Resonance and Its Applications

Resonance, from two Latin words meaning ‘to sound again’, is a concept rooted in physics. Resonance describes how a system's natural oscillations expand when presented with a matching frequency. In the human body, resonance is both a phenomenon and a metaphor for understanding how organ systems respond to their internal and external environments. Ultimately, resonance is about relationships. In the allopathic medical field, resonance has become a key component of non-invasive diagnostic tools. Technologies such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) use resonance quite literally to visualize the inner workings of the body. In the complementary field, more holistic understandings of rhythm and balance—drawn from nutrition, lifestyle, and ancestral health—are reshaping how we think about healing.

Third Tone Project approaches resonance both as a biological phenomenon and as a seasonal one. We see the body as an ecosystem governed by rhythms: circadian, hormonal, digestive, emotional. When these rhythms are disrupted, dis-ease can take root. Just as the instruments of modern medicine detect and decode resonance, we help people to return to their natural frequency through sound therapy and respect for the body’s unique timing.

The most direct application of resonance in conventional/allopathic medicine is Magnetic Resonance Imaging. MRI relies on magnetic fields and radiofrequency pulses to excite hydrogen nuclei within the body. As those nuclei return to their baseline state, they emit signals that can be translated into highly detailed images of tissues, organs, and even movement. MRI revolutionized diagnostics by allowing clinicians to see into the body without surgery or ionizing radiation. It’s especially useful for viewing soft tissues like the brain, muscles, and spinal cord.

From our perspective, this form of imaging resonates with the philosophy of listening to the body. MRI, like any good diagnostic process, does not intrude. It waits, measures, and receives. It gathers truth not by force but by resonance.

However, these technologies have their limits. MRI machines are expensive to operate and maintain. Not all patients can undergo scanning due to implants or claustrophobia. And interpretation requires a high level of expertise. Despite these challenges, MRI remains foundational to conventional medical diagnostics because it exemplifies precision through non-invasiveness.

Other technologies have built on the foundation of MRI. Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE), for instance, uses low-frequency vibrations to assess tissue stiffness. These imperceptible vibrations move through the body and are measured via MRI. This technique is especially valuable for detecting early stages of liver fibrosis and other conditions that alter tissue texture.

Electroencephalography (EEG) does not use resonance in the traditional sense, but it is intimately concerned with rhythm. EEG measures the brain’s electrical activity, revealing different patterns of brainwaves that correspond with states of consciousness, cognitive activity, and neurological health (Niedermeyer and da Silva 11). Alpha waves, for example, emerge during calm alertness, while delta waves dominate deep sleep.

Though EEG does not function via magnetic resonance, the concept of biological resonance is embedded in its purpose. In our work, we often talk about the importance of entrainment—how the body and mind align with the rhythms of the external world.

Just as light and sound can entrain brainwaves, food, breath, sound, and daily routines can entrain body rhythms such as heart rate, breath rate, and digestion.

There is growing evidence that external stimuli such as binaural tones can influence EEG readings through a process of neural entrainment. These principles reflect my own understanding that our health depends on our ability to maintain or restore rhythm across multiple systems.

Modern medical technologies like MRI and EEG are not simply tools They are indicators of a larger shift in how we understand the body. They rely on resonance and rhythm rather than penetration or suppression. This resonates deeply with my approach to care. Whether I am guiding someone through a seasonal shift in eating or helping them regulate their sleep-wake cycle through listening to binaural tones, the goal is the same: to help the body return to its natural frequency.

Modern life is so often linked to what one Daoist teacher calls ‘machine time’. Our schedules defy the sun, our meals ignore the seasons, and our stressors come in waves we’re not wired to handle. I believe that many chronic illnesses are, at their roots, disorders of rhythm. When we begin to see health not as the absence of symptoms but as the presence of balance, resonance becomes more than a concept—it becomes a guiding principle.

Resonance in medicine reflects both scientific precision and deeper, older wisdom. Technologies like MRI and EEG demonstrate that we can understand the body not by cutting into it, but by listening to its signals. As a practitioner, I see this same principle at work in nutrition, sleep, emotional regulation, and ancestral practices. Health is a dynamic, resonant harmony between our internal cycles and the rhythms of the world around us.

In embracing both advanced imaging and traditional rhythms, we move toward a model of care that is both intelligent and intuitive, clinical and compassionate. Whether through a scan or a meal, an MRI or a breath practice, the message is the same: the body speaks in waves. Our work is to listen.

Deep gratitude to teacher and sound practitioner Guy Yair Beider of the Sound Medicine Academy.

References

Bushong, Stewart C. Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Physical and Biological Principles. 4th ed., Elsevier Health Sciences, 2015.

Buzsáki, György. Rhythms of the Brain. Oxford University Press, 2006.

Kramer, Christopher M., et al. “The Use of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Evaluation of Cardiomyopathy.” JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, vol. 3, no. 2, 2010, pp. 187–196.

Masé, Lisa. The Culinary Pharmacy: Intuitive Eating for the Seasons and Your Unique Constitution. Shambhala Publications, 2024.

McRobbie, Donald W., et al. MRI from Picture to Proton. 2nd ed., Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Niedermeyer, Ernst, and Fernando Lopes da Silva. Electroencephalography: Basic Principles, Clinical Applications, and Related Fields. 5th ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2005.

Thut, Gregor, et al. “Rhythmic Transcranial Brain Stimulation: Targeting Brain Oscillations in the Human Cortex.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 15, no. 10, 2011, pp. 500–510.

Yin, Min, et al. “Magnetic Resonance Elastography of Liver: Clinical Applications.” Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography, vol. 33, no. 4, 2009, pp. 512–515.