A study of how people felt afterward
Goldsby and colleagues studied 62 adults attending a singing bowl meditation. Participants reported less tension, anger, fatigue and depressed mood after the session, alongside greater spiritual well-being. Because this was an observational before-and-after study without a comparison group, it cannot separate the contribution of sound from rest, expectations or the setting. Read the study.
That distinction does not erase the reported experience. It changes the question the study answers: how people felt following this session, rather than whether a particular tone caused a lasting therapeutic change.
What a more recent review adds
A 2025 review identified 19 clinical studies, including nine randomized trials. It found promising signals across areas such as anxiety and sleep, while bringing together very different populations and interventions. The authors describe potential benefits, not one established prescription that fits every person. Read the review.
This growing evidence base makes sound worth studying. It also makes it important to ask which type of session, which outcome and which comparison a headline is describing.
Sound, attention and meaning
A private sound experience involves more than acoustic frequency. You are setting time aside, resting, listening and receiving personal attention. Research that measures the whole session cannot necessarily tell us which element produced a change.
The studies cited here do not establish that one named healing frequency repairs an organ or clears trauma. For an informed session choice, the more useful focus is comfort, desired experience and what can actually be observed afterward.
What to bring to your inquiry
Consider whether you want a quiet rest practice, a guided inward experience or sound as one part of a retreat. When exploring sound healing in Aspen, ask about volume, instruments and individual adaptation. Those questions are relevant whether you live in Colorado or are visiting from another country.
Sources & further reading
These sources distinguish study findings from the practical reflections in this article.
- Goldsby et al. (2017): singing bowls, mood and tensionObservational study
- Cai et al. (2025): clinical studies of singing bowl therapySystematic review
About this reading
A selected overview of the linked evidence, with practical interpretation for readers exploring this topic. It is not a systematic review or a clinical assessment.
Learn about Lauren and the practice