Cymatics: Part 4 | The Secret of Creation
This is the fourth and final part of my investigation into Cymatics, therefore, if you haven’t already, I recommend that you go an read the first three parts before this one, otherwise this might seem very out of context.
Part 1 explains what Cymatics is and gives an insight into its history, Part 2 is about Sacred Geometry and how it relates to Cymatics, and Part 3 investigates the appearance of Cymatics patterns within the ancient carvings of the Rosslyn Chapel. Each part is linked below for your convenience.
Enjoy!
x
“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.”
The Secret of Creation
If we think of Cymatics as the study of visible vibration and sound, we can see that the fundamentals of creation are not solid, that instead, vibration comes first. From this perspective, matter is altered by frequency. The form we see in the external world is shaped by the tone that exists in the unseen world. The invisible becomes visible.
Within the world of New Thought and manifestation, there is said to be 12 Universal Laws, one being The Law of Vibration. The Law of Vibration is the third law and states that “anything that exists in our universe, whether seen or unseen, broken down into and analyzed in its purest and most basic form, consists of pure energy or light which resonates and exists as a vibratory frequency or pattern…Everything in this universe has its own vibrational frequency. It's The Law of Vibration in action. However, we can't see it so it appears separate and solid to us. It’s actually an illusion.”
Essentially, The Law of Vibration is simply another way to explain Cymatics. If everything with a physical form has its own vibrational frequency, it makes sense that every vibrational frequency would have its own physical form. And the study of cymatics is the revealing of the physical forms and patterns hidden within sound.
It has been said that throughout history, every civilisation that has sought to understand the unseen and what may be hidden beyond the limits of our five sense has drawn three similar conclusions, which include: the notion that vibration (frequency) is everything, that geometry is a divine language, and that sound and light are tools for creation. These deductions align very well with the themes that my own investigation into cymatics has uncovered, such as the unification of vibration/frequency and sacred geometry, and the notion that sound creates reality.
Although this investigation into cymatics has not explored light, it is important to note that both sound and light are wave formations, meaning that they exist in an immaterial realm that does not rely on matter, mass, or volume. In other words, both sound and light are present, without the need to take up space. Interestingly, Hans Jenny (scientist & physician) “applied the name ‘cymatics’ to this area of research, from the Greek term ‘kyma’ meaning ‘wave’. Thus, cymatics could be defined as: ‘The study of how vibrations, in the broad sense, generate and influence patterns, shapes, and moving processes.”
“In the wave lies the secret of creation.”
OM / AUM:
The Primordial Sound of Creation
According to Hans Jenny, many of the patterns and structures uncovered in cymatics (usually evocative of mandalas and naturally recurring forms) would potentially be a “manifestation of an invisible force field of the vibrational energy that generated it.” Essentially this means that the patterns are the visible configurations locked within the vibrational energy that is a frequency. Jenny believed that “if we could unlock the mystery of waves and vibrations, we would not only open our eyes to the sublimity of the universe, but would perhaps set off revolutions in everything from medicine to the arts.”
One experiment that particularly interested Jenny incorporated the ancient and sacred Sanskrit syllable of OM, which is widely regarded by Hindu and related traditions to be the “primordial sound of creation”, or “the original vibration of the universe.” When observing how the vocalisation of OM was represented as a cymatic pattern, he found that the lycopodium powder simply formed a circle with a dot in the centre. This pattern, known as a circumpunct, is an ancient symbol that has come to represent many things including God, consciousness, wholeness, and unity.
As explained by Yoga teacher B.K.S. Iyengar in his book ‘Light on Yoga’, OM, also known as AUM, means ‘all’, much like the Latin word ‘Omne’, conveying concepts such as ‘Omniscience’, ‘Omnipresence’, and ‘Omnipotence’. In Yoga and Hinduism, it is a sacred ‘Pranava’ (power) mantra that is seen to be the “cosmic sound that initiated the creation of the universe”. Although it is written as one syllable, it is actually vocalised as three sounds: A (Ah) - U (Ooh) - M (Mm), and is said to represent a variety of different universal trinities.
The Three Gods: Brahma (The Creator), Vishnu (The Preserver), Shiva (The Destroyer)
The Three Vedas (knowledge/ scriptures): Rigveda (hymns & praises in devotion to nature & the cosmos), Yajurveda (guidance for worship & sacrifice), Samaveda (musical chants & melodies)
The Three Gunas (energies of nature): Sattva (harmony), Rajas (action), Tamas (inertia)
The Three Points in Time: Past, Present, Future
The Three Principles: Masculinity, Neutrality, Femininity
The Three Pillars of Yoga: Asanas (physical postures), Pranayama (breathing exercises), Dhyana (meditation/contemplation)
The silence after the M is said to represent Turiya, meaning the fourth, transcendental state of pure consciousness, which is beyond form and thought.
