Have you ever tried out Om chanting before? You might be thinking, “How can one syllable carry such strong energetic resonance?”
And if you’ve never heard of the “Om” before, look no further.
In this article, we’ll be going through exactly what the practice of Om chanting entails, why “Om” is so special, the scientific (research-backed) and spiritual benefits of chanting Om and a guide on how to get started with Om chanting.
Interested? Read on!
What is Om Chanting?
Om chanting is a vocal practice commonly used in Hinduism and Buddhism, you can usually find it as the first syllable in plenty of Hindu or Buddhist mantras.
Though it can also be recited alone, as it is considered the seed mantra (the mantra that contains all other mantras). Om chanting involves the repetition of the sacred sound “Om” or “Aum.”
The chant is often performed by vocalizing the sound “Om” in a sustained manner, typically with a deep and resonant tone.
Chanting Om is thought to align one’s consciousness with the universal consciousness, bringing about a sense of unity and interconnectedness. It is considered a powerful tool for meditation and spiritual practice, helping us attain higher states of awareness and realization.
Why is Om Sacred?
Om is considered sacred in various spiritual traditions, particularly in Hinduism and Buddhism. Its sacredness stems from its profound symbolism and association with the fundamental aspects of existence.
Om is believed to be the primordial sound that gave birth to the universe. It is considered the sound of creation, representing the vibration that brought everything into being.
In Hindu philosophy, it is seen as the sound that pervades all of existence and encompasses the past, present, and future.
The sacredness of Om also lies in its symbolic representation. The sound is often depicted in a written form as a combination of three letters: A, U, and M.
The letter “A” symbolizes Brahma, the creator of the universe, while “U” represents Vishnu, the preserver of creation. The final letter “M” represents Shiva, the destroyer and transformer.
Together, Om embodies the divine trinity, signifying the cycle of creation, preservation, and dissolution that governs the universe. By chanting Om, we acknowledge and connect with these cosmic forces, seeking balance, harmony, and a deeper understanding of the profound nature of existence.
Scientific Benefits of Om Chanting on the Brain
1. Om Chanting Promotes a State of Relaxation in the Brain
According to this study, the benefit of chanting Om on the brain is associated with significant deactivation in limbic brain regions such as the amygdala, anterior cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, insula, orbitofrontal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and thalamus. (These regions are associated with emotions, stress, and the regulation of mood.)
The deactivation of limbic brain regions suggests that chanting Om may have a calming and relaxing effect on the brain.
2. Helps Regulate the Processing of Negative Stimuli
This study aimed to investigate the effects of Om chanting on emotional processing. The researchers recruited 33 undergraduate students without meditation experience and recorded their brain activity while they viewed unpleasant and neutral images and performed Om chanting.
The results showed that chanting Om made the disturbing pictures seem less unpleasant and less arousing compared to just looking at them quietly.
In simpler terms, the study suggests that chanting Om can change how we feel about negative things and how our brain processes them.
3. Potentially has Therapeutic Benefits for Depression
In this study, researchers investigated how Om chanting affects the brain’s connectivity during meditation.
They used a technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to analyze brain activity during Om chanting.
The results showed that certain brain regions involved in processing emotions, such as the insula, anterior cingulate, and orbitofrontal cortices, had reduced communication with the amygdala during OM chanting.
These regions are known to be involved in major depressive disorder (MDD), and the decreased communication suggests that Om chanting can influence brain activity related to emotions.
This indicates that Om chanting may have a positive impact on emotional regulation and could potentially be beneficial for people with MDD.
4. Enhances Psychological and Cognitive Functions
This study examined the effects of a relaxation technique called Mind Sound Resonance Technique (MSRT), which includes Om chanting and yoga, on the mental state and thinking abilities of school children.
The participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group and the control group.
The experimental group received guided relaxation sessions of MSRT for 30 minutes per day, six days a week, for two weeks.
The control group engaged in supine rest for the same duration.
Before and after the intervention, the participants were assessed using various measures of mental state and thinking abilities.
The results showed that the experimental group experienced reduced anxiety and mind wandering, as well as improved mindfulness and performance.
Based on these findings, MSRT (which includes Om chanting) can be beneficial for enhancing the psychological and cognitive functions of school children.
5. Increases Emotional Empathy
This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to explore the brain activity associated with listening to the sound “Om” compared to a meaningful Hindi word (“Aam”).
