Soundbath Experiences: Benefits, What to Expect, and My Experience
- Josephine Warren
- 3 days ago
- 10 min read
The long read. Grab a coffee and give yourself time to read and reflect.
I've been wanting to write about this for a while, but I didn't know where to start. There is so much to say, and everyone's experience is so personal. You can be lying in a space with 20 other people, and each person will have a different journey. There is hopefully some continuity between each client, as the practitioner(me!) tends to set an intention, and play accordingly. Depending on the time of year, the season, and what is happening in the world. Of course, with the 1-2-1 bookings, the experience is tailored, so the journey is hopefully in alignment with the client's needs, but still, surprising things can happen.
I am reluctant to share specific experiences of my clients, which would be a breach of trust. These sessions, whether in a group or individual, are deeply personal. So I am going to write about general occurrences, and I'll share some of my own experiences. Having attended soundbaths regularly now for close to 7 years, I have experienced such a vast range of wonderful and magical moments.
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The thing: 'I can't feel my arms or legs' ‘I was floating’ ‘It might sound mad, but my body was oscillating around in space’
The info: Now this might sound scary to read, but it can be magical, you lose track of the edges of your body, you float, feel free, connected to another plane. This can also be exceptionally powerful for those suffering from chronic pain; if they are able to let go, the healing can be profound.
Why, benefits and more: When immersed in sound, the nervous system shifts away from “fight or flight” and into “rest and digest.” This can lower heart rate, slow breathing, and reduce muscle tension. In that deeply relaxed state, the brain deprioritises sensory feedback from the body, which can feel like the limbs “disappearing.” Or a possible altered body map in the brain, the brain has an internal map of where the body is (somatosensory cortex). In stillness, with reduced sensory input and overwhelming auditory/vibrational input, that map can become fuzzy. This is why people describe “floating” or losing awareness of their arms and legs. In this state we can have an altered perception of time/space, with external distractions removed, attention turns inward (interoception: sensing internal bodily states). This shift in awareness can distort the sense of time, body boundaries, and spatial orientation.
The thing: ''I just found myself in my childhood home', 'I was just flying through space' , 'I had so many lights and colours dance across my eyes.'
The info: I absolutely love the visions that come with deep soundbaths, they might not always appear, and not everyone has this experience, sometimes if we are particularly stressed, it can take a while to relax and the mind really needs to be in a theta state for quite a long period to experience this.
Why, benefits and more: In normal waking life, the default mode network (the brain’s self-referential chatter) is dominant. Sound immersion quiets that network, allowing deeper, subconscious material to surface — memories, emotions, archetypal imagery. This can explain visions of death, nature, or profound beauty: the subconscious is expressing itself symbolically.
The brain often generates spontaneous images, lights, and colors in theta states. This is the same state just before sleep or in deep meditation. The visions are not hallucinations in a pathological sense, but natural byproducts of the brain’s altered activity. Sound vibrations can activate emotional centres in the brain (amygdala, hippocampus).This can bring up past experiences or even symbolic “life–death–rebirth” themes, which are common in transformative states.
From a more spiritual lens, you could say: the sound bath thins the veil between the conscious mind and the deeper psyche, allowing universal or archetypal experiences to be felt. It parallels Jungian ideas of the collective unconscious and modern psychedelic research into mystical states.
Special note: I have had so many amazing visions, but in particular when I was recovering from grief and loss, I went to see a specific sound healer for a few months, the visions I had were otherworldly, I remember landing in the canopy of an ancient tree, her taking me in, and cradling me in her roots, like a womb, I was held with such safety, it was like I could see everything, the whole natural world, free from pain, human distraction, worry and fear. I felt such love in this moment, it will honestly stay with me forever.
The thing: 'I just saw death, it wasn't scary, but it was there, as a figure and image and deep knowing'
The info: Now, this blog aims to support not scare you, so please keep reading. For me, this is a profound part of the practice. In the West, we hide from death, fear it, with limited ways to talk about it, in other cultures, it is held, nurtured, shared, and understood. I find it baffling that something we will all encounter still has no place in our Western world(with the exception of religion, which I don't think is the same thing). There can also be some big meanings attached to these visions, such as ego dissolution, threshold of renewal, letting go of the physical form/body. See below.
Why, benefits and more: In deep altered states (through sound, meditation, or psychedelics), the brain’s default mode network - responsible for your sense of “I, me, mine” — temporarily quiets down(ego death). This can feel like the death of the ego: a release of your personal identity. The subconscious often represents this transition symbolically as death. Archetypal imagery (in Jungian psychology) uses symbolic language. Death is a universal archetype that often appears during inner transformation — not as an ending, but as a threshold into renewal. After death symbols, many people report seeing light, nature, or rebirth imagery. Being fully still, deeply relaxed, and immersed in vibration can trigger a state where the body feels dissolved or absent. For some, this feels like a rehearsal of death: letting go of the body while awareness continues. It’s actually a profound nervous system release. The sound bath may unearth unconscious material related to loss, grief, or mortality. Rather than being traumatic, this often feels cathartic — a way for the body-mind to process and integrate hidden emotions.
Across traditions, meeting “death” in a visionary state is seen as an initiation. The death is symbolic — of old patterns, stories, or identities — making space for something new.
The thing: 'I felt such joy during the chimes, like fairies dancing', 'I don't know why I cried I don't feel sad', 'Thank you, I didn't realise how much I was holding, I was finally able to let some of the tears fall', 'It's strange, I thought I would cry loads but I actually just feel really centred and calm', 'During the gongs I felt scared, my anxiety was present'.
The info: There is a lot to unpack here. When life is busy, there is a chance we are functioning in fight or flight, which can block the body from expressing genuine emotion, whether that's sadness, grief, or pure joy. The body is keeping us safe, so there might be numbing. We are also all part of a society that is built largely on 'keep calm and carry on' 'oh you're such a brave boy' 'big girls don't cry'. Whether we like it or not, we probably have some emotional programming somewhere linked to shame, it's not that we blame our folks or society but it is a reason why, when we come to rest, and if we feel safe and relaxed, emotion might surface. Sound is an innate part of being human, from resting in our mother's womb, the sound of the fluid, the voice and the rhythm of the heartbeat held us. It is woven through every tribe, society, and generation. There is a reason it pulls at our hearts, because it is free from words(in a soundbath) and allows space for processing to take place. Alternative, we might be walking through everyday with big emotions present, if we come to rest the talking mind might quiten and we get to rest in peace for just an hour away from what we are carrying, this can be why people don't always cry/emote but feel really calm and like they ahve had a break from 'life'.
Why, benefits and more: Stress, trauma, and unprocessed emotions are often “stored” in the body — in muscle tension, breathing patterns, or the nervous system. When people finally drop into deep relaxation, those stored patterns can unwind, and the emotions tied to them rise to the surface. Also, sound immersion slows the nervous system. When fight-or-flight switches off, the body feels safe enough to release what it’s been holding. Tears, sighs, or even laughter are the natural “reset buttons” of the nervous system. Vibrational sound strongly engages the limbic system (the brain’s emotional centre, linked to memory and feeling).
This can bring old memories or feelings up into awareness — sometimes surprising, but often cathartic. Unlike talk therapy, sound baths don’t require words. The subconscious communicates directly through images, sensations, and emotions. This bypass can allow emotions to move freely, without the mind analysing or suppressing them. Deep relaxation can release endorphins, oxytocin, and serotonin. These create sensations of warmth, safety, and joy — which can trigger tears of relief or laughter as the body “lets go.” Different sounds can evoke different emotions, depending on the individual and the practitioner, I could write a whole disertation on this, but a short snippet would be, think of the gongs, they are rumbling, mysterious, unnervering, they also trick the brain into rtyint to work out what is going on, and it can't, there are no sounds like the gong(perhaps thunder) and that can stir up anxiety, expecially if we have a tendency for order or control(OCD). Sound can also be peaceful and soothing, as a musician and a soundbath practitioner, we will play harmonic chord structures, perfect fifths, resolutions, to help you feel safe, uplifted etc.
Special note: Last year, I went to a gong bath with my favourite practitioner in Surrey, but what happened was out of the blue. I was strung out and tired, I just wanted to rest deeply. But I was taken to a place of discomfort, such strong waves of anger were brought to the surface, I witnessed all that was wrong in my relationship(that is no longer), all the parts, the experiences, the grief of the way things were going, the ways I hadn't expressed my needs etc. But I had the space to feel what was true, It was a really hard hour, but it was necessary. I held myself with such care the following weekend, and I moved forward with more bravery, clarity and strength. We all have emotions that we weren't able to express as children and this can sometimes translate into our adult interactions and relationships. With sounds, we are freed from 'who we are' and able to express without judgement. It also gave space for the emotion to move through and dissolve, creating space and a healthier internal world.
BONUS. The thing: this one is hard to write about, and if I'm honest, I nearly didn't. However, it is important. Luckily, for me as a practitioner, this very rarely happens. I do not play loudly, or aggressively; I do not aim to shock your body into emotions or get a result through hell or high water. But sometimes, people book without quite knowing what a soundbath is or they get gifted a session with good intentions from a friend. Sometimes, people are just not ready to lie in stillness and be with the sounds(which in turn means sitting with whatever comes up). They might experience discomfort, or be too close to their emotions, or feel sensory overload. This is so hard to talk about as a practitioner as I never want to put people off, and many times people come and have a wonderful time. But this is a deeply spiritual practice; it is a meditation. I think soundbaths can sometimes be portrayed as a spa treatment(not to de-value, I've cried in many a massage) but it's a profound practice, deep and all encompassing.
If you have had a very traumatic life, or suffered from abuse, or recent grief, it can just be too much to suddenly lie down and be with 'everything'. If a person also suffers from auditory autism or sensory sensitivity, a soundbath can be too much for their system to process.
I have now been healing through sound for nearly 6 years, and I try to gently suggest that if people are new to the practice, to book a 1-2-1 or try one of my yoga and sound courses, because in that way you've brought yourself closer to your body for an hour before you lie down to receive the sound.
I also start all my sessions with freedom and autonomy gifted to my clients, reminding them that they can sit up, look at me, leave if they need, and during a 1-2-1 we can have a dialogue and work out which instruments feel safe and helpful, building up slowly to the more powerful and bigger sounds.
There is so much more I could write and perhaps I'll do a part 2, I just feel this is a part of the practice I do not see talked about, mentioned or explained. I am also still trying to find ways to help you, my beautiful community, understand and connect with yourselves.
The more we practice with sound, especially regularly, the more profound and nuanced the experience can be, and we can also start understanding that every session is different, depending on the practitioner, the time of year, and how we are. in ourselves.
Drop a comment below if you have any questions.
Much love,
Josephine
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