Hans Jenny's Cymatics 汉斯﹒珍妮的音流学

Cymatic Hans Jenny

Vibration creates sound, and sound creates image as a direct effect of sound on object. This is the basis of Hans Jenny's cymatic theory. Cymatic is the study of wave phenomena; a study whereby the effect of sound is made visible. Cymatic is a word derived from the Greek word 'kyma', meaning wave. Although Hans Jenny is considered as the father of cymatic theory, cymatic was as a result of inspiration he got from Ernst Chladni's system theory and his medical practice. According to Hans Jenny:

The sounds of human voice have specific effects on various media, producing what might be called corresponding vocal figures. These again are pattern produced by vibration and such are appropriate objects for cymatic study.

震动产生声音，声音创造出了直接作用于物体上的形象。这是汉斯﹒珍妮的音流学理论的基础。音流学是对波纹现象的研究，这项研究使声音的效果是可见的。音流学是来源于希腊文"kyma"，意为波纹。尽管汉斯﹒珍妮被认为音流学理论之父，但是其灵感来源于恩斯特·克拉德尼(Ernst Chladni) 的理论系统和他的医疗实践。根据汉斯﹒珍妮被认为音流学理论之父的说法：

人类的嗓音通过不同的媒介会有不同的效果，产生所谓的相对应的声音数字。这些也是由震动产生的模式，而且是音流学研究合适的对象。

This is Hans Jenny's statement concerning cymatics. He performed several experiments on the periodic visual display phenomena of sound on matter. To observe the effect of human voice on matter, the Tonoscope was constructed. The tonoscope is an apparatus in which one can speak into without electro-acoustic component, with a diaphragm on which sand, powder or liquid is placed as indicator. This made it possible to be able to see the physical images of songs, tones and vowels.

这是汉斯﹒珍妮关于音流学的论述。他周期性地做了几个关于声音视觉显示现象的实验。为了观察人类声音在这件事情上的效果，音高镜应运而生。音高镜是一种可以不使用电子元件讲话的设备，这种设备可以被放置在沙子，粉末或者是液体中作为指示剂的隔膜装置。这就使得我们可以看到歌曲，声调和元音的物理图像。

Although Hans Jenny in his statement said sounds of human voice, but in actual fact, every sound has specific effects on the object. The sounds could be sound of nature, electrically generated sounds or mechanically generated sounds. The sounds referred to, as carried out by Dr. Jenny in his experiments include speech and music.

尽管汉斯﹒珍妮在他的陈述中说道了人类的声音，但实际上每一个声音都尤其作用于物体上的具体效果。这些声音可以是大自然的声音，可以是电力产生的声音或者是机械产生的声音。如汉斯﹒珍妮博士在他的实验中证明的那样，声音包括演讲和音乐。

Making sound into the tonoscope produces on the diaphragm symmetrical patterns, which correspond to the sound spectrum. This means, not only can the sound be heard, but also its effects can be seen; even the fluctuations and modulations of the sound change the pattern accordingly.

让声音进入音高镜后会在膜片上产生对称的模式，这是和音谱相对应的。这也就意味着，声音不仅能被听到，其作用力也可以被看到；甚至声音的波动和调整也可以相应的改变其模式。

The patterns produce by a normal speech and songs are simple, but the sonorous patterns of an orchestral sound or many people talking together are extraordinarily complex. Hans Jenny's experiment on fluid of various kinds produced wave motions and spirals patterns in a continuous circulation; but with plant spores, an enormous variation and complex patterns were gotten.

常规的演讲和歌曲所产生的声音模式是简单的，但是管弦乐队响亮的声音模式或者是很多人一起讲话的声音模式就极其复杂。汉斯﹒珍妮对各种流体的实验在一个连续的循环系统内产生波浪运动和螺旋模式；但是在植物孢子中，得到了巨大的震动和复杂的模式。

Factors that Affect the Sound Pattern

There are various factors that affect the outcome pattern generated by tonoscope. According to Hans Jenny,

The pattern is characteristic not only of the sound but also of the pitch of the speech or song. The indicator material and also the nature of the diaphragm are, of course, also determinating factors. However, given the same conditions for the experiment, the figure is a specific one.

影响声音模式的因素

有很多因素影响音高镜产生的结果模式。根据汉斯﹒珍妮的说法：

模式的特征显然不只是有声音也有语言或者歌曲的音调。指示剂的材料和膜片的性质当然也是决定性的因素。然而，见于本实验相同的条件下，这是一个具体的数字。

Looking at the above statement, in other to relate it to how sound creates image in the mind, or how sound affects psychologically, I will like to reclassify and make relative comparison of the four factors Jenny highlighted, that is: Sound, Pitch, the Indicator material, and the Nature of the Diaphragm, into five in three factors. That is, Sound will be discoursed as Pitch, Amplitude and Timbre, and then the Nature of the Diaphragm and the Indicator material will also be discoursed.

综观上述说法，在其他涉及声音如何创造出脑海中的形象或声音如何从心理上有所影响，我想对Jenny强调的四个因素重新分类并作出相应的比较，即：声音，音调，指示剂材料和隔膜特性，三大因素五个方面来论述也就是说，声音将会从音调、震幅和音色三个方面来论述，然后是隔膜性质和指示剂材料也会被论述到。

1. Sound

According to Adeshina, every sound can be distinguished by three basic parameters: Pitch, Timbre, and Loudness; and these three parameters differentiate between sounds. Therefore pitch could be grouped under sound, because is part of sound components.

• Pitch: This is the characteristic of sound that has to do with how high or low a sound is in relation to frequency. David Sonnenschein confirms this by saying, "The parameters of pitch follow the gradient of low to high frequencies." That is the higher the frequency, the higher the pitch. Frequency is the number of cycle a sound wave complete per second, and is measured in Hertz (Hz). Relating this to cymatics, Hans Jenny discovered that if he increased the pitch, the complexity of the patterns increased, the number of elements became greater; this shows that different pitches generate different effects. The table below shows examples of different sounds and their pitches.

1. 声音

根据Adeshina的观点，每一个声音都可以被区分为三种基本的参数：音高，音色和响度；而这三种参数都可以在声音中被区分。因此，音高可以归类到声音的下面，因为它也是声音组成的一部分。

• 音高：这是一个有关于声音多高、多低或者是与声音频率相关的一个特征。 大卫（David Sonnenschein）大卫 Sonnenschein也证实了这一点，他说：“音高的参数变化遵循了从低到高的阶梯型频率变化。”也就是说频率越快，音高越高。频率是声音每秒钟完成的声波周期的数字，以赫兹为计算单位。将此与音流学相结合，汉斯﹒珍妮发现如果他提高了音高，声音模式的复杂性也会增加，元素的数字变得更大；这也显示了不同的音高产生不同的声音效果。下面的表格展示了不同的声音和音高所呈现的例子。

• Amplitude: This parameter has to do with how loud or soft a sound is in relation volume. According to Adesina, it is a measure of the relative strength of the deviations in the air pressure created by the vibrating object. This sound power is measured in watts or decibel (dB), a logarithmic value of sound energy that relates to how human being perceives sound increment. Hans Jenny during his cymatics experiment also discovered that whenever he increased the amplitude, the motions became all the more rapid and turbulent and could even create small eruptions. This shows why soft spoken words or music and shout or loud music generates different reactions.

• 震幅： 这个参数和音量的多大声或是多柔软有关。根据Adesina的说法，这是对震动的物体产生的气压偏差测量其相对力度。这样的声音能量计量单位是瓦特或分贝，这是和人类声音如何感知声音增量的对数价值。汉斯﹒珍妮在做他的音流学实验的时候也发现了每次当他增加震幅时，声音的运动也变的更快速猛烈，甚至会产生小小的爆发。这就证实了为什么温柔的声音或音乐和猛烈大声的音乐会产生不同的反应。

• Timbre: Hans Jenny also discovered that under certain condition he could change the patterns without altering the pitch or the amplitude. Although he did not specify what that certain condition was, but according to the three basic parameters of sound, the one left out to mention is timbre. According to Adesina, timbre is the property sound that distinguishes a sound from other sounds of the same pitch and amplitude. It is the only condition that can alter the effect of a sound without altering the pitch or the amplitude. Timbre is sometimes referred to as tone color or sound quality, and is a product of the fundamental tone and the overtones called harmonics.

