Cymatics is the study of visible sound and vibration patterns and a subset of modal vibrational phenomena. As Collins dictionary says: the study of wave phenomena, esp sound, and their visual representations.
It explores how sound waves interact with different materials to create geometric patterns and shapes. The term “cymatics” was coined by the Swiss physician and natural scientist Hans Jenny in the 1960s, derived from the Greek word “kyma,” meaning “wave.” Simply put it makes sound visible or better say it makes vibrations visible and each frequency of vibration has its visible pattern.
Basics
The basic principle of cymatics is that when sound waves pass through a medium, such as water, sand, or a metal plate, they create distinct patterns that can be seen and studied. These patterns are formed due to the vibrations caused by the sound waves, which cause the medium to move in specific ways.
One of the earliest references even though both Darwin and da Vinci mention the change of patterns in dust when “hitting” it with a vibration to cymatics can be traced back to the work of Ernst Chladni, an 18th-century German physicist and musician. Chladni conducted experiments using a metal plate covered with a thin layer of sand. By drawing a bow along the edge of the plate, he caused it to vibrate, and the sand rearranged itself into intricate geometric patterns, known as Chladni figures. Chladni’s work demonstrated the visual representation of sound and laid the foundation for further exploration in the field of cymatics.
Hans Jenny expanded upon Chladni’s experiments and conducted extensive research on cymatics. In the 1960s, he published a book called “Cymatics: A Study of Wave Phenomena and Vibration,” which documented his findings. Jenny used various materials, including fluids, powders, and pastes, to visualize the effects of different sound frequencies and amplitudes on the medium.
To make sound visible most of the time there are two different kinds of devices used. One is the Chladni plate which is a metal plate with “dust” on it or a device that is essentially a bowl of water on top of a speaker with a camera. Especially with the last one the most beautiful images of specific frequencies are captured.
Harmony
What is interesting is that when pure frequencies are played, the material used forms the most beautiful shapes that are based on geometry and can resemble nature, flowers, and ancient symbols and patterns. Besides the somewhat mysterious that something (sound) invisible to the eye can become visible it is also this “beauty” and harmony effect that draws people into the study of cymatics.
The common theory behind a lot of sound healing practices comes from the fact that if pure frequencies form beautiful figures in water and create harmony it will therefore have a similar effect on our body and the planet. The same deduction explains why disorganized frequencies can make us feel uncomfortable.
_____
How Standing Waves Are Formed (Chladni Plates Example)
Vibration
- A vibration is applied to a plate (typically metal) using a bow or a speaker that generates mechanical waves.
Resonance
- Every plate has its resonant frequencies; when the vibration hits one of these frequencies, the entire plate resonates.
- This causes intense propagation of elastic waves across its surface.
Standing Waves
- The generated waves reflect off the edges of the plate, overlapping one another.
- Certain points (called nodes) experience destructive interference and remain relatively still, while others (called antinodes or loops) experience constructive interference and vibrate more intensely.
Pattern Formation
- If sand or another lightweight material is sprinkled on the plate, it migrates toward the nodes, where vibration is minimal.
- As a result, the grains accumulate into characteristic geometric patterns known as Chladni figures.
- In essence, standing waves arise from the constructive and destructive interference of reflected waves, resulting in specific areas of stillness (nodes) and maximum vibration (antinodes). Chladni figures are a visual expression of these node patterns, made visible by the redistribution of sand.
_____
Water
An interesting addition to this topic and on how vibration becomes visible is the work of Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto where he shows the influence of our thoughts, words, and feelings on molecules of water. Using high-speed photography, Dr. Masaru Emoto discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts and words are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors.
The name Flower of Sound
The name Flower of Sound is inspired by Cymatics and the beautiful flower shapes sound can make.
The books to read for more information about Cymatics
- Jenny, H. (2001). Cymatics: A Study of Wave Phenomena and Vibration. Macromedia Press. You can read the book here: https://archive.org/details/hans-jenny-cymatics/page/113/mode/2up
- Chladni, E. F. F. (1787). Entdeckungen über die Theorie des Klanges. Breitkopf und Härtel. You can read the book here: https://archive.org/details/entdeckungenuber00chla
- Masaru Emoto “The Hidden Messages in Water”. This one you can order on all online bookshops.
- Alexander Lauterwasser, “Water Sound Images”
- Scientific studies on sound-matter interaction (Journal of the Acoustical Society of America)
