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There's been a revolution going on in late-night talk radio for at least the last five years. Last night, I had the pleasure of actively participating in the power of this medium, and wanted to share a little bit of that magic with you.

Many of you know about Art Bell and his legendary Coast to Coast syndicated show. With the largest nightly audience and his incredible lineup of guests, he has done a fantastic job of getting cutting-edge information on an astounding variety of topics. On his day off some years ago, he started a related but separate show, called Dreamland, heard either on Saturday or Sunday night, depending where you live. About two years ago, Whitley Strieber took over as host, and has continued to expand the outreach and scope of the program.

I continue to be amazed at how many people listen to at least some of the show. But I am also amazed at how many people do not know of its existence. If you're reading this column, chances are you'll find a lot to tune in to.

Over the years, a lot of guests have focused on the frontiers of subtle energy science, crop circles, life after death, etc. Very few covered the power of sound, and on a number of occasions, I've offered to correct this imbalance. So when I got an invitation to discuss the healing and transformative powers of music along with my new release, Inner Peace, of course I accepted. I took this as an opportunity to review my 1985 book, Sound Health, and dozens of my articles, so that I'd have all the left-brain facts and figures at my disposal.

So imagine my surprise when the interview began, and none of that mattered! What did matter was the incredibly powerful experience Whitley had while listening to this album. And he wanted to know why.

Let me pause a moment. If you're not familiar with Whitley Strieber, here's a few highlights. He's a best-selling author of many books, the most well known being Communion, in which he describes, and tries to understand, his contacts with some very unusual beings. At the time he wrote many of his books, he wasn't sure what they were, or even if they were real. He has been deeply involved with exploring the multi-dimensional universe since childhood. This I knew from hearing him as a guest on Art's show, and from reading his books.

So he is quite familiar with altered states of consciousness. Listening to Inner Peace, however, triggered a powerful and wonderful experience for him on two occasions that he had never had listening to music before. What was there in this CD that could account for that?

The challenge for me, in that instant, was not only to change gears entirely, but to use left brain modalities to describe right brain/whole being energy field effects.

If you heard the broadcast, you know that I began with, "It's not just the notes, but the energy that comes through the music." If you didn't catch it live, let me offer a brief summary. You might also want to check out the Dreamland radio archives at www.unknowncountry.com/dreamland.

As often happens, we had had no pre-interview. This was a "live" happening, in the true sense of the word. And the mark of a master interviewer is that he or she makes it sound effortless. His question was like an arrow straight to my heart. Because what I really wanted to talk about was not just the usual facts and figures, but about a quantum leap into the future of sound healing, consciousness, and, as Whitley testified, out of body experience. I know, because that's what was happening to me when I was recording the album.

In the Zone ...
of Inspiration and Beyond

The ancient Greeks spoke of being inspired by the Muse. Mozart described hearing music in his mind, as have many other composers. There's a long history that lies out of the pen and ink manuscripts so beloved of classical music aficionados and academic institutions.

Where does the music come from? That's a huge question. Many books have been written ... many different answers. For me, though, what matters is not just where it comes from, but how it feels during the process--and how it feels afterwards.

In the case of many of the songs on my new recording, it wasn't a case of "me" playing the music. Rather, the music flowed through me. I became one with the music. I felt surrounded in light, weightless, uplifted and blissful.

In fact, I remember remarking to my recording engineer, "These special moments are what got me into this field in the first place!" Even a few moments of bliss can balance out weeks of the more mundane--but essential--music business activities that occupy so much of my time as president of an indie record label.

There are, however, a few key factors that I would draw your attention to, with respect to this particular recording. Whitley referenced the selection, Traveling Among the Stars as the one that catapulted him out of his body. Obviously, he was primed for that: there is nothing that would compel someone to do that if they didn't want to.

The key factors are the very sound of the instruments, plus the state that I was in when I was recording. You'll hear the crystal clear tones of my Rhodes electric piano. This is not a synthesizer, but an instrument that was designed to be a healing instrument. It uses electric pickups to amplify the sound of, essentially, 73 tuning forks that are played with a standard keyboard.

This was the instrument I heard in my dreams before it was invented. This was the instrument that, when I first heard it in person being played by Herbie Hancock in 1969 in San Francisco at a jazz club, motivated me to sell my spare guitar and trumpet the next day in order to buy one of my own. This is the instrument I featured on my first recording, Spectrum Suite, and on many of my albums over the years. The second ingredient is the sparkling, ethereal higher harmonics that I added, courtesy of my newest synthesizer. Kudos the sound designer, whoever he is. When I played the demo in my local music store, I had an instant satori experience--and bought it on the spot!

Over 30 years ago, I began doing research on the tone of the Rhodes, that proved that the sound itself had to be part of the equation. My intuition tells me that is the case with these new, indescribable sounds.

A third factor is the sonic entrainment tones I added on this track, to further guide the listener into a deep alpha and theta brainwave state. I have worked with this sound technology since 1973, long before other labels were even in business.

A fourth factor is the most ineffable: consciousness. "Music is a carrier wave of consciousness" has been a mantra I have shared with my audience for three decades. My intention was to create an experience of upliftment as you listen--including myself!

I recall the lights that flashed in my brain when I discovered The Musician's Prayer, channeled by Edgar Cayce, which begins (paraphrasing): "Let the music that comes through serve the highest good of those who listen." St. Francis is always in my prayers as well, as I begin recording: "Lord, let me be an instrument of Thy peace"

Will the music have this effect on you? I 'd love to compare notes. Inner Peace should be in your local stores by now. For a quick taste, you can hear a sample on my website, www.stevenhalpern.com

I'd also be interested in what you heard during the Dreamland interview.

Be sure to check out Whitley Strieber's site at www.unknowncountry.com for breaking news on crop circles, global warming and other fascinating topics.

Yours for Sound Health,
Steven Halpern

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Steven Halpern has been a leading proponent of sound healing since his 1975 release, Spectrum Suite, helped create this vital genre of recorded music. His latest release, Inner Peace, is a quantum leap in his evolution as an artist, and sets a new standard of excellence for the field of sound healing and meditative music.

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