2023-04-20 09:31:34
Yes the spa “pure sounds” in the title of this article made you think of musical sounds, you are doing the wrong thing like me. Pure sounds are surprisingly combinations of consonants and vowels like “ta”, “ya”, “ka”, “ma”and a leap back several centuries is necessary to open up access to this practice, light years away from our Western traditions.
sound meditation is present in many spiritual traditions. The mantra “om” or the Buddhist “nam myoho renge kyo” are just a few examples, they help to uplift the spirit and strengthen the energy. The kototama is a way of spiritual elevation through the recitation of pure sounds (koto) (tama). A harmonious vibration of sound is synonymous with balance, harmony, its practice promotes physiological and psychological rebalancing, and opens the mind to new perceptions on the spiritual level.
The practice of kototama is also called kotodama1. In Japanese, kototama means “ vibration of the verb, of the energy of the verb “. Fabian Momconsidered a pioneer of vibrational medicine, explains in his book The tao of sound2 what “the word is the vibratory action, the soul of matter, the vibration that animates it. It is therefore a question of apprehending the Universe by the verb, that is to say by the sound vibration… The kototama contains the memory of the vibratory influences of past, present and future civilizations “. Fabien Maman reminds us that we are vibration, that the more we work with sound, the more we connect with the resonance of our energy field. For forty years, he has been developing an approach that combines his knowledge in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, music, sounds, kototama, colors and martial arts3. The vibration emitted by a sound wave (instruments particularly rich in harmonics, voices), traversing the body, makes it possible to work at different levels: physical, emotional, energetic and psychic. Very serious scientific studies reveal the immense benefits of these vibration treatments with many applications in the field of health4. The explanations given by Fabien Maman, a student of the great Japanese master Nakazono Senseiwere invaluable for the writing of this article because the transmission of knowledge on the kototamas being done mainly orally from master to studentthe bibliography is not abundant.
Vibrate with “Aom”
Emmanuel Counta specialist in therapeutic sounds and music therapy, founded the center for MedSon search* which develops sound therapy and sonology for medical and therapeutic use. He explains : “If you chant the sound “Aom” by placing one of your hands on top of your head, then you may feel your whole head vibrate suddenly. Your brain, itself made up of 90% water, will begin to vibrate, and the pituitary gland or hypophysis, as well as the hypothalamus will release endorphins and enkephalins (which are natural opioids) under the action of vibes. These substances are recognized for their ability to relieve stress and pain and induce euphoric states. »
* medson.net
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Immersed in Japanese tradition
If we attribute the kototama to Japan, it would seem that its doctrine dates back to prehistoric druidism of Celtic traditions. Transmitted orally from country to country, from culture to culture, it would have arrived in Japan where the secrets of its teaching would have been found in documents more than three thousand years old.5. Kept secret by the imperial family, kototamas began to spread on the initiative of Emperor Meiji at the end of the 19th century. It was masters Ueshiba Sensei (founder of aikido) and Ogasawara Sensei, then Nakazono Sensei who spread it. The latter taught it in India, France and the United States.
Isabelle Padovaniteacher in Onsei-Do (la voie du son) and also a student of Nakazono Sensei, explains that “kototama is not a practice linked to a religion, a country or a language. It designates the original principle of sound, the original sounds from which all mantras, dharanis, shingons, jumons, etc. are derived. Kototama is simply the name given to the original principle defining the sounds that existed before languages appeared. “6.
The kototamas are intimately linked to Shintoismthis polytheistic animist cult practiced by the majority of the Japanese, centered around the cult of spirits, or natural forces inhabiting the world: the kami. The kami that populate nature can reside in a tree, a river, a waterfall… they have the ability to inspire humans through certain words with a magical dimension. These words pronounced in the manner of mantras or vocalizations allow the activation of a healing process. The energetic power of sounds is activated if these sounds are pronounced in a certain order. The kototamas have the power to establish a bridge between the world of men and the world of spirits. The myths, traditions and beliefs of Shintoism were structured into a religion when the Japanese wanted to distinguish them from Chinese Buddhism around the 8th century.
How does a kototama look like?
“ The term kototama designates either a vowel phoneme (among 5 vowel phonemes named mother sounds), or a syllable composed of a vowel phoneme and a consonant (among 8 consonant phonemes named father rhythms)7or once more a line of sounds composed of several syllables combining father rhythms and mother sounds. “8
We are talking regarding “pure tone line” or “source language” when sound lines are composed solely of phonemes taken from among these 5 vowel phonemes and these 8 consonant phonemes. These lines of sounds vary according to the traditions and are assimilable with diligent learning.
At the origin of the manifestation of sound, “the creation of the Universe, the setting in motion of matter begins when the force of sound appears: the magnetic sound of the vowels produces space; the electric sound of consonants produces time, rhythm “, explains Fabien Maman. The U pronounced OU is the original sound before the Big Bang from which all the other vowels and consonants derive. Each of them has an energy value, a meaning, some are considered “pure sounds”. or “roots” while others, called “secondary sounds”, derive from pure sounds and carry a weakened energy.
Reiki, kototama, same root
Employees for example in aikido, the kototamas are used to coordinate speech and movement. They also permeate the practice of Japanese dance: butoh. Their use in reiki is the work of the master and founder of the discipline, Mikao Usui, in 1922. The traditional reiki mentioned here is far from westernized reiki which for some years has been the subject of controversy due to numerous sectarian aberrations. (So pay attention to the choice of therapist and teacher!) At the etymological level, the words “kototama” and “reiki” have a similar ideogram: tama, meaning the life force present in all things. In the Shinto tradition, every deity and every human being possesses the tama. Upon death, the tama of the human being is transformed into rei, that is to say into spirit. Tama and rei represent the two forms of manifestation of universal energy9.
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The multiple “voices” of pure sounds
The practice of kototama is preferably done in a group because the energy released is thus multiplied. In order to better welcome the sound, the upstream practice of qi gong, tai chi or aikido movements allows you to better anchor yourself, to be fully present. The practice of kototamas can be done in whispered, whispered, spoken or sung voices, no prior vocal learning is required. According to Shinto belief, the kototamas are present in each of us, their verbalization consists only in activating them in order to give them life and to raise our vibrational frequency. The emphasis is on the deep feelings experienced by the person when they sing. The sound emitted is the outward expression of the person’s inner state of consciousness. This practice allows us to open our space of attention and to better perceive its deep nature. Welcoming thoughts, emotions, sensations, gaining energy, improving concentration, strengthening physical well-being, developing creativity, intuition, compassion and kindness towards oneself and others, calming the mind, freeing oneself from tension, relieving stress are all benefits of the practice of kototamas, which can be integrated naturally with that of meditation.
transactional analysis, which analyzes the modes of communication, personality and social relationships, was largely inspired by kototamas in order to implement change in organizations. It uses the principle that the vowels A, E, I, O, U denote the five energies related to the five stages of change. Energy causes movement, it is the source of change.
Each of these five vowels embodies an energy:
- A: inspiration, intuition, imagination and empathy;
- E: decision, choice, renunciation;
- I: expression, debate, discernment;
- O: action plans and implementation;
- U: concretization, conservation, legacy.
Guiding each person to see where they are in these energies, where there are gaps and excesses, allows everyone to evolve and ultimately improve the general organization.
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