Sounds of Light - the Pure Tones of Crystal Singing Bowls

My curiousity got the best of me this time. I can't sit through this CD. I think you need to be into crystals in order to believe this is helpful.

My advice to you is to listen to those samples, over and over, before you buy this.

There is such an excellent variety of chant and sacred music out there, and I guess I'll have to stick with that.

...but I find this CD helpful.
The first few times listening, I found it a trying experience. The droning sounds and weaving about take some getting used to. However, once one gets used to these unconventional sounds, and starts to just accept, the magic happens. I find myself unaware of my body at times, and my consciousness to be elsewhere. Earlier this week (I've only done about 10 sessions), as I sat listening, and drifting, I heard in my head, plain-as-day 'god is holding your hand.' Needless to say, this was a bit disconcerting, but amazing it its own way, for one who's not of the religious sort.

I find myself looking forward to a session each day. The droning still is not pleasant, but the effect if produces after 10-15 minutes is great. This is the only meditation CD I've used that takes me to such a quiet, warm , calm, loving space.
I've started calling it my 'god-space' for lack of a better term.

I love the calming sounds of the crystal bowles while meditating. But I do agree that the sounds could not be enjoyment for everybody. The bowles make long lasting high pitched sounds. I find it calming. This CD is one of my favorites to use during meditation.

Some of the tracks make for quite transcendental experiences, although turn down the volume if you're listening on headphones - the tones won't suit everyone. The sound quality is true to life, I was doubting if the 'goosebumps' quality of real crystal bowls would be evident in a recording, but they seem to be.

At first when I got this CD I popped it into my stereo CD player at work and listened for a few minutes. I thought... "Damn... this is crap." But then, later in the evening I went home and decided to give it another try. This time listening to it using my headphones. Then I thought "Damn... this is GOOD!"
Conclusion: "Sounds of light" doesn't make good ambient background music, it's best listened to using headphones. I also found it to be surprisingly mentally calming while doing "breath watching" meditation.

The recording is very well done, (you can hear the sound of the friction mallets as they draw them around the inside of the bowls) and is very clear. However the sound of the mallets does sound a little like a shop saw cutting a pipe a long way away, if you think this will bother you then, don't buy it.
In the liner notes is an interesting story:
"In preparing to record Octaves of Light we set our intentions to anchor in the energies of illumination and enlightenment. As we began, our pinon incense sparked into a flame and, at the same time, the halogen light over head mysteriously went out, so the only remaining source of light in the room was a circle of candles. Continuing our session by candle light, suddenly and unexplainably the overhead light turned back on. This switching off and on of the light repeated for the duration of the recording. We felt the presence of angels."