It cost me $615 to get a small iPod-like device, filled with classical recordings done per the specifications of Alfred Tomatis, along with good earbuds (that of course I could easily have purchased separately), a DVD that was essentially marketing material, and a couple of books which were essentially derivatives of the original work by Tomatis.
The claims made for this music are quite amazing, such as that they will increase your energy level, reduce tinnitus (which I have had for many years), facilitate learning, and heal a variety of cognitive disorders. All of these claims, I feel, have merit, based on my own experience thus far. This is truly an amazing technology. In my own case it is calming me in important ways, while also giving me more energy. The music is addictive, and I look forward to listening to it every morning when I get up.
Here is the thing: this technology has been largely locked up by selfish fools. In the case of the Tomatis crowd, they have done their level best to keep this thing a more or less trade secret among audiologists, and require their training, with their tools, to use the phrase “Tomatis Method”, which they have trademarked.
Sound Therapy was founded by a woman who enjoyed huge benefits from it, and came to realize that the so supposed “professionals” were–after apparently doing a thorough examination, and prescribing what they described as a “personalized” program–were giving the same program to everyone.
All Tomatis Therapy is, is music with a lot of high frequency sound being run through a filter designed to reduce low frequency sound. Such sound has effects upon the brain cortex in ways that far exceed the direct influence of the ear, and the cognitive process of listening. Effectively, you are altering the brain through neuroplasticity, itself a response to qualitatively new inputs.
Although I have not yet read any of his books, Tomatis himself apparently viewed his work, ultimately, through a depth psychological lens, and viewed one effect of his work to be an affectively deep return to the womb in order to resolve very primitive problems.
Here is the Wikipedia article on him, which does not seem awful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_A._Tomatis
Even though many elements of his work would likely be enhanced by exposure to an actually qualified professional, most of them apparently just ask people to pay to come to their office and listen to the same music 2-3 hours a day for some 300 hours. They literally prescribe the same thing to everyone, which is something ANYONE could do. There is no magic to it, not in the prescription.
Here is the business opportunity: all of his patents have expired, so anybody and everybody can legally copy his method and work and create their own iteration.
My concept, which I shared without success with the Sound Therapy people, would be to create relatively low cost copies of music made per his method. The essence of what I bought was a small iPod like device which is so out of date that it still has battery memory, and thus a limited lifespan of roughly 4-5 years (They tell me). This technology has likely not evolved in 10 years, and based on how they are marketing this material, they seem to be shooting for low volume and high margin.
Somebody can create a high volume, low margin business. They can create CD’s, knowing that many might be pirated, but which can be protected like any other form of music. Alternatively, they can duplicate the idea of providing a box with prerecorded music–the underlying idea of which, of course, is preventing piracy–but do it at lower cost. My own view is that $100 would be a good price point that many people would be quite willing to pay.
I of course thought about going into this business, and still may, but given all my other sundry projects it will take some time, and given how enthusiastic I am about this therapy, I would like to put it out there in the world sooner rather than later. So many people suffer needlessly. There is so much stupidity and selfishness.