Sound healing: how music, on its own or with psychedelics, is becoming the latest mental health and wellness trend
- Wellness coach Malbert Lee plays singing bowls and gongs to heal himself and others; Krishna Oswalt pairs sound and psychedelics to encourage spiritual journeys
- Psychology professor Frank Russo hopes to use technology and AI to create specific music playlists that help mitigate anxiety, depression and dementia
Sound has been used for centuries to alter mood and express emotion. But can music be its own medicine? And can it be tailored to individuals to treat mental health challenges?
For Hong Kong-based wellness coach and “sound alchemist” Malbert Lee, the answer to these questions is undoubtedly yes.
“I was a flight attendant for almost 14 years and that working environment can be quite challenging for the human body,” Lee says. “The noise, the (lack of) humidity, the cabin pressure and the time difference can really disrupt your body rhythm.”
“As I play the bowl I can feel the instant changes in my body: energetically, physically, and emotionally. My mind is at ease and my body starts to relax,” he says.
He learned from other international sound alchemists and turned his hobby into a wellness company. Lee now leads corporate and individual classes, and has played in Hong Kong, London, New York, and Vietnam.