Gongs date back to the Bronze Age, about 3500 BC and were found primarily in Mesopotamia, Burma, China, Java and Annam.  Some of the ancient uses for the gong include meditation, healing, initiation, communication and ceremonies including the exorcism of negative spirits. In 1790 gongs were used in European orchestras for the first time where they remain today.

Paiste, a German company, has taken gong making to a whole new level. Firstly they begin with a smooth metal disk made of Nickel Silver or German Silver consisting of 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. The metal has been highly condensed through a process of heating and rolling under pressure which brings the metal to a consistency carrying minimal internal resistance and eliminating the possibility of any cracks or fissures when used correctly.Then they hand forge and tune the gongs to achieve a state of sustained resonance, one by one.

I began my journey into the healing properties of gongs quite recently (in 2015), attending an all-night “Gong Puja” in Hong Kong at Red Doors Studio. Participants lay on the floor and for 8 hours (10pm – 6am) we were surrounded by the incredible, complex, healing vibrations of these instruments. A team of players took turns in playing the set of 14 gongs.

 

The vibrations can entrain the brain into a theta state, between waking and sleeping, which stimulates the immune system. People can feel their bodies twitch sometimes (as the energy meridians are cleared & balanced), have insights, bursts of creative ideas, see splashes of colour behind their closed eyes, out-of-body experiences, or simply experience feelings of total peace and connectedness.The sound of the gong can be used to rebalance the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies.

I took my 28” symphonic gong to a children’s

home in Ipoh recently and as I played it above each child,

different sounds could be heard. The gong responds to the

energy of each person and produces vibrations especially for them.

People have reported very positive results after experiencing the

effects of the gong. It has helped physical conditions improve.

One client had pain in the hip and shoulder after a fall,

and after a 15 minute session with the gong,

she reported the pain was now gone.