As a certified Sound Therapist trained to use Tibetan Singing bowls that have been tested and certified to identify the frequencies, I take the use of singing bowls seriously. Both by myself and others. Knowing the effect of a specific frequency on the mind and body is important because it is truly at the root of healing.
I also recognize that what I do with these specific, targeted frequencies is rare and uncommon amongst the leagues of people with various sound healing tools. I believe frequencies are an emerging medicine because more and more research shows its power.
That said, I thought it was important to examine the popular Crystal Singing Bowls. My motivation comes from what I believe is a very misinformed trend. It’s not the first or last time something became the latest “it” item even though it wasn’t necessarily the best product on the market. Just look at electricity. There’s more than one kind and for various well-played moves, the worst type of electricity has become our standard.
Crystal singing bowls have a relatively modern history, emerging as tools for sound healing and spiritual practices in the late 20th century.
Invention and Adoption of Crystal Bowls
- Quartz Technology (1950s-1970s): During the mid-20th century, quartz became an essential material in technological applications, such as in semiconductors and laboratory equipment. Quartz’s ability to resonate and amplify energy made it ideal for these purposes.
- Accidental Discovery: In the 1980s, quartz crucibles used in the semiconductor industry were repurposed into crystal singing bowls. Their resonant tones were discovered to have a profound calming and meditative effect, leading to their adoption in holistic practices.
So, crystal singing bowls were born by being an industrial by-product. I hope you understand this fine point. They don’t have the soul or energy of a maker going into them, to begin with. Certainly, since that point in time, the product has been refined but only to a small degree.
My primary issue or concern with crystal bowls lies in:
- The sound it produces
- The handling of the bowl itself by the user
Physical Effects
- Sensitivity to Sound: People with sound sensitivity or conditions may find the tones of crystal bowls overwhelming or even painful.
- Hearing Damage: Playing the bowls too loudly or too close to the ears can potentially harm hearing, especially at high volumes or prolonged exposure.
- Resonance Issues: The vibrations may cause discomfort in individuals to those who are very sensitive to energetic shifts.
Psychological Effects
- Emotional Release: The sounds can trigger deep emotional responses, which may feel overwhelming for individuals not ready to process such emotions.
- Overstimulation: The high-pitched tones can be overstimulating for some, especially if they are prone to anxiety or are in a heightened state of stress.
Energetic and Spiritual Sensitivity
- Unintended Effects: Some individuals report feeling ungrounded, dizzy, or energetically unsettled after a session, particularly if the practitioner lacks experience or fails to provide grounding techniques.
- Misalignment: Using bowls without proper knowledge of their frequencies and purposes may lead to unintentional imbalances in the user’s energy.
I have had more than one person come to me with issues following a sound bath with crystal bowls complaining about negative lingering effects. I can also say that I was with 2 friends who did a crystal bowl sound bath and all 3 of us had issues. I was nauseated and my ears hurt from the person playing them too loud in a confined space. She clearly didn’t know how to handle them.
I can appreciate the look of the crystal bowls. They do have a modern aesthetic about them. I also think that the person using them needs to be mindful of how they are producing sound from them. At the same time, they need to have an awareness of the space and distance they need to be from people so they aren’t over-powering them and when they do, the bowls can be a nice addition to a sound bath. I know that sometimes they are used for individual sound therapy, and I can’t imagine it’s therapeutic whatsoever.
I do confess to owning and using a (as in 1) Crystal singing bowl in my sound baths. I use it very sparingly and use a light touch because they can almost instantly be over-powering which is my point about handling them. I use it to simply add variety to my sound bath but it’s not doing the “heavy lifting” of providing any frequency focus. Like almost all Crystal Singing bowls, they haven’t been tested or certified to identify the frequency so it’s anyone’s guess what frequency they produce. A few producers are starting to test but very few.
I will also add a quick note about the “so-called” chakra bowls. I wrote an article on this previously but just let me summarize what you need to know regarding Crystal Chakra Singing Bowls. Unless they have been tested and certified, they aren’t chakra bowls, no matter what color you paint them. It’s just that simple. It’s a scam.
Where does this leave you as the consumer? I would tell you to remember what your parents told you: “Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t make it right or that you should.” Certainly, you need to be cautious because there are no standards for who can get a set of bowls and call themselves a sound healer. It’s not that simple and you can pay the price for someone who didn’t know what they were doing with bowls that started life as industrial waste.
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