OM is one of the first sounds linked to creation, specifically the creation of the universe. Think of it like the trigger for the Big Bang, perhaps? And for it to have such a distinct cymatics pattern of a circumpunct which has long been believed to symbolise that of God, consciousness, and unity, is an incredibly fascinating synchronicity. At some point I would love to test it out with a Chladni plate and see the pattern form for myself. To be honest, I would love to test many of these frequencies out for myself, and at some point I plan to, for, it would be such an interesting experience. As Hans Jenny states:
“You will see many things that answer many questions. You will see living forms, living amoeba, almost animal-like creatures, you will see continents being formed, the earth itself coming into existence, explosions, eruptions, atomic explosions and bombs, you can see all this and watch it before your eyes. But everything owes its existence solely and completely to sound. Sound is a factor which holds it together. Sound is the basis of form and shape. In the beginning was the word and the word was God. We are told this is how the world began and how creation took shape.”
God & The Bible
One thing I have found on my journey to investigate the unusual world of frequencies and sound, is that many of the scientists and researchers to investigate it, always end up drawing parallels with the story of creation, God, and the Bible. However, many of their interpretations lean far more closely to the metaphysical and the mystical that they do to common religion or religious understanding, which is what makes them so intriguing. As Hans Jenny affirms above: “Sound is the basis of form and shape. In the beginning was the word and the word was God. We are told this is how the world began and how creation took shape.”
For the Hindus, this concept is expressed very simply with the syllable OM. For the Christians and the Jews, this concept is expressed in Genesis with “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” As I mentioned in the first part of this blog most, sound and light are considered the tools of creation. And here sound is represented by God’s voice declaring ‘Let there be light’, meaning that before anything there was sound, and then there was light. The first and the second.
Margaret Watts-Hughes, the musician and scientist who used her discoveries to create cymatic-inspired art, also drew certain spiritual conclusions from her findings. Hughes was deeply religious herself and intuitively understood the seemingly spiritual significance of her discoveries. Much like Hans Jenny, she recognised how the floral and natural formations created within her work reflected the patterns of nature, in the trees, flowers, and ferns. At the time, her and many Christians saw these discoveries as physical evidence of how God might have ‘spoken the world into existence’, thus indicating that humans could also manifest forms into existence using ways that were invisible to the naked eye. However, at the time, she was aware that her instinct to link her discoveries to God remained only a theory, and instead expressed her desire that her work be used to take these theories further scientifically, in the hopes of adding more weight and proof. She said: “There lies a whole hidden world behind these forms, which the future may perhaps reveal.”
“…I have gone on singing into shape these peculiar forms, and stepping out of doors, have seen their parallels in the flowers, ferns, and trees around me; and again, as I have watched the little heaps in the formation of the floral figures gather themselves up and then shoot out their petals, just as a flower springs from the swollen bud- the hope has come to me that these humble experiments may afford some suggestions in regard to nature’s production of her own beautiful forms.”
This particular assumption by Margaret Watts-Hughes is particularly intriguing to me, because in many ways she was right. With all the scientific advances in recent decades, we are finally at a point where science is finally catching up with spirituality. Many of the esoteric and obscure spiritual beliefs of the past, particularly everything related to what we nowadays call ‘manifestation’ are beginning to be proven by science. And Cymatics is an example of this, which Margaret Watts-Hughes is an integral part of. We are at a point where spirituality and science are beginning to reconnect, as the ‘proof’ catches up with the innate spiritual knowledge passed down the ages.
It is clear that many researchers in cymatics were inspired and captivated by the appearance of well-known patterns found in nature within the frequencies and sounds they investigated. It indicated that nothing in our world is at all random or completely chaotic, but instead that there is an order and design that goes beyond the visible, existing within the invisible. One of my favourite attestations to this phenomena is the discovery of cymatic patterns reminiscent of a turtle shell. The photographs shared to the right are by Alexander Lauterwasser, a German photographer and philosopher (born in 1951). Working within cymatics research, he was a pioneer for the use of water experiments and published a book titled Water Sound Images: The Creative Music of the Universe sharing many of his findings. These photographs are taken from his book, and it is clear to see how close cymatic patterns can be to the patterns found in nature, begging the question, were ourselves and our world formed by sound? And if that is the case, how much do we limit ourselves, as a generation, in trying to compartmentalise science, spirituality, and art into their own individual separate boxes, when truthfully they all contribute to a greater and more cohesive understanding of the universe.
“The cardinal error of science lies in shutting the Creator out of His Creation.”
So, now I have come to the end of my investigation into Cymatics, what do you think? It is quite an unusual area of study to explore, but probably the most interesting that I have come across so far. Would you agree that Cymatics is sufficient evidence that sound creates reality, or do you see it as only a coincidence? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Sources:
1. Crystal Connections by Walter Russell
2. ‘Healing Codes for the Biological Apocalypse’ (2007- 9th ed.) by Dr. Leonard G. Horowitz & Dr. Joseph S. Puleo.
4. OM Symbol | History & Meaning by Nathan Mahr
5. ‘Light on Yoga’ (1977) by B.K.S. Iyengar
6. The Science and Philosophy of OM/AUM by Ainhoa Acosta
7. The Laws of Nature | The Law of Vibration | The Third Law
8. “The Magical & Musical Research of Hans Jenny, Creator of Cymatics” (2022) by Ted Gioia
9. “Cymatics – The Visualization of Sound” (2022) by Ambient Mixer
10. ‘What is Cymatics?’ by Journey of Curiosity
11. “Water Sound Images: The Creative Music of the Universe” (2005) by Alexander Lauterwasser
