In a world marshaled by diverse language systems, one rarely stops to consider the underlying power of sound, be it music blasting through headphones or the spoken word, over people’s brains and bodies.

How linguistic and auditory stimuli affect students’ cognitive, emotional and biological processes was the topic of a talk by Lecturer at LAU’s School of Arts and Sciences Deema Dakakni on March 21 at the Beirut campus.

Titled Word Magic: The Spells That You Cast Unknowingly and What They’re Doing to You, the lecture offered a neuropsychological analysis of people’s engagement with language and sound in their everyday lives, particularly in an academic setting.

Dr. Dakakni began this investigation by drawing on cymatics research—the study of wave phenomena and vibrations to understand the transformational nature of sound—to illustrate how spoken words produce toroidal electromagnetic fields, a circular, doughnut-shaped field where electric and magnetic forces loop around a central axis.

“This framework goes to show that language goes beyond functioning merely as a symbolic means of communication,” she said. “Rather, it is a biomechanical force capable of affecting both the speaker and the environment.”

On a personal level, just as sound therapy is often used to alter brainwave activity, energy from spoken words could possibly interact with a person’s own electromagnetic field by either harmonizing or disrupting it. Positive speech, for example, is proven to enhance relaxation and mental clarity, while negative speech contributes to stress.

Sound waves are also known to influence physical structures. The study of cymatics demonstrates how frequencies cause shape patterns in sand and water. “If words produce similar effects through electromagnetic fields, they could subtly influence surrounding energy patterns,” Dr. Dakakni pointed out, “to the point of atmospheric charge distribution.”

These theories were then used to elaborate on certain peculiarities in the English language, such as problematic homophones—words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings—where positive terms often share identical sounds with words carrying negative connotations.

“It’s interesting that a male savior, for example, is known to be a hero, but the term for a female champion, a heroine, is indistinguishable from a recreational, addictive drug,” said Dr. Dakakni.

Other examples included expressions like morning and mourning, praise and preys, and whole and hole.

Such phonological overlaps could create unconscious associations that reinforce negative thought patterns through repeated exposure, added Dr. Dakakni. In an academic context where precise language matters, “being mindful of what words we use helps us develop greater awareness of the effectiveness of our communication and psychological wellbeing.”

Another medium through which sound holds fundamental power is music. According to studies, slower music tempos (between 50 to 80 beats per minute)—which dominate many contemporary genres—correlate with increased alpha brainwave activity, a state of mind associated with reduced critical thinking and heightened suggestibility.

For students, this means that consuming such music, especially while they are studying or performing daily activities, might lead to decreased concentration and lower retention of information, which could impact their decision-making processes.

Emotionally, on the other hand, this suggests that these tempos could regulate one’s mood at the risk of falling into a more passive or disengaged mental state, thereby affecting productivity.

“My goal in this session is not to present abstract theories or scare the students into adopting a herd mentality,” stated Dr. Dakakni. “I want to empower them to take active control over these factors.”

For this reason, she proposed a set of practical strategies to counteract the negative effects of harmful language and sound patterns, such as consciously selecting music with higher tempos and positive lyrical content compared to slower, melancholic tracks.

She went on to highlight specific physiological benefits of vocal practices like humming, a technique used by Buddhist monks, to show how this simple act increases nitric oxide production by 15 percent, which allows blood, nutrients and oxygen to travel to every part of the body effectively. More rhythmic breathing techniques like the Dirgha Pranayama exercise from yogic tradition can help, which involves three-stage inhalations shown to reset nervous system function.

When asked about the benefits of these recommendations, Dr. Dakakni noted that they aim to guide university students on how to better approach their environments and transform passive consumption into strategic selection for enhanced learning, mental health and personal agency.