From 1978 through 1982, I studied Oriental Medicine in Santa Fe, New Mexico with Sensei Masahilo Nakazono at the Kototama Institute. The Japanese word Kototama is difficult to express in our culture, but what I understood from Sensei Nakazono was that Kototama, or “word soul” refers to a time when human beings understood and knew how to use the power of sound, recognizing sound vibration as the origin of creation. As it says in the Bible, “In the beginning, there was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
This took on more meaning for me when I encountered the videos made by Swiss physician and natural scientist Dr Hans Jenny (1904-1972). Starting in the 1930s, he experimented with the the effect of sound vibrations on various substances. You can find more about this by watching the Science of Cymatics video or with the two-volume book of his experiments.
Sensei Nakazono said that thousands of years ago, humans started misusing the power of sound, so the world leaders met and agreed to hide the sound principle from humanity. He said that now the sound principle was coming back to earth. In fact he initiated us into this mission. I must admit that I didn’t understand what I was being initiated into at the time!
TAE is for going beyond what we know already
When I first saw the videos of Hans Jenny’s sound experiments, I was struck by the way the clear pattern formed by a substance at one frequency, would disappear into chaos as the substance responded to a change in frequency. That has remained with me as a metaphor for what is happening in the world right now. Old systems and patterns are falling away. This leaves people with an uneasy sense that there is nothing to cling to and believe in, and it’s true. We are in the process of finding new ways of living on the earth. With Focusing and Thinking at the Edge, we can go beyond with we know already and listen for what is unclear, not formed yet. Step-by-step, new patterns emerge from our changed frequency..
In August 2024, during Marta Fabregat’s Ecología Sentida retreat in the oak forests of Galicia, the whole group spontaneously burst into toning together. As the voices of the group joined in incredible harmony, I could feel our vibration being lifted and melded together. I was amazed to be present as the sound continued and continued before finding its natural denouement. It did feel like spiritual energy that was coming back to earth!
What our new logo means to me
For years I kept a photo of one of Hans Jenny’s experiments–a pattern formed by oil on water in response to a certain frequency. Its dynamic energy felt like the creativity generated in Focusing and Thinking at the Edge. I really wanted to use it as our logo, but for several reasons, it didn’t work. Then my resourceful web-designer, Sally Crewe, found the image that you see as our logo now.
In addition to capturing some of the energy of the images of Jenny’s sound experiments, it also symbolizes the energy that develops between members of my TAE classes as they valiantly go to the edge and stay there until the unclear sense of a situation comes into focus. A deep feeling of wonder connects us as we witness each person’s process being carried forward.
Our logo also symbolizes the multifaceted community circle that Sally has worked so hard to integrate into our new website: a place where all who are involved in our courses will be able to meet, ask questions, share insights, and learn more about the incredible power of felt sensing and its ability to change the vibration of situations. That’s what I’ve always wanted to foster in my classes, and even more with our new video course.
Our logo also shows the implicit intricacy of each person’s experiencing. There are so many facets to it, and as we listen and give them more attention, we discover more and more. Understanding this intricacy is is essential to discovering our own innate intelligence and the gift that each of us brings to the world. As Gene said:
“You need to stand again in your own
experiencing … in your own felt
ongoingness, which is that intricate
complexity inside of life …
to put into the world
what hasn’t been said yet,
that you are carrying
from your particular experience.”
—From Nada Lou’s video,Thinking and Speaking with Eugene T Gendlin