Sound baths, a growing wellness trend, involve participants paying to relax to sounds like gongs and chimes. In recent years, these sessions have spread far beyond quiet yoga studios: social media is now awash with clips of people lying on yoga mats, suspended in cocoons or floating on inflatable pool loungers while berobed practitioners gently ring chimes and bang gongs. Some experiences are staged outdoors — in Sydney Harbour, for instance, participants can be “rocked gently by the tide” while blindfolded — while high-end wellness clubs boast surround-sound chambers equipped with subwoofers.
Marketing copy for such classes promises to “soothe and calm your nervous system” with sounds that will “penetrate every cell in your body”. Specific frequencies are claimed to promote “healing”, and singing bowls — metal or crystal bells that produce a shimmering timbre when struck or brushed — are said to generate “cosmic sound” that can improve “chronic symptoms like pain, fatigue, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm”. But do any of these claims hold up to scientific scrutiny?
What does the evidence say?
“There’s a rich field of music psychology that’s all about the impacts of different types of sounds on human psychology and human physiology,” says Dr Vince Polito, a senior lecturer in the school of psychological sciences at Macquarie University. He notes that it is plausible sound baths can affect mood. A 2016 study of people who participated in a meditation session involving Tibetan singing bowls reported feeling less tension, anger and fatigue afterwards. However, the study was observational and lacked a control group, meaning it is at risk of bias and cannot establish causation. Another study — a randomised controlled trial in breast cancer patients — linked Tibetan sound meditation to improved cognitive function and mental health. Mindfulness meditation itself has been associated with improvements in anxiety, depression and insomnia.
The effects of sound or music on wellbeing appear to depend largely on how people perceive and interpret those sounds, rather than the specific type or frequency of noise. “Like anything in the wellness space, its benefits can definitely be talked up,” says Dr Sandra Garrido, a senior research fellow at the University of Sydney’s school of psychology. Research suggests that breathing can synchronise without conscious effort to beats we hear — a phenomenon known as “rhythmic entrainment” — and that music can induce emotions such as happiness, sadness and fear. That is why slower, calmer music is often preferred for relaxation, Garrido says. “A lot of meditation-type music focuses on long tones and not too much in the way of melody or rhythmic patterns that could end up being distracting,” she points out, citing the ringing tones of Tibetan singing bowls as an example.
Nevertheless, Garrido emphasises that the mechanism is not the sound itself but the act of focusing attention. “Any kind of music that you are focusing on can be a meditative experience.”
Beyond these psychological effects, a growing body of research — still in its early stages — suggests sound baths may influence the body’s physiology in measurable ways. Studies have indicated that the practice can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, often called the “rest and digest” mode, leading to a slower heart rate, reduced blood pressure and a decrease in cortisol, the primary stress hormone. Increased heart rate variability (HRV) has also been recorded after sessions, signalling a shift toward parasympathetic dominance. Some research points to a role in pain management: patients with fibromyalgia have reported improvements in pain intensity and quality of life after sound therapy, although these benefits may require ongoing treatment. Other studies indicate a reduction in post-operative pain and chronic pain symptoms, potentially by lowering the body’s stress response and reducing muscle tension. Frequencies between 40 and 150 Hz, in particular, have been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve, which plays a role in stress, digestion and emotional balance.
Sound baths may also influence brainwave activity, shifting participants from agitated beta waves to calmer alpha, theta or delta waves — states associated with relaxation, meditation and deep sleep. Binaural beats, a phenomenon in which the brain perceives a third tone from two slightly different frequencies, are also being studied for their potential to enhance relaxation and improve mood regulation. Some individuals report experiencing emotional release during sound baths, including crying, which is thought to represent the body releasing suppressed emotions and potentially leading to catharsis and healing. The calming effects of the practice are also linked to improved sleep quality, with some studies suggesting it may help alleviate insomnia.
Yet all these findings come with important caveats. Much of the current research is based on small studies, observational data or self-reported outcomes, which carry risks of bias and cannot always establish causation. The placebo effect may play a role, given the subjective nature of the experience. Garrido warns that people often “want something that has this mystical connotation to it”. Of sound baths, she says: “It can be helpful as part of a general wellbeing practice, but it’s not this miracle cure.”
Expert views on benefits and limitations
Dr Amanda Krause, a senior lecturer in psychology at James Cook University and president of the Australian Music and Psychology Society, notes that there are “long histories of using music and sound in therapeutic ways”. Both listening to and producing music have been linked to more than 500 benefits, she says, including promoting social, cognitive, physical and emotional wellbeing. This research underpins the field of music therapy, in which music listening or production is used to improve psychological and physical health.
Importantly, Krause points to a key regulatory difference. “Music therapists are registered in their profession [in Australia],” she says, and work with clients in schools and hospitals. There is no single equivalent regulatory body for sound bath practitioners. (In the UK, various training courses offer certificates and diplomas in sound healing, often accredited by organisations such as the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine, but no uniform regulation exists.) Krause adds that much of the music listening people do — during exercise, commuting or work — is “accompanying something else”, whereas focused music listening is linked to wellbeing benefits. “People can really use that music listening to amplify emotional responses, and often it might be quite a journey,” she says. “It might not just be a very happy, positive listening experience, but we can see a catharsis through an emotional journey from the listening.”
Garrido observes that communally listening to music in the context of a sound bath can be a “helpful, healthy thing”. She points out that “historically, throughout most of human history … music has been about social connection. It’s only in the last 100 years or so that we’ve had the capacity to go home and listen to music on our own in an isolating kind of way.”
Experts remain clear that sound baths should not replace conventional medical or mental health treatment. Individuals with serious medical conditions, trauma or psychiatric conditions are advised to consult a doctor before engaging in sound therapy. The experience can also vary significantly from person to person and from session to session.
Garrido, who has been to sound baths herself, sums up a balanced perspective: “I enjoy them, they can be relaxing, it’s a nice experience – but I wouldn’t pay too much money for it.”