In yogic culture and Hinduism, A-U-M holds immense significance as a representation of the cosmic vibration and creative force behind the universe. AUM is seen as a symbol of the divine, representing the three primary Hindu Deities – Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva – responsible for the universe’s creation, preservation, and dissolution. Chanting AUM is considered a powerful tool for meditation and spiritual awakening, and scientific studies show that the practice of chanting AUM is thought to calm the mind, reduce stress, and promote inner peace and harmony. It is also believed to help focus the mind during meditation and increase spiritual awareness.
According to the universal principles of yogic philosophy, the correct pronunciation is AUM, not OM. AUM is a sound that transcends religious boundaries and is directly linked to the different regions of the human body. The sound ‘A’ resonates in the lower region, ‘O’ in the middle region, and ‘M’ in the head and neck region. Various Pranayama and Kriya practices are designed to target these specific body regions, making AUM chanting a practice that is accessible to all, regardless of their religious or cultural background.
AUM is pronounced by making the sound AAAaaaa, then gently closing the mouth to become OOOoooo and finally closing it completely to end with MMMmmmm. The Romanization of Sanskrit to AUM has led to widespread mispronunciation, which is now embedded in Hindu culture. AUM is the only sound that does not require language use; therefore, AUM chanting is not limited by physical abilities or disabilities.
When a person becomes truly silent and quiet within, the sound of AUM naturally reverberates in the system from beneath the navel to the tip of the nose. AUM is a powerful practice, especially for those with psychological or physical ailments, as the first step before moving to other practices. It can help alleviate psychological disturbances like excessive fear and nightmares. —chanting AUM is a powerful practice with innumerable benefits, especially for settling psychological disturbances. Chanting AUM can improve concentration and memory and restore mind and energy balance, as demonstrated by scientific studies discussed below. This is because AUM is considered to be the root sound for physical existence
Research
While AUM has long been a cornerstone of spiritual practices, its effects have only recently been rigorously examined through scientific investigation. In the 1990s, researchers began to use tools such as electroencephalographs and neuroimaging and evoked potentials to study the physiological impacts of AUM meditation. The findings from these studies are compelling, suggesting that AUM chanting can lead to a range of physiological benefits, including heightened awareness, enhanced sensory perception, improved concentration, and reduced stress levels. The following section discusses a few recent studies in more detail.
A review paper found a growing body of literature supporting the use of AUM chanting as a tool for stress reduction, anxiety, and depression and for improving overall mental health (Pundir & Chauhan, 2023). The study concluded that AUM chanting proved beneficial in reducing distressing emotions and managing stress (2023). Another study looked at AUM chanting and its effect on Heart Rate Variability (HRV) among experienced and inexperienced yoga practitioners and found that brief chanting (5 minutes) might enhance parasympathetic nervous system activity, increase relaxation and calmness more effectively achieved in experienced yoga practitioners (Inbaraj, 2022).
A meta-analysis on the effects of Aum, Mahamrityunjay Mantra, and Gayatri Mantra examined 616 records, of which ten were studied in detail after excluding duplicates and irrelevant entries. The common findings across these studies suggest that the chanting of Aum, Gayatri Mantra, and Mahamrityunjaya Mantra positively affects the nervous system, reducing anxiety, enhancing calmness, and increasing self-awareness. However, the precise mechanisms of action remain unidentified (Pathak, 2022). Advanced imaging techniques like fMRI and EEG revealed activation in brain areas linked to cognition and memory, and it was noted that experienced meditators exhibited more pronounced benefits (2022).
Another study showed that AUM chanting was observed to lower blood pressure by acting through the parasympathetic system and combining chanting with listening may offer additional benefits. The study focused on pre-hypertensive women aged 25 to 40, where participants in the chanting group experienced significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress levels over three months compared to a waitlist group (Aalasyam et al., 2021). Another study finds that perceived stress scores, negative affectivity, and social inhibition were significantly decreased by AUM chanting in a population of pre-hypertensive individuals (Chokkan et al., 2024).
AUM chanting for 12 weeks seems to improve cognitive functions and reaction time in spatial and verbal memory (Naveen et al., 2022). Another study shows that AUM chanting in conjunction with Yoga Nidra improves stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and sleep among hypertensive individuals (Rajagopalan et al., 2023).
Based on the research studies, the key benefits of AUM chanting for children with autism include promoting relaxation and reducing stress, improving focus and attention, enhancing mood and emotional regulation, improving sleep, enhancing cognitive function and memory, and improving sensory processing (Shanker & Pradhan, 2022a; 2022b). However, more research is needed to fully understand the specific effects of AUM chanting on children with autism. The existing evidence suggests that AUM chanting can be a helpful complementary practice to enhance the treatments for autism, such as medication and behavioral therapy.
In summary, AUM chanting has been scientifically proven to offer various psychological and physiological benefits, including stress reduction, improved mental health, and enhanced cognitive functions. Research using tools like EEGs and fMRIs confirms that AUM chanting activates critical brain areas related to cognition and emotional regulation. This shows its effectiveness in reducing blood pressure and improving overall well-being. Additionally, these benefits are more significant among experienced practitioners and may support clinical treatments for conditions like autism. Thus, AUM chanting not only holds spiritual significance but also serves as a valuable complementary therapeutic practice.
References:
Aalasyam, N., Goothy, S. S. K., & Mukkadan, J. K. (2021). Effectiveness of structured Om chanting and listening program on psychological parameters in pre-hypertensive women. National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 11(10), 1095-1095.
Chokkan, D., Bhel, A., Kalyani, T., & Ramesh, P. (2024). Effectiveness of Om chanting on perceived stress, negative affectivity, and social inhibition in individuals with pre-hypertension. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences, 15(3), 221-224.
Inbaraj, G., Rao, R. M., Ram, A., Bayari, S. K., Belur, S., Prathyusha, P. V., … & Udupa, K. (2022). Immediate effects of OM chanting on heart rate variability measures compared between experienced and inexperienced yoga practitioners. International journal of yoga, 15(1), 52-58.
Naveen, A., Sayeli, V. K., & Pokala, U. (2022). Effectiveness of 12-week Om chanting on reaction time and spatial and verbal memory. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences, 13(10), 233-236.
Pundir, A., & Chauhan, A. (2023). Positive Effects of ‘AUM’Chanting on Mental Health Well-Being. Traditional Medicine, 4(2), 1-8.
Rajagopalan, A., Krishna, A., & Mukkadan, J. K. (2023). Effect of Om chanting and Yoga Nidra on depression anxiety stress, sleep quality and autonomic functions