Although the concept for Samona's Therapy was developed separately from the Tomatis Method, it is based on the same concepts of hearing and healing. Samona's Therapy focuses specifically development auditory sensitivity towards upper-frequency overtones (above 20 MHz). High frequencies are associated with normal speech, singing, and many sounds of nature. The stimulation of these frequencies can strengthen synapses in the brain, which leaves the brain more interconnected. Consequently, a larger area of the brain will be activated when stimulated. Low frequencies are considered to be our "grounding frequencies" and are thought to influence the fright or flight mechanisms within the body. These frequencies are avoided because overstimulation can cause depression in patients. As in all other areas of sound therapy, research is still being done to determine exactly why and how these changes occur within the brain. The plasticity of the brain due to auditory stimulus has surprised many neurologists, but the results have provided another path to improve audition as well as other senses and behaviors.
Samona's Therapy uses a multi-step method to introduce frequencies and stimulate brain pathway formation. Patients begin the therapy listening to simple classical music with amplified upper frequencies. These songs have few instruments, simple melodies, and few movements. As the therapy progresses, the music becomes more and more complex, and sounds of nature are also added. Although there is a general framework for the therapy, the rate at which a patient moves through the program is very independent. After noticing that upper-range frequencies were the first to be damaged in taped recordings, more advanced technological methods were used to produce and listen to music. Instead of tapes or specific equipment which requires a technicianÕs assistance, Samona's Therapy uses CDs which can be used in the home (Steinbach, 171).Samona's Therapy is described as having physio-theraputic effects through "micro-massage of muscles" between the ossicles in the ear, which optimizes the mechanisms of transmission in the inner ear (Steinbach, 179). The three main effects are: 1)stimulation of the sensory cortex, 2)hemisphere-specific stimulation, and 3)increased attention and alertness. Although there has been little specific experimental evidence to support the claims made by Samona's Therapy, other research does show some indication that sound therapy may work (Steinbach 188-190). Many studies have shown that cortex development is dependent upon stimulation. This can be seen most obviously in visual and auditory deprivation studies. Experiments in the 1960s showed that extensive stimulation therapy can permit neurons in the brain to take over areas where there are deficiencies. They determined that if stimulation therapy took place before the age of five, the deficiencies would be almost completely repaired. One other experiment that took place in 1983 looked specifically at the relationship between high frequencies and attentiveness. This became known as the Temporal Lobe Enhance Mechanism, and stated that perceptual sensitivity of humans increased with higher frequencies.