Sounds of Healing

Initially requiring readers to take a leap of faith from traditional Western medicine to Eastern philosophy, Gaynor, director of medical oncology at New York's Strang-Cornell Cancer Prevention Center, convincingly explains the therapeutic power of sound. He advocates the use of sound--chanting, singing, using Tibetan singing bowls and other instruments--as a necessary component of treating illness. Historical medical studies referred to illness as disharmony or imbalance within the body; Gaynor (Dr. Gaynor's Cancer Prevention Program, Forecasts, Nov. 16, 1998) uses the disharmony modality and the concept of entrainment (two separate but adjacent entities eventually developing matching rhythms) as the basis of his premise. The author, who started using sound as a source of healing after being introduced to singing bowls by a Tibetan monk whom he was treating, begins his book with a philosophical and spiritual exploration of sound and music as they are incorporated into worship services of the world's religions. With this as a background, Gaynor offers excercises on proper breathing, toning (voicing one's breath) and meditating (with a mantra) and recommends therapeutic music. In this hopeful book, Gaynor provides enough hard medical information to appeal to skeptics and enough philosophy to attract spiritual seekers. Author tour. (June) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.