sound healing practice that begins in childhood. It is a form of toning (vocalization of elongated vowel sounds) and music making that brings inner balance. Everyone around the world hums, regardless of culture or creed. We do not question why we hum any more than we question why we breathe. We just do. However, as we will see, science is starting to catch up, offering evidence of how humming supports our health and well-being.
I cannot remember a time when I did not hum. I hummed while playing the piano in my early childhood. I would make up sound adventures and then hum them all day. When I got older, I began giving piano performances. The first time I heard a recording of one of my recitals, I was shocked to find that I had been humming along with the musicloud enough for the audience to hear me. I had not even known that I was humming.