Sound, Physiology & the Language of “Energy”
- Kerry Muller
- Feb 24, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 8
Understanding stress, activation, and regulation through a scientific lens.
The word “energy” is often used broadly in wellness spaces. Scientifically speaking, energy refers to the capacity to do work and in biological systems, energy is expressed through electrical activity, chemical reactions, and measurable physiological processes.
At a fundamental level, everything in the physical world is composed of atoms in motion. Movement and vibration are inherent properties of matter. In the human body, this movement shows up as:
• Electrical impulses in the nervous system
• Rhythmic cardiac activity• Brainwave patterns
• Cellular communication
• Oscillatory biological rhythms
In this sense, the body is dynamic, not static.
When people speak about “vibration” or “frequency,” they are often describing the rhythmic patterns that exist in biological systems. The nervous system, for example, operates through patterned electrical signalling. Sound and music interact with these systems through auditory pathways that connect directly to autonomic regulation.
We do not experience the world as solid and fixed. What we perceive as “matter” is interpreted through sensory processing, light entering the eyes, mechanical pressure activating touch receptors, sound waves stimulating auditory structures. Our experience of reality is mediated through perception.
This is not mystical. It is neurobiology.
Subtle Experience & Sensory Awareness
There are aspects of human experience that are difficult to measure directly but still have observable effects.
Emotional tone.Physiological state shifts.Felt sense of calm or tension.
These are not “paranormal.” They are embodied experiences shaped by nervous system activity.
While science continues to deepen its understanding of complex systems, including bioelectrical signalling and psychophysiology, it is important to distinguish between metaphor and measurable mechanisms.
Sound and music influence the body through:
• Auditory stimulation
• Vagal pathways
• Neurochemical shifts
• Rhythmic entrainment
• Emotional processing networks
These are areas increasingly explored within neuroscience and psychophysiology.
Where Sound Fits
Therapeutic sound and intentional music do not operate through mystical force fields.
They operate through structured interaction with:
• Auditory cortex
• Limbic system
• Autonomic nervous system
• Respiratory rhythm
• Cardiovascular regulation
When rhythm slows, breath slows.When breath slows, heart rate variability can improve.When autonomic activation decreases, stress chemistry shifts.
This is the regulatory foundation of my work.
A Responsible Perspective
There is still much we do not fully understand about human consciousness, perception, and complex biological systems. Science evolves. Our models refine.
But we do not need exaggerated physics or metaphysical claims to explain why therapeutic sound and music can influence how we feel and function.
We need structure.We need physiology.We need intentional application.
That is where this work lives.
References:
Koelsch, S. (2014).
Brain Correlates of Music-Evoked Emotions. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 15(3), 170–180.
Music & Physiological Stress Reduction
Pelletier, C. L. (2004).The Effect of Music on Decreasing Arousal Due to Stress: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Music Therapy, 41(3), 192–214.https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/41.3.192
Lehrer, P. M., & Gevirtz, R. (2014).
Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback: How and Why Does It Work? Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 756.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00756
Written by Kerry Muller
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