The Healing Power of Sound Excerpts from the article authored by: Simon Heather BSoc.Sc, MBAcC, MCOH The History of Sound Healing Sound has been used as a healing force for thousands of years. All ancient civilizations used sound for healing. Traditional cultures still surviving today understand the remarkable healing power that lies in sound. In the Bible we are told that David played his harp to lift King Saul’s depression. Egyptian papyri over 2,600 years old refer to incantations as cures for infertility and rheumatic pain. The ancient Greeks believed music had the power to heal body and soul. They used the flute and the lyre for treating illnesses such as gout and sciatica. It is reported that Alexander the Great’s sanity was restored by music played on the lyre. There is an ancient Greek saying, ‘Men have song as a physician for pain.’ Pythagoras used special songs and incantations with particular melodies and rhythms, to cure diseases of the body and mind.