Can Cells Really Hear?

Those of us working with sound in a therapeutic setting have been well aware of its profound impact on the human body. We know that sound can calm the nervous system, shift our emotions, and bring us into states of deep presence. Yet, the general view of sound is that of an external stimulus that primarily affects the auditory system.

An interesting set of studies is now providing hints to a deeper reality of sound that seems to support what we have experienced or even only intuitively known. Recent research suggests that cells themselves may be able to “hear” sound and respond to it, not metaphorically, but literally at the level of gene expression and biological function.

Sound as a Direct Cellular Signal

In 2025, researchers at Kyoto University published a landmark study showing that audible sound waves can influence gene activity in cultured mouse cells. The scientists developed a custom-built sound emission system to transmit vibrations directly into the culture medium, avoiding confounding factors such as heat or mechanical artefacts.

When cells were exposed to sound within physiological ranges (around 100 pascals, equivalent to sound levels we encounter in daily life), the team found significant genetic changes. More than 100 genes showed altered expression in response to sound. Many of these were linked to cell adhesion, migration, neuronal signalling, and adipocyte (fat-cell) differentiation [1,2].

One of the most striking findings was that sound exposure appeared to suppress the development of fat cells. Muscle precursor cells (C2C12) and pre-adipocytes (3T3-L1) both showed changes in the activity of mechanosensitive genes, and in the case of adipocytes, sound waves inhibited their differentiation into mature fat cells. In some experiments, fat accumulation was reduced by approximately 15% under acoustic stimulation [1,4,5].

This suggests that cells are not passive in the face of sound waves: they actively register acoustic vibrations and alter their behaviour accordingly.

How is this possible? Cells contain mechanosensitive pathways, molecular structures that detect and respond to physical forces. We already know this is how they sense pressure, stretch, and tension. The new findings indicate that audible sound waves act as a form of mechanical stimulation that cells can pick up, leading to downstream effects on gene regulation and signalling pathways [3].

This represents a new dimension of communication within the body. Just as cells are responsive to chemical signals, they also appear to be attuned to acoustically generated mechanical inputs.

A Resonance with the Sat-Sound™ Approach

In my own work with Sat-Sound™, I often describe sound as a language of the biofield, an organising principle that influences the flow of energy and information across the body-mind system. I’ve also been teaching for many years to my students that we hear with our whole body, not only our ears.

These new studies provide a scientific echo of this perspective.

The discovery that cells “hear” through mechanosensitive genes resonates with the Sat-Sound™ unified model of energy: sound interacts not only with the nervous system but also with the cellular consciousness, shaping how life expresses itself at the most fundamental level.

When we bring presence into sound work, whether through voice, instruments, or music, we are engaging in a dialogue that is both energetic and biological. This dialogue can be mapped across the three brains (head, heart, and gut) and further supported by brain hemisphere integration, where vibrational input helps harmonise different modes of processing. In this way,  sound therapy can be seen as a practice that fosters coherence and unifies inner and outer, matter and energy, biology and consciousness.

Wider Implications for Health and Sound Therapy

For those of us engaged in sound-based practices, this research resonates deeply.

While this work is still in its early stages and focused primarily on mouse cells in vitro (far from cells in a living body), the implications are profound. If similar responses are confirmed in human cells, we may one day see the development of non-invasive acoustic therapies capable of, for example, promoting tissue healing and regeneration; modulating metabolism or immune function or offering targeted interventions for disease.

The idea that our cells themselves are listening encourages us to rethink our relationship with sound. Every tone, every vibration, every resonance we create or encounter may be shaping us at a microscopic level.

For practitioners of sound therapy, this is both affirming and humbling. It invites us to continue refining our practice, grounded in both experiential wisdom and emerging scientific insight. As the intertwining of our experience with scientific discoveries and even ancient wisdom deepens and expands, we will more and more recognise aspects of sound that reach deep into the fabric of reality and appear as a fundamental language of life.

References

1. Kyoto University (2025). Sound waves suppress fat accumulation in mouse cells. Research News. Link
2. Y. Tominaga et al. (2025). Acoustic modulation of mechanosensitive genes in cultured mouse cells. Communications Biology, Nature. [DOI pending] Link
3. Scientific American (2025). Cells can hear sounds—and respond genetically. Link
4. The Scientist (2025). Sound waves can change fat-cell fates. Link
5. SciTechDaily (2025). Your cells can hear: How sound waves rewire the body at the cellular level. Link
6. Azolifesciences (2025). Can cells hear? Study finds sound alters gene activity and blocks fat-cell development. Link

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