Hearing, or auditory perception, is the ability to perceive sounds by detecting vibrations, changes in the pressure of the surrounding medium through time, through an organ such as the ear.
Frequencies capable of being heard by humans are called audio or sonic. The range is typically considered to be between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. Frequencies higher than audio are referred to as ultrasonic, while frequencies below audio are referred to as infrasonic. Some bats use ultrasound for echolocation while in flight. Dogs are able to hear ultrasound, which is the principle of ‘silent’ dog whistles. Snakes sense infrasound through their jaws, and baleen whales, giraffes, dolphins and elephants use it for communication. Some fish have the ability to hear more sensitively due to a well-developed, bony connection between the ear and their swim bladder.
Listening, really listening, is an art form….. by that I mean listening and understanding what it is you are hearing. For me that goes straight to the heart of the matter. Literally. Listening with the heart. Being open to more than just hearing the sounds. The art of communication is a complex skill set. Tone of voice, the intent of what is being said or not said, non-verbal or body language cues all provide added layers of meaning.
Lack of or poor communication can lead to relationship breakdowns, pain, misunderstanding, conflict, assumptions, errors of judgement and decision making, lack of respect and diplomacy.
Health and wellbeing is not just about listening to/hearing others – it is also about listening to/hearing yourself. Is your communication consistent, in synch, with the subtleties you are conveying without words?
Do you ever stop to really listen to yourself? I don’t mean just listen to the verbiage that is issuing forth from your mouth. I mean stop, LISTEN with your heart and HEAR with your heart what your body is telling you and others. Your inner self. Your heart. Your mind. Your intuition. Your Soul.
So often we have ‘filters’ in place that get in the way of open communication. They distort the vibrations that create sound = the signals the body is sending. The filters may be present to ‘protect’ against the unwanted and unwelcome, perhaps painful stuff.
Interestingly, it has been found that music helps to ‘soothe the savage beast‘ in more ways than one. The pure tones of the ancient solfeggio scale is one such tool. There is a lot of solfeggio music on YouTube.
© Raili Tanska
Listen, one to another, with the Heart and Soul