When participants listened to the “Om” sound compared to the Hindi word “Aam”, certain areas of the brain that play a role in processing emotions and understanding the emotional states of others (bilateral cerebellum, left middle frontal gyrus, right precuneus, and right supramarginal gyrus) showed increased activity.
These findings suggest that listening to the sound “Om” involves neural systems associated with emotional empathy.
6. Heightens Mental Alertness
In this study, experienced meditators were examined while practicing Om meditation.
The researchers compared their physiological responses during meditation sessions to control sessions where they engaged in non-targeted thinking.
The results showed that during Om meditation, the meditators experienced a notable decrease in heart rate compared to the control sessions.
Interestingly, both types of sessions led to a similar increase in cutaneous peripheral vascular resistance.
Based on the study, we can derive that Om meditation promotes a state of increased mental alertness while simultaneously inducing physiological relaxation, as evidenced by the reduced heart rate.
7. Enhances Concentration
The study examined the performance of a six-letter cancellation task in male experienced meditators.
The results revealed that after focusing on the symbol “Om,” participants showed significantly higher scores on the task.
Meaning, focusing on the symbol “Om” during meditation may have positive effects on selective attention, concentration, visual scanning abilities, and repetitive motor response.
8. Fosters Feelings of Interconnectedness
The study examined the effects of a 10-minute online chanting session on stress, mood, and connectedness.
Before and after the session, participants completed measures assessing anxiety, positive and negative effect, social connectedness, and the inclusion of self in others.
The results showed that online chanting, whether done in a group or individually, significantly reduced stress and increased positive effect.
Group chanting also enhanced the feeling of connection within the chanting group.
So the study shows that Om chanting can be a beneficial intervention for stress reduction and mood enhancement, promoting well-being and connectedness even in virtual settings.
9. Promotes Brain Stabilization and Expands Awareness
In this study, researchers discuss different ways to practice the Om mantra and stress the importance of understanding its deeper meanings and gradually incorporating it into daily life.
They suggest techniques like rhythmic chanting and internalizing the sound to enhance meditation and focus.
To study the sound of the Om chant, the researchers recorded and analyzed it using specialized software (MATLAB).
The analysis revealed patterns in the sound that indicate changes in the mind and body during chanting.
These findings suggest that chanting Om can promote relaxation, clear the mind of distracting thoughts, and increase energy levels.
The study emphasizes the therapeutic potential of Om chanting as a form of energy medicine for mental and physical well-being. By practicing the Om mantra, we can stabilize our brain activity and reach a deeper state of natural awareness.
Spiritual Benefits of Om Chanting
As an added bonus, let’s go over 9 spiritual benefits of Om chanting as well! Seeing as how “Om” can already affect our physical minds and bodies in different ways, we can only imagine the effects it can have on our spiritual bodies. Here are just some of them:
1. Om Chanting Helps with Grounding
When we chant Om, we engage in a focused and repetitive vocalization of the sacred sound. This act helps to bring our attention inward and create a sense of stillness within.
Om chanting acts as an anchor, helping to ground our awareness in the present reality and detaching from distracting thoughts and external stimuli. It serves as a reminder to let go of worries, anxieties, and stresses, and instead, focus on the here and now.
2. Deepens Meditation Practices
Chanting Om serves as a focal point for our concentration. The repetitive chanting helps bring focus to the mind and prevent it from wandering during meditation.
By focusing on the sound of Om, we can enter a state of deep concentration and mindfulness, allowing us to dive into the depths of our inner being.
3. Helps with Spiritual Awakening
The sacred sound of Om is believed to carry a powerful vibration that resonates with universal consciousness.
When we chant Om with devotion and intention, it acts as a catalyst for expanding our awareness and connecting with our spiritual essence. In this state, we become more receptive to the subtle energies and spiritual insights that arise.
4. Purifies the Mind, Body, and Spirit
The vibrations created by Om chanting help to remove negative energies, stagnant emotions, and impurities from within.
When we chant Om, the sound vibrations penetrate through every cell of our body, releasing any blockages and clearing away accumulated stress, tension, and emotional baggage. It acts as a sonic purifier, cleansing our energy field and promoting a sense of lightness and clarity.
It purifies our mind by helping us let go of negative thought patterns, limiting beliefs, and attachments that no longer serve our highest good.
Chanting Om also purifies our emotions, allowing us to release pent-up feelings, emotional baggage, and past traumas. It helps us to connect with our authentic emotions, express them, and let them flow freely.
On a spiritual level, chanting Om purifies our spiritual consciousness and helps us connect with our higher self and the divine. It serves as a tool for introspection and self-realization.
5. Balances Chakra Centers
Chanting Om helps to harmonize and balance the energy centers in our body, also known as chakras. According to ancient yogic philosophy, there are seven main chakras located along the spine, each representing different aspects of our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
When we chant Om, the vibrational sound resonates with the energy centers, helping to activate and balance them. The specific frequency and resonance of Om aligns and harmonizes the flow of energy within the chakras, promoting a state of equilibrium with mind, body, and spirit.
6. Enhances Intuition
Intuition is our innate ability to perceive things beyond logical reasoning. It is often associated with a deep sense of knowing.
Om recitation helps to cultivate a deeper connection with our inner wisdom. It allows us to tap into our subconscious mind, where intuitive insights often reside.
7. Opens up the Heart
The heart is not just a physical organ but also a center of emotional and energetic expression (think of the heart chakra).
Om’s vibration can help to dissolve emotional blockages and create a sense of energetic flow as it passes through our hearts, allowing us to connect more deeply with our heart’s essence.
As the heart center opens, we become more receptive to experiencing and expressing compassion. We may find it easier to forgive, let go of resentments, and create harmonious relationships.
In essence, the practice of chanting Om can help us dissolve the barriers that prevent us from fully embodying the qualities of the heart.
8. Facilitates the Transcendence of Ego
Chanting Om has the potential to help us transcend the limitations of the ego, the sense of separate self. The ego is the identification with our individual identity, thoughts, and desires, which can often lead to feelings of separation, attachment, and suffering.
We can gradually detach ourselves from the identification with our ego through Om chanting.
Along with this, we may also experience a sense of expansion within ourselves. This expansion helps us detach from the ego’s limitations and opens up the possibility of connecting with a deeper, more expansive aspect of our being.
Chanting Om can also help us let go of ego-driven patterns such as pride. It invites us to surrender and release our identification with the small self, allowing us to tap into a more interconnected state of consciousness.
9. Cultivates Inner Peace
The sound of Om resonates within us and has a calming effect on the mind, the vibration of the sound reverberates, creating a sense of harmony. This harmonizing effect helps to soothe the mind, allowing us to experience a deep sense of inner peace.
The repetitive chanting of Om serves as a form of meditation, drawing our attention inward and bringing us into a state of present-moment awareness where our thoughts gradually quieten, and we enter a state of calmness.
How to Do Om Chanting
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do Om chanting:
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Find a quiet and peaceful place: Choose a serene environment where you can sit comfortably without distractions. This could be a dedicated meditation space or any quiet corner of your home.
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Sit in a comfortable posture: Find a comfortable seated position. You can sit on the floor with crossed legs (either in a lotus position or with your knees bent), or you can sit on a chair with your feet flat on the ground. The most important thing is to keep your spine straight, allowing for proper breathing.
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Relax your body: Take a few moments to relax your body and let go of any tension. Close your eyes gently and release any tightness in your muscles. Take a few deep breaths to settle your mind.
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Focus on your breath: Bring your attention to your breath. Observe the natural rhythm of your breath as it enters and leaves your body. Let go of any thoughts and anchor your awareness in the present moment.
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Begin the chanting: Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, begin to chant the sound “Om” (pronounced like “AUM”). Let the sound emerge naturally from your throat, starting with the “Ah” sound, moving into the “Ooh” sound, and concluding with the “Mmm” sound. Allow each syllable to be pronounced fully and vibrantly.
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Chant with intention: As you chant, bring your full attention to the sound and vibration of “Om.” Feel the resonance in your body and the energy it generates. Focus on the sacredness and meaning behind the sound, connecting with its universal significance.
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Repeat the chant: Continue chanting “Om” for as long as you desire. You can chant it aloud or softly, depending on your preference. Maintain a steady rhythm and let the sound reverberate within you. You can also chant it mentally, though sound carries more vibration.
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Embrace the silence: After chanting for a while, gradually let the sound fade away. Sit in silence and observe any sensations or thoughts that arise. Allow yourself to experience the peace that follows the chanting practice.
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End the session: When you feel ready to conclude your chanting practice, take a few deep breaths and gently open your eyes. Take a moment to express gratitude for the experience and the positive energy you’ve cultivated.
