Sonic Symbolic: Exploring Ancient Asian Symbolism Numerology and Mysticism in the Spatial Audio Domian

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the application of Asian symbolism, particularly yant symbology, in the spatial audio domain. Can the wisdom of these ancient symbols inform modern spatial audio practices? This thesis answers this question by exploring the some of the relationships between the visual and sonic mediums. When viewed as sonic diagrams, the yant and yantra symbols of Asian origin may be some of the earliest representations of transcribed sound featuring spatial cues and geometric association. After a contextualized and abbreviated history of sound and symbol, this paper will analyze the various elements of individual yant symbols and consider ways to translate them from the visual domain to sound. This includes a survey of works by other artists, who have also sought to correlate the thoughts and beliefs of Asian mysticism with modern art practices, and interviews with two professionals working with yant symbolism. Following this is an overview of the technical parameters of spatial audio and a walkthrough of how these techniques were incorporated into my practical works as a sonic artist. This concludes with a discussion of the future implications of this type of sonic artwork and the holistic benefits of studying these symbols in today’s society

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