PYTHAGOREAN TUNING FORKS - A Little History

About the Pythagoreans

The Pythagoreans evolved their philosophy from the science of numbers and numerical relationships. Pythagoras was one of the initial researchers into the science of sound in the western world. He demonstrated the mathematical basis of acoustic phenomena, and it is believed that he gave us the diatonic scale.

Pythagoras is said to have revealed the musical and numerical nature of our universe within a figure known as the Tetraktys, whose structure reveals the intervals of the octave and its divisions.

This information was utilized to create what the Pythagoreans called "musical medicine", which were songs accompanied by an ancient Grecian instrument known as the lyre.

The lyre was considered to be the mystical symbol representing the human constitution. The body of the lyre represented our physical form. The strings represented our nerves or nervous system. The musician himself represented the spirit. The Pythagoreans were known for their abilities to cure many physical, psychological and spiritual ailments through the use of this special music.

BioSonic Repatterning with Pythagorean tuning forks, developed by John Beaulieu, N.D., Ph.D., is a natural method of healing using tuning forks based on the sonic ratios inherent in nature. When we tap the tuning forks, we produce pure musical intervals based on precise mathematical proportions known as the Pythagorean tunings. When we listen to these intervals we create an archetypal resonance resulting in a physical and psychic repatterning of our mind, body and spirit. This takes place on a physical level within the inner ear by stimulation of the cochlea and semi-circular canals. When we listen to the sound of the tuning forks our nervous system attunes to the pitch in much the same way as when we find a pitch for a choir, or tune a piano. The vestivular system via the semi-circular canals reproportions our body through a process of cellular memory based on the natural ratios of the tuning forks. During the listening process our physical body will actually reposture itself to hold the proportion and sound correctly.

To understand this process remember a time when you were in a quiet place or just before going to sleep. During this time you may have heard a high pitched sound in your head. This is the sound of your nervous system. When you are under stress this sound gets louder and sometimes can become a ringing in your ears. For most of us this sound is subtle and we only hear it when we focus on it. Tuning into the sound of your nervous system is a meditation:

Find a quiet place, sit or lay down, close your eyes and focus your awareness on the sounds inside your head. Listen for the high sound.

When you listen closely you will discover that sound consists of two distinct pitches. These pitches originate from your left and right brain hemispheres. These pitches change in frequency, volume and pitch depending on your state of consciousness.

The intervals of the Solar Harmonic Spectrum tuning forks create pure sounds and overtones to help you relax and center yourself. Each interval relates to a different state of consciousness and body posture. for example, if you want to be more fiery you could work with the intervals of C & E or C & A. If you want to be more watery, you could work with the intervals of C & D or C & B. You can creatively combine your intervals based on the five element theory of Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth to create a sound healing concert. More is explained in Dr. Beaulieu’s book: Music and Sound in the Healing Arts.

The tuning forks are tools to help you develop and refine your sonic abilities. Simply tap the tuning forks gently on a semi-hard surface like a stack of paper or book, bring them to your ears and listen to the sound. When you tap two or more forks together, the sound created is an interval. As you listen to the two different tones your body will naturally adjust itself and come into balance, making the two sounds into one. You can hum and let your voice resonate with the sound of the interval. This humming creates a sonic anchor.

With practice you will be able to sonically "think" and interval and your nervous system will respond. When this happens your ears rather than your eyes will dominate your perception. over a period of time you will naturally begin "seeing" and feeling intervals everywhere in your life. You will be able to know through visual harmonic perception what interval a person is tuned into. Then you can help others align themselves. When they are repatterned to the interval you will feel a resonance in your body similar to that of humming with the tuning forks.

Special thanks to Dr. John Beaulieu for sharing this information.

Tuning Fork Sets available on this website.