Q: I have started experiencing tinnitus (a very high pitched whistling) over the last year. This seems to become more noticeable and pronounced with consciously connected breathing. Should I use this sound as a focus for compassionate awareness, or just continue to focus on whatever feelings I'm experiencing at the time?
A: From personal experience I can tell you that tinnitus is not 'something wrong' - as in an apparent symptom of some defective ear ailment. The word itself is another manifestation of the medical profession using fancy Latin-type vocabulary to try and behave as if they know what they are talking about when in actuality, they have absolutely no clue. [As when I was informed that the manifestation of my suppressed emotional content as neurological pain was called 'Horton's Cephalgia'.] The sound you hear is actually the first of many inner sounds available to those who effectively turn their intention inward and tune into the first whisperings of vibrational realm. It is a gift not a curse. Instead of rewriting the entire explanation for this, I simply reprint an excerpt of a well-written article written by Kiara Windrider, available in full at http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Vipassana_Meditation/id/1937
"THE SOUND CURRENT PRACTICES
The practice of the sound current, also known as the divine sound, is a foundational practice of linking directly with the soul and I AM Presence. It comes from the Himalayan masters of ancient India, and is a foundation for the practice of Nada yoga, Sahaj yoga, Babaji's kriya yoga, as well as Sikh practices like Shabda yoga. When electricity runs through a power line it produces a humming sound. Likewise, when higher spiritual energies run through the circuitry of the human body, there is an interface between the two energy fields that we can hear within our heads as a current of sound. All creation is a manifestation of sound, the eternal OM. This same sound can be heard and felt within our own bodies. You might first experience this as a very subtle tone, so subtle it is almost subliminal. Later, or in deeper states of meditation, it could become so loud it drowns out everything else in its vibrancy.The sound current could be experienced differently, depending on the degree of one's inner attunement. You might hear it as a buzzing, or a ringing, or the sound of waves along the shore. It could be a clear ringing tone or the roar of thunder. However it is first experienced, as you bring your attention to that sound it becomes stronger and more coherent, until it eventually merges into the music of the spheres, the primordial sound. The sound current is a very sweet sensation of subtle sound. In the beginning it might help to cover the ears, or go someplace where you can be absolutely quiet. As you become more accomplished with this practice, you hear this tone constantly, and it serves as a continuous link with the soul. After some practice you might notice that this pitch changes as your brain wave rhythms change. It also changes when you are in the presence of higher vibrational beings like the ascended masters. You can begin to distinguish the energies of the different masters by the difference in tone. Likewise, when you are out in nature, taking the time to soak in the vibrancy of sounds and colors around, you begin to notice changes in the sound current as you connect with various elemental energies and nature spirits. As you match frequency with another being through the sound current, you might find that there is a deeper level of communication that begins to happen."
