Do You Hear What I Hear.....the Buzz About Bee Sound TherapyDo You Hear What I Hear.....the Buzz About Bee Sound Therapy Two Types of therapy for anxiety and trauma use the sound of bees buzzing by Danelle Lejeune May 5, 2019 My first experience with a swarm was dangerous and due to a simple miscalculation in managing a hive stand repair. Thousands of agitated bees covered my suit, buzzing aggressively and I had to stand there, still and breathing steadily, almost like lamaze breathing, slowing down, in through my nose, out through my mouth. One bee got tangled in my waistband and stung me, but panic in a human releases a pheromone that will make the bees more aggressive, so I had to really focus to stay still, quiet, and calm. Eventually the bees settled and the other keeper was able to restack the boxes and brush the swarm off of me. The mindful practice of stillness, being in the moment (no pun intended), was the most relaxing and calming experience I had up to that point in my life. I go back to that place when I am in high stress situations, even now. But why? What about the sound of the bees was so calming in such a real and dangerous situation? The Johnston’s organ (A) and sbgenual organ (B) are the primary receptors for vibroacoustic signals (sound). Hunt and Richard (2013) To understand, we have to begin with how the bees make sound. It's not just the wings, actually. It is their whole body, using something called the Johnston's organ. The sound is actually referred to as vibroacoustics and its used to communicate, regulate moisture and temperature in the hive, give instructional cues for brood care, and even to shake up pollen in flowers. The next part of the equation is how humans hear it. According to an article in the American Bee Journal from 2015 by M. McNeil, "Honey bees produce many frequencies of vibration and sound – from less than 10 to more than 1000 Hz. " And according to Jonathan Goldman author of "The Humming Effect", the vibrations affect the "Cerebrospinal fluid (which) circulates nutrients and filters chemicals from the blood, removes waste products from the brain, and transports hormones to other areas of the brain. (Many different spiritual traditions also believe this fluid is sacred and is the conduit for vital life energy that travels up and down the spine and into the brain)....humming sounds of the bee resonate and stimulate various structures of the brain, including the pineal gland, pituitary gland, hypothalamus, and amygdala..." Listing to a live hive, recordings of the hive, or even using a Yoga technique called "Bee Breath" all have the same effect of calming and healing. It's the frequency of the sound, not necessarily the source that has the neurological and biological impact. There are even bee sleeping houses in Eastern Europe where people pay to sleep above beehives, to feel the vibration, breath the bee cleaned and honey scented air, and listen to the buzzing. A certified Yoga instructor, Teri Steele, explained the "bee breath" technique to me, "Thumbs in ears, fourth finger on nostrils, pressing down, two first fingers on closed eyelids, pressing down. Hummmm." It does sound and feel like being covered in buzzing bees, but without the threat of sting. This kind of sound therapy is called binaural frequency therapy, and it circles right back around to what the bees do naturally with their bodies: vibroacoustics. According to a website called Binaural Beats Meditation, "....biophysicist Doctor Gerald Oster brought the technology into mainstream awareness in a paper called ‘Auditory Beats in the Brain' (Scientific American, 1973). In his paper, Oster concluded; It is possible that hormonally induced physiological behavior changes may be made apparent by measuring the binaural-beat spectrum." In our modern times, specific range of frequencies are created, usually with synthesizers, and played using headphones with targeted frequencies for specific outcomes. Energy, good sleep, even physical healing. Bees just make the noise and vibration naturally. These recordings, tailored specifically to certain outcomes with frequency range and mixes, are available online, through Amazon, even YouTube. And yes, you can find them made with bee noise recordings. Does it work though? An article in Medical News Today, a couple studies were cited that referenced actual changes in Cortisol and DHEA levels, and one study that target pre operative patient anxiety levels. Positive outcomes were the results, though the study samples were small. There’s more to bees and apitherapy than the honey and both science and natural healers are exploring this side of bee life to help humans heal.
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This Blog:All about the Bee. Backyard bee keeping is gaining popularity and everyone is pro- Saving the Bees, even Cheerios has a seed pack as the cereal treat now. Honey Do is ablog about bee lore, bee keeping, historical bee facts, honey recipes. Inspired by the book Bees: A Honeyed History. There will be posts reviewing bee books, bee themed toys, fancy, regional,and rare honeys. There will be equipment "what's this" posts. Profiles of different kinds of bees (that's not a honey bee, that's a yellow jacket). The different references to bees in religion and historical works. ArchivesCategories |