Timbre makes us recognizes people through their voice before we see them. It makes us differentiate between a male voice and a female voice or between a piano sound and a flute sound even when they are of the same pitch and volume. There is a Yoruba adage that says "Sorry has both positive and negative". This means the way you say a word determines how it is interpreted. The tone of a sound or w word carries more importance than the word itself; and this makes us to know a speech means the opposite of the text it contains.

• 音色： 汉斯﹒珍妮也发现在某种特定的条件下，他不改变音高或震幅也可以改变模式。尽管他没有表明是在怎样的条件下，但是根据声音的三个基本参数，还没有提到的那个就是音色。根据Adesina的说法，音色就是将相同的音调和震幅的声音区别开来。这是唯一一个不改变音高或者震幅就可以改变声音效果的条件。音色有时也指声调色彩或音质，是基音和泛音的产物。

音色使得我们在看见人们之前通过声音就可以辨别出是那个人。它使我们区分男人和女人的声音，钢琴和长笛的声音，即使是一样的音调和音量。有一条约鲁巴谚语说“对不起有肯定和否定的两种含义”。这也就以为着一个单词的意思取决于它是如何被翻译的。声音或单词的音调带有比这个单词本身更重要的意思；这就使我们了解话语在其文本之外的意思。

1. Nature of the Diaphragm

Before discoursing the indicator material, I think is better to discourse the nature of the diaphragm, for a better understanding of Cymatic process and how it can be related to how human perceive sound.

Although there are various definitions of the word "diaphragm", but I will like to use one of Merriam-Webster dictionary definitions that defines diaphragm as "a thin flexible disk that vibrates when struck by sound waves or that vibrates to generate sound waves." In other words, a diaphragm could act as a transducer that transforms a form of energy into another form of energy. When sound is produced into the Tonoscope, it is the diaphragm that converts the sound energy into mechanical energy; similar to how human ears transform sound energy into nerve impulses.

As stated by Hans, the pattern or information receive depends on the nature of the diaphragm, and how it responds to the sound waves. Hans discovered that the patterns gotten also have to do with environment, in terms of sound energy movement and the energizing process. The two natures Hans mentioned are, the heat condition and the specific characteristics of the diaphragm. He stated after his experiment:

Vibrating materials naturally react quite unequivocally to heat conditions. Not only the crystal oscillators, but also the plates and diaphragm change their vibration characteristics to a remarkable degree.

1. 隔膜性质

在论述指示剂材料之前，我想最好先论述隔膜的性质，以更好的理解cymatic过程以及如何将它与人类感知声音相联系。

尽管关于diaphragm的定义有很多种，但是我倾向于使用韦氏字典的定义，它将diaphragm定义为“一种声波撞击产生的震动或者是震动以产生声波的一种薄软盘。”换句话说，隔膜可以作为转换器将一种能量转化为另一种能量。当声音产生进入到音高镜时，是隔膜将声音能量转化为机械能量；类似于人类的耳朵如何建声音能量转为神经冲动。

如Hans所述，模式或信息的接受取决于隔膜的性质及其如何对声波作出反应。汉斯﹒珍妮发现根据声音能量运动和通电过程，已取得模式也和环境有关系。汉斯﹒珍妮提到的两种性质分别是热量状况和隔膜的具体特征。实验后他作出如下陈述：

震动材料对热条件的自然反应相当明确。不只是晶体振荡器，而且盘子和隔膜也可以改变它们的震动特征至一个相当显著的程度。

1. Indicator Material

In Hans Jenny's experiments, he used various indicator materials such as sand, liquid, iron fillings, and powder substances; spread on diaphragm to show physical image generated by sound.

According to the cymatic experiments with various kinds of liquids, Jenny discovered that fluids produces wave-like motion patterns in a continuous circulation, while plant spores generated more complex patterns.

Experimenting with lycopodium powder and sand, Jenny discovered that using the same viberating diaphragm, the sand forms into nodal lines, while powder circulates in the center as a round shape. But under another condition of experimenting with quartz sand and water, the quartz sand also forms into circulating round shape, heap up in the center of the diaphragm.

This shows that not only the content that matters, but also the conditions. That is, the end result of a vibration will remain the same as long as the objects and their conditions, the variables are equal. Relating it to how cells react in the gene system, Dr. Jenny says:

Even conditions inside the cell-the processes of the cell division and the mechanics of the gene systems- are subject to this principle of oscillation.

Before concluding on Hans Jenny's cymatic theory, there are two interesting discoveries made by Jenny. One is the anti-gravitational effects of vibration; and the other is the discovery of ancient written symbols.

Jenny discovered that as long as the vibration continues, the indicator materials will remain in their place even if the diaphragm is tilted or held vertically. But if the vibration is stopped, the materials slips due to the force of gravity; however, if the vibration does not stopped for too long and is turned on again, the materials retunes back to their position. This is believed to be the basis for sound healing.

One of the amazing discovery of cymatic is, when the vowels of the ancient language of Hebrew and Sanskrit were made into the tonoscope, the patterns formed on the diaphragm looked like the written symbols for those vowels; but experimented with the modern languages, could not generate the same result. This discovery may point us to the origin of ancient languages written symbols such as Hebrew, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Egyptian and Chinese.

1. 指示剂材料

在汉斯﹒珍妮的实验中，他使用了不同的指示剂材料如沙子，液体，铁屑和粉末状物质；洒在隔膜上以展示声音产生的物理图像。

根据不同液体所做的音流学实验，汉斯﹒珍妮发现在一个不间断的循环中流体产生波浪一样的运动模式，然而植物孢子产生更为复杂的模式。

通过使用石松粉和沙子做实验，汉斯﹒珍妮发现使用同样的震动隔膜，沙子会形成节点线，而粉末则在中心循环形成圆形。但在另一个以石英砂和水为条件的实验下，石英砂也会形成圆形，堆积在隔膜的中心。

这就显示了不光内容与其有关系，条件也一样息息相关。那就是，震动的最终结果将会和物体及条件保持一样长的时间，变量是平等的。和他相关的而是在基因系统中细胞如何做出反应，汉斯﹒珍妮博士说：

即使在细胞内的细胞分裂和基因系统的力学过程都受到这种震动的原理。

在汉斯﹒珍妮的音流学理论总结之前，Jenny有两种有趣的发现。一个是震动的抗重力效应，另一个是古代书写符号的发现。

汉斯﹒珍妮发现只要震动持续，指示剂材料将会一直停留在他们的地方，即使隔膜倾斜或垂直固定。即使震动停止，因为重力的作用，材料会有滑动；然而如果震动停止的时间不太长且很快会重新启动，材料还会回到其原来的位置。这被认为是声音治愈的基础。

音流学的一个惊人发现是，当古希伯来语和梵语的原因引入音高镜时，膜片上形成的图案就像是这些元音的书写符号；但如果以现代语言进行实验却不能产生相同过的效果。这一发现可能为我们指明了古代语言文字符号的起源，如希伯来语，梵语，藏语，埃及语和汉语。

In conclusion on cymatic theory, Han Jenny argued that his theory is to proof the effects of periodic vibration on bioelectric, chemical, mechanical, energetic, thermal, structural, kinetic and dynamic processes; and his experiments were to demonstrate phenomena of sound in the acoustic and lower ultrasonic range. Jenny believes, as stated by Peter Petterson that:

The key to understand how we can heal the body with the help of tones lies in our understanding of how different frequencies influence genes, cells and various structures in the body. He also suggested that through the study of human ear and larynx, we would be able to come to a deeper understanding of the ultimate cause of vibrations.

总之音流学理论，汉斯﹒珍妮认为他的理论是为了证明周期性震动对生物电学，化学，机械力学，能量学，热量学，结构学，动力学和动态过程的影响；他的实验也证明了声学和较低的超声波测距现象。如彼得 Petterson证实的那样，汉斯﹒珍妮相信：

理解如何运用声调的帮助来治愈身体的关键是不同的频率如何影响我们的基因，细胞和不同的体内结构。他也表明观点说通过对人类耳朵和喉头的研究，我们可以对震动的最终原因有一个更深层的理解。