Our fascinating and magnificent planet is filled with countless different sounds of nature. While many of us experience nature's cacophony of sounds on land and in the sky and hearing them makes us feel good, few truly experience the hidden sounds that are produced in beautiful oceans with which our planet is blessed. And that is why Sounds of the Ocean, an award-winning immersive experience that guides you on a mindful underwater odyssey by connecting human beings with the underwater world through sound, music, and visual art, is so important for personal rewilding, growth, and mindfulness and also for projects that focus on preserving the beautiful and fragile waters that surround us. Listening to wild choruses can foster mindfulness, hope, kinship, and harmony.
Here is what Joshua Sam Miller, founder of Embodied Sounds and Sounds of the Ocean, had to say had to say about his and Elise Lein’s landmark film.
Marc Bekoff: Why did you and Elise Lein produce "Sounds of the Ocean: A Mindful Underwater Journey"?
Joshua Sam Miller: We produced “Sounds of the Ocean: A Mindful Underwater Journey” to help audiences fall in love with life underwater and care more for the ocean from a loving place within. Growing up a scuba diver, I wanted to share the magic of life underwater with audiences who perhaps cannot access this stunning environment for themselves. We blended our skills in music, film, immersive media, and wellness to create an effect of scuba diving in a relaxed and safe setting. With stress levels higher than ever before, we saw an opportunity to use venues like planetariums, art museums, and science centers to support mental health and mindfulness, by allowing people a chance to slow down and connect deeply with themselves while journeying through the sea.
MB: How does your film relate to your background and general areas of interest?
JSM: Our fulldome film is truly a culmination of 20+ years working in media production, environmental experiential education, expressive arts therapy, and other mindful modalities. Both of us have spent over a decade in documentary film production, telling stories of human strength and environmental topics, though we both left this genre to pursue other passions, including music and dance. Elise has completed her expressive arts facilitation training and is currently pursuing her master's degree, and I carry a Nada yoga teacher certification and have studied music from world lineages including Indian raga, sound therapy, Jewish and Sufi mysticism, and jazz. I also have led trips in the wilderness for teenagers for up to three weeks at a time, which brought me closely connected with the natural environment, and I learned to respect its beauty and awe. "Sounds of the Ocean" offered each of us the opportunity to blend this life experience together and offer something very personal from our hearts out into the world.
MB: Who do you hope to reach in your interesting and important film?
JSM: We aim to reach individuals of all ages who can benefit from a relaxing, peaceful, and mindful experience amidst the fast pace of life and mounting stress, as well as those looking to establish or deepen their connection to the ocean and marine life. This includes especially families, children, and young adults who have the opportunity to shape their future and that of the world. Our experience has welcomed children from as young as 2 years old to senior citizens of 75+ years.
MB: What are some of the major topics you consider?
JSM: In this film, our primary focus is on linking the importance of human health with ocean health, developing a holistically sustainable approach that fosters a symbiotic relationship between humans and their environment. For us, it is equally important to care for oneself as well as for the environment to create a healthy future for our society and planet.
We focus mostly on mental wellness by supporting mindful practices during our experience, inviting conscious breathing, deep listening, and intentionally noting the ocean and its creatures. We find that even by taking a half hour out of one’s day to connect in this way, transformative effects can be felt that allow for stress reduction, lowering anxiety, and improved sleep. Research has shown that the effects of meditation and mindfulness can improve our impact on the planet from both carbon emissions and overconsumption.
We also raise awareness around some critical issues such as plastic pollution and sound pollution in the ocean. We want our audiences to feel what the whales and dolphins experience, by painting a realistic picture of the threats to life underwater. We integrate this in a gentle and peaceful way, not to startle or alarm our audience, but to connect emotionally with what it is like for these creatures, so we can inspire behavior changes in our modern society.
MB: How does your film differ from others that are concerned with some of the same general topics?
JSM: We are proud that our film is driven by the sounds of whales and dolphins as the "lead singers" in our ensemble. By taking this audio-first approach, we invite audiences to turn off their minds and feel the power of sound. We don’t include too much narration or impressive facts and figures during the journey, to let the music and ocean take you on a dive. The film is designed as an emotional, felt experience to invite introspection, reflection, and curiosity to dive deeper into this subject afterward in one’s own life. We are also proud to focus on our mindful activism approach to conservation work, which takes a peaceful approach rather than causing conflict, chaos, or aggressive behavior and motivates action from a caring and loving place within.
MB: Are you hopeful that as people learn more about underwater life, they will become more concerned about how we are destroying these magnificent and fascinating seascapes?
JSM: Yes. And, more importantly, that they want to take action to do something about it. We encourage our audiences to sign petitions, join beach cleanups, adopt whales, reduce their own plastic consumption, and put pressure on world leaders and local governments to participate in the Ocean Decade. All of these initiatives are found on our website and are often mentioned by guest speakers at our events.
References
In conversation with Joshua Sam Miller, an award-winning ocean artivist, multi-instrumental composer, immersive media director/producer, and ecopreneur on a mission to connect people back to the natural world through the creative arts. He creates bespoke immersive experiences that blend spatial audio with large-scale visual projections that foster relaxation, appreciation, and deeper awareness of our connection to nature. Elise Lein, who has an MPhil in film, media, and theater science, is a versatile artist from Germany. With a background in dance, music, and expressive arts facilitation, she brings a unique perspective to her work in the creative arts.
Why It's Essential to Listen to the Hidden Sounds of Nature; Listening to Wild Choruses Fosters Hope, Kinship, and Harmony.
Peterson, Brenda. Wild Chorus: Finding Harmony With Whales, Wolves, and Other Animals. Mountaineers Books. 2024.
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Andrew Mitrovica
Mort Laitner
Nikkei Editorial
Rami G Khouri
Ali Fathollah-Nejad
visit website
