What is the Sound of the Cosmos?

When Joni Mitchell sang “we are stardust” in the 1970 song Woodstock, she wasn’t wrong. Our bodies are literally filled with particles that were born from the nuclear fusion fires of stars. When a star dies, all the elements that exist inside it are released into space, which then forms the next generation of stars in a cycle which is thought to have been repeating for more than 13 billion years. It was different combinations of these elements that gave life to our planet and subsequently to us.

This residual stardust has been around for billions of years and will continue for billions of years after we are gone. We are fused into the very fabric of our universe in a way that many of us never stop to think about.

This recording, “Out There”, is an invitation to leave your analytical mind behind and to take a trip through the endless space where we all come from. We asked Vanessa Naumann, “What is the sound of the cosmos?” Her answer was this sound.

Inspired by spontaneity, serendipity and the almost chaotic sounds in the universe, “Out There” allows zooming out of our Mother Earth to experience the sounds and vibrations of planets, black holes, galaxies and stardust. In space, there are no human structures, only possibilities in which we can break free from physical limitations and feel our essence. 

The nourishing frequencies of binaural beats, gongs and singing bowls stimulate our brain waves and harmonize our left and right hemispheres. This allows the brain to function in resonance with our conscious and unconscious, which expands the ability to feel, rest and envision deeply.

About the creator

Vanessa is a somatic coach, artist and educator. She believes that feeling is the foundation for expanding our awareness, creativity and resilience to live a healthy, fulfilling life. In her work, she is dedicated to supporting people to connect with their emotions, navigate through challenges and embrace their unique personal power.

In the form of multidisciplinary artistic projects or in the therapeutic context, her approach is body-based and rooted in neuroscience, psychology and energetics. She uses Sound Therapy, Breathwork and Bodywork to support people in releasing stress and anxiety and regulating their nervous systems. 

You can follow her work at decodewithsound.com or on Instagram.

An Ode to the Wonder of Life By Richard Feynman & Nasa

“I stand at the seashore, alone, and start to think. There are the rushing waves… mountains of molecules, each stupidly minding its own business… trillions apart… yet forming white surf in unison.”

Photo 1 & 2: Earth observation taken during a day pass by an Expedition 36 crew member on board the International Space Station (ISS).

Ages on ages… before any eyes could see… year after year… thunderously pounding the shore as now. For whom, for what?… on a dead planet, with no life to entertain.

Photo 3: Earth and Moon as seen from Mars // Photo 4: Earth Observations taken by Expedition 34 crew member.

Never at rest… tortured by energy… wasted prodigiously by the sun… poured into space. A mite makes the sea roar.

Photo 5: M2-9 is - a striking example of a "butterfly" or a bipolar planetary nebula. By Hubble Space Telescope.

Deep in the sea, all molecules repeat the patterns of one another till complex new ones are formed. They make others like themselves… and a new dance starts.

Photo 6,7,8 & 9: Earth Observations taken by Expedition 34, 36 and 40 crew members.

Growing in size and complexity… living things, masses of atoms, DNA, protein… dancing a pattern ever more intricate.

Photos 10, 11 & 12: Earth Observation taken during day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Out of the cradle onto the dry land… here it is standing… atoms with consciousness… matter with curiosity.

Photos 13: The Cartwheel Gallary // Photo 14: Earth from space.

Stands at the sea… wonders at wondering… I… a universe of atoms… an atom in the universe.

Richard Feynman (1918-1988) was a Nobel Prize-winning physicist known for his work on the path of integral formulation of quantum physics. Feynman was also a philosopher and naturalist.