Lub dub! Lub dub! Lub dub…
Wonder what those words are meant to be? Heartbeat sounds!
The medical description for the heartbeat sound is “lub dub”. Lub describing the “first heart sound” (the closing of the AV valves), and dub (or dup) describing the “second heart sound” (the closing of the semilunar valves).
Now you know what sounds to use to mimic the heartbeat.
But what does heartbeat have to do with meditation music?
Jerald Simon says that he created this music with a calm heartbeat in mind…
“Each meditation piece is set at 60 beats per minute, the same as a heart at a calm and restful state,” said Simon. “Our hearts respond to, beat to, and follow rhythm, and the beat of the songs calm people as they listen.”
The heartbeat trick is one composers have been using for years, though the focus is usually to make people more excited.
“It’s a trick that they use in horror movies,” said Simon. “The beat of the music speeds up before the scary moment, and our heartbeat speeds up to match it,” said Simon. “We’re essentially scaring ourselves.”
You can get this music in digital format via Amazon below, via iTunes, or as a CD via CDBaby).
And as if calm music composed to follow the heartbeat was not reason enough to give this a listen, Jerald has also incorporated some other elements to make it even more effective for meditation:
Like other songs designed to be used during meditation, Simon also wrote the songs using specific tones and intervals (the spaces between the notes) commonly assigned to different spiritual zones of the body known as chakras. There are also background sounds such as ocean waves, the wind and birdsong.
Unlike most meditation music, however, Simon’s songs also have a tune you can hum.”
“They have a melody,” he said. “I wanted all of the songs to be able to stand on their own.”
I personally really love this album, and the deeply calming effect some of the tracks have on me. My favorite so far is “Inner Peace”, which you can listen to a sample of on Amazon.
What do you think? Can you feel the calming effect of the heartbeat music? Comment below…
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