Interview with Andi and Jonathan Goldman: "Humping is about healing on a subtle and energetic level"

"We have found that humming is the most powerful self-generated vibro-acoustic sound we can produce - that is, the sound resonates and resonates in the body. Humming affects us at the cellular level and even affects our DNA." Sound healing experts Andi and Jonathan Goldman , authors of the book "Healing Humming. Sound Massage for Body and Soul" , talk about the healing power of humming.

Humming is an innate human ability - regardless of age, culture or musicality. What exactly does this mean and how does it differ from other self-generated sounds?

Jonathan and Andi Goldman: What is humming? Basically, it is the sound you make when you close your lips and make some kind of sound. It is probably the simplest sound we can make - something that everyone from toddlers to the elderly can do. It is often even made unconsciously. In our book Healing Humming we focus on the conscious use of humming, which can be extraordinarily powerful.

Most people think they know about humming, but when we ask them to hum while holding their nose, they are amazed that the sound stops instantly. It is impossible to really hum when the air is passing through the mouth. That is not humming. Humming is a purely nasal and purely internally generated sound. This is one of the facts that distinguishes humming from other self-generated sounds - it is produced with the mouth closed. With all other sounds, whether spoken, whispered or sung, the sound must come out from the (at least partially open) mouth. Not so with humming. Therefore, the sound energy is essentially concentrated inside us. We have found that humming is the most powerful self-generated vibro-acoustic sound we can produce - that is, the sound resonates and resonates in the body. The humming affects us at the cellular level and even affects our DNA.

“The Humming Effect” is probably the first book on this topic. What inspired you and what is the idea behind this project?

Jonathan and Andi Goldman: We have worked in the field of sound healing for many years. Together we have taught sound healing for more than 50 years. One of the biggest challenges we encounter is that most people confuse sound healing with music healing and actually believe that they have some musical talent, that they have to be a trained singer or musician, to benefit from the healing effects of sound. This misunderstanding is especially evident when people think about using the voice for healing. So many people do not find their voice beautiful and therefore cannot imagine using it for healing. All music is made of sounds, but not all sounds are necessarily musical. Therefore, anyone can learn to use their own, self-generated sounds for healing. We realized this confusion between sound and music and asked ourselves: "What is the simplest sound that people can make, a sound that they are not prejudiced against and that is easy to produce?" We looked at each other and said: "Humming!!!" Humming is a sound that everyone likes to make and no one judges as good or bad. So, everyone can hum! And reap the benefits.

There are some scientific studies on the physiological effects of humming. What are they and what positive effects can be observed?

Jonathan and Andi Goldman: As far as we know, this is actually the first book written and published on humming. It was a real challenge to write a book on a subject that very few people appreciate. It took us several years to complete. One of the reasons was that we realized that in order for people to take humming seriously, we needed to present scientific data on the physiological benefits of humming. So we did extensive research on the subject. The first chapter of our book essentially provides scientific information on the effects of humming. Most of these effects are well known. We have listed a few brief details on some of them below. For more information, please refer to our book, Healing Humming. The positive effects of humming include:

• Increased oxygen content in the cells
• Reduction of blood pressure and heart rate
• Improvement of lymphatic circulation. Lymphatic circulation contributes, among other things, to flushing out toxins from the body.
• Reduction of stress hormones
• Increase in melatonin levels. Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland and synchronizes our biorhythm. It is often used to help us fall asleep more easily. It is also an effective fighter against free radicals and is considered a broad-spectrum antioxidant. And it has other powerful and positive effects.
• Release of endorphins – self-produced opiates that act as “natural painkillers”
• Increased nitrogen levels. Nitric oxide causes vasodilation, which means the widening of blood vessels, which improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure. It strengthens our immune system, our cardiovascular system and our respiratory system.
• Release of oxytocin, the “trust hormone”

All of these effects suggest that consciously using humming as an “inner sound massage” is a good idea. How does it work and what can it achieve?

Jonathan and Andi Goldman: As mentioned, humming is probably the most powerful vibro-acoustic sound we can create and one of the most potent we can experience. That is, it has the greatest potential to resonate and resonate within our cells, providing an internal sound massage. The effects we just mentioned are some of the positive benefits of humming. In our opinion, humming may be one of the best ways to relax. So if you're feeling stressed, just close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and hum. If you do this for a few minutes, you'll be amazed at how much calmer you feel. The effect is amazing. As we like to say, "The simplest sound has the greatest impact."

Your main concern is to be able to use humming as an effective tool for therapy and transformation. What prerequisites do you need to have for this, and how can you specifically learn this skill?

Jonathan and Andi Goldman: We are happy to say that the only requirement to experience the therapeutic and transformative effects of humming is simply to take a few minutes to consciously hum. After three to five minutes of consciously humming, you will feel significant relaxation, among other positive effects. We recommend that you read our book because it contains instructions on how to transfer your intention and attention to humming in order to experience the power of conscious humming. That is what it is about! That is why we wrote this book. Because anyone can hum, and because with a little concentration and practice, anyone can feel and experience the positive effects we have described. But in Healing Humming you will find even more descriptions, such as meditation exercises and the possible treatment of serious illnesses.

Sound therapy works primarily on the subtle and energetic level. With your "humming hypothesis" you go far beyond the scientifically proven effects and point to the neurological or spiritual potential of humming. What do you expect from future research in this area?

Jonathan and Andi Goldman: Humming is really about healing on a subtle and energetic level. It certainly has a profound effect on the electromagnetic field that surrounds the body. But because humming has vibro-acoustic properties, it also has a powerful physiological effect. There is a constant stream of new research into humming. Most recently, it was found that humming increases heart rate variability (HRV), which is a crucial aspect of health and well-being. It is related to the autonomic nervous system and depends on how stressed or relaxed we are. The higher your HRV, the more relaxed you are. As I said, humming is a very effective way to increase your heart rate variability.

Our "humming hypothesis" states that it may be possible to promote neurogenesis - the formation of new neural tissue in the brain - through conscious humming. This phenomenon would have enormous significance for people with neurological disorders. We also know of a well-known doctor who uses humming with his patients suffering from PTSD. At this point, we only have anecdotal information regarding humming improving neurological disorders - stories that people have told us about humming and how it has helped patients suffering from strokes, Alzheimer's, or other diseases. We believe that with thorough research, our "humming hypothesis" will be verified and confirmed as a truly helpful technique that will benefit many people in the years to come!

The first step is to learn to hum in order to experience the extraordinary transformative and healing potential of the sounds.

Book tip:
Jonathan and Andi Goldman: Healing humming. Sound massage for body and soul. With exercises for conscious humming and breathing. Mankau Verlag 2018, paperback, 12 x 19 cm, 214 pages, €9.95 (D) / €10.30 (A), ISBN 978-3-86374-478-6.

Link recommendations:
More information about the book "Healing Humming"
To the reading sample in PDF format
More about the authors Andi and Jonathan Goldman