I’ve had many extraordinary experiences as a result of working with sacred sound. Some of these include witnessing spontaneous healings and other miraculous events. In addition, I’ve heard enough anecdotal stories about the healing and transformational power of sound from other people to fill a book. Despite all these extraordinary encounters in the field of sound, one personal story particularly stands out, and I’d like to share it with you. It really demonstrates an aspect of sound that was quite beyond the realm of anything I could have anticipated, and continues to astound me to this day.

In 1987, an event took place that many believe created an important and powerful shift in planetary consciousness called the Harmonic Convergence. It was a time when like-minded individuals throughout the world meditated and chanted together in order to usher in a new era of peace and harmony. The specific dates for this were August 16 and 17. The Harmonic Convergence was said to open a gateway of consciousness that would culminate in major transformation on December 21, 2012.

I found myself in Mexico during this time of the Harmonic Convergence. First, I journeyed to legendary Tule Tree, where Mayan prophecies had foretold that Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent god, would emerge and bring forth a new epoch of consciousness on the planet. Next, I immediately traveled to Palenque, where the Mayans had built a city with structures reminiscent of ancient Egypt.

Late one night a guide took five of my traveling companions and me on a special tour of Palenque. He told us he would share a journey through this site that we wouldn’t otherwise experience. Indeed, he was correct.

At one point in our tour, our guide led us into a temple that had been closed to the public. Using a flashlight, he took us to a subterranean level, into an underground chamber. He and I had spoken briefly about my interest in sound. Once the entire group was in this ancient room, our guide pointed toward the doorway of the chamber and said: “Make sound here!” Then he turned off his flashlight.

I’d never before been in such total darkness. There was no light anywhere.

“Make sound,” he urged.

“Sure,” I replied. Then I began to tone some vowel sounds, complete with harmonics. To my utter amazement, the room started to become illuminated. Somehow, I’d been able to create light—perhaps fields of it—through the harmonically related sound of the vowels. It wasn’t like the illumination from a flashlight or some outside source, but rather, it was more subtle.

The room literally began to get brighter. I could see the outlines and figures of the people there. Everyone was aware of this, and after I stopped toning, the room was filled with the exclamations of the others, who had also experienced this light, which was now fading. Then our guide turned his flashlight back on, and we continued on our tour.

Since that time, I’ve investigated explanations from both the scientific and the spiritual communities. I’ve speculated on many different possibilities for what occurred, but there simply is no single explanation that encompasses all the aspects of this phenomenon. It was real. There were witnesses. And it is true. After a while, I cease to explain, and simply accept what is.