Tibetan Singing Bowls & Sound Meditation

Topic: Research on Tibetan singing bowl sound meditation, relaxation responses, mood effects, HRV, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and physiological markers.

• A classical observational study (2016) examined the effects of Tibetan singing bowl sound meditation on mood, tension, anxiety, and wellbeing in 62 participants. After the session, participants reported significant reductions in tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood, along with increased spiritual well-being. This foundational study suggests potential for singing bowl sound meditation to induce a relaxation response.
  🔗  Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-Being — PubMed (2016)

• A 2023 randomized controlled study compared the acute relaxation response induced by Tibetan singing bowl sound treatment with progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) and a control group. Results showed that a single session of singing bowl sound therapy elicited stronger psychological and physiological relaxation, including reductions in self-reported anxiety, compared with the control conditions.
  🔗  Acute Relaxation Response Induced by Tibetan Singing Bowl Sound — PubMed (2023)

• Emerging research (2024/2025) indicates that singing bowl interventions may also influence heart-rate variability (HRV) and autonomic balance, showing trends toward increased parasympathetic activity and relaxation during sound meditation or vibroacoustic use of bowls (e.g., HR reductions, HRV changes). Several controlled and observational studies explore HRV and affective outcomes in this context. 

  🔗 Neurophysiological Effects of a Singing Bowl Massage — PMC (2022)

• A recent systematic review (2025) synthesizes evidence from multiple studies on Tibetan singing bowl interventions. This review found that singing bowl sound therapy shows potential to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms, improve quality of life and well-being, and modulate physiological markers such as HRV and brainwave activity across diverse adult populations. However, the authors also note high heterogeneity and the need for further rigorous controlled research.
  🔗 Effects of Tibetan Singing Bowl Intervention on Psychological and Physiological Health — Sciencedirect (2025)

*While most studies use standardized acoustic devices or instruments such as singing bowls, gongs are capable of producing comparable – and in some cases broader – acoustic pressure fields. However, due to their complexity, direct clinical studies remain limited.