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Seen At 11: The Sound Effect, An Ancient Therapy Is Making A Big Comeback

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A new trend has people immersing themselves in sound to calm the body and quiet the mind.

Some say that after just one session, they are transformed.

As CBS2's Kristine Johnson reported, singing bowls, tuning forks, and voices create waves of sound to induce a deep meditative state.

It's part of an ancient therapy that's making a big comeback.

Instruments are used to create frequencies that quiet parts of the brain. After an hour long session, participants said they feel transported.

"It takes me to a place of beauty," one user said.

Gongs are also having a Renaissance. The tones release tension and balance the body's energy centers.

The experience has been described as otherworldly.

"It was like riding on a current, or something like that," a user said.

Not all sound therapy is from long ago cultures. There are two futuristic looking pods in the country called somadomes.

The pods use sound and light to induce a meditative state, all in just twenty minutes.

During the session, music keeps participants in a meditative state, leaving them relaxed and refreshed.

"I feel as though I could get through the rest of the night now, I don't feel as stressed," CBS2's Johnson said after a session.

There are claims that sound therapy can also cure aches and pains.

According to Dr. Lewis Maharahm, the sounds can relax but not fix the body.

"There's no medical evidence of any kind in a pod, using bells, or anything works to promote healing of physical ailments," Dr. Maharahm said. "The real thing is real therapy to fix physical ailments."

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