Interview with Michael Joly, Co-developer of the n.o.w. Tone Therapy System by solu

What inspired you to create the n.o.w. Tone Therapy System?

n.o.w. Tone Therapy was co-created with my life partner Alene Sibley. She’s an intuitive coach who appreciates, as she has said, “a quick hack into wellness.”

We were inspired to create n.o.w. to bring peace and healing to minds, through sound. We wanted to offer a way to help people more easily experience the timelessness of present moment awareness—the essence of mindfulness meditation.

I’ve had a dual-path background over the past thirty years as a designer of audio products and as a serious student of metaphysics. I had wonderful technical mentors and went on to design cinema sound products, home theater products and recording studio microphones.

Some of my ideas that found their way into n.o.w. Tone Therapy go back to 1990. But it was only recently that technical advancements made it possible to make an affordable consumer product that would not only carry the purity of our tones, but also embed the spiritual teachings of stillness and presence I’ve studied.

Did you exercise any wellness or meditative practices before developing the speakers?

Yes, I have three mental wellness practices––intentional and attentive listening to ambient sound, daily journaling and reading metaphysical texts.  

My earliest childhood memories are of hearing fog signals in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on the shores of the Piscataqua River. I used to play “submarine” by myself on a large oblong rock. I remember being shrouded in fog so thick I could barely see my family’s rented house. The booming, echoing and overlapping sound of those fog horns stayed with me and a version of that transportive sound found its way into n.o.w. Tone Therapy. 

Additionally, my daily long-hand journaling practice keeps me in touch with my intuitive self. I had an intensive period of writing in early 2016 just before Alene and I started working on what would become n.o.w. Tone Therapy; that writing, those “inspired thoughts,” led to n.o.w. 

I also spend a fair amount of time with the writings of spiritual teachers like Lao Tse, Eckhart Tolle, and many others who are guides on my path.

What makes this sound experience so uniquely soothing? 

n.o.w. Tone Therapy is uniquely soothing because of its New Origin Waveforms (n.o.w.). These are aural neuromodulation signals that gently guide the listener’s brain to a meditative state. That’s the short version of the brainwave science. But I love to point out n.o.w.’s metaphysical aspects…

To the eyes n.o.w. looks like two speakers, but to the ears n.o.w. is an experience of Oneness––the two speakers create a unified sound-field. There’s some “wholeness”-making, and this is soothing.  

The scale used in the n.o.w. tone sequences is based on the naturally occurring harmonic series (used for healing by Pythagoras). A scale based on pure harmonic intervals (1:1, 2:1, 3:2) feels more “true” in comparison to the slightly out-of-tune equal temperament scales more commonly used in Western music. 

The n.o.w. tones were made by real instruments I improvised on, while in a “no thought” state of mind, as I recorded. There is embedded stillness being carried by the tones to the listener. This means the tone sequences are intention-neutral, and allow for the listener’s own experience to arise, free from my own ideas or musicality. 

What are some benefits people have experienced by using this system on a regular basis? 

The user reviews really speak volumes. n.o.w. users report stress and anxiety reduction, help with PTSD symptoms, help creating good sleep hygiene so that people can relax into sleep better, enhanced focus, enhanced intuitive abilities, increased synchronicity of life events, an increased ability to remain present in the face of challenges as unconscious reactivity is reduced. We’ve even heard of enhanced abilities which are manifested consciously. 

Has the impact this product has had on people surprised or inspired you in any way? 

We are very grateful to know that something we were called to create has turned out to help so many people in different walks of life. Ruane Sibley (Alene’s sister), our main customer success person, has heard many varied, first hand customer stories of lives being impacted from the use of n.o.w.

This authentic feedback is deeply moving to us, and acts as constant motivation for our company. Many users of n.o.w. go on to order sets (or recommend n.o.w.) for their family and friends. This is especially true now in these particularly challenging times where self care, and care-for-others is so needed. 

It’s gratifying that we appear to have made something that a lot of people love and want to share with their loved ones.