Levels of Sound

Yoga and many other spiritual traditions have recognized the inborn power of sound in transforming consciousness. Nada Yoga, the yoga of sound, has developed a wide variety of techniques to expand consciousness through the medium of sound. Mantras, chanting and deep-listening help to create a ritualistic container to evoke the sacred.  According to Nada Yoga there are four essential layers to the evolutionary sound current:

Vaikhari:

Gross audible sound.
Pashyanti: Subtle sound-current heard inside the mind body organism. Examples include audible hearing the nervous system, the sound of crickets, kettle drums, a waterfall and many other subtle sounds.

Madhyama:

Sound as light.

Paranada:

Beyond all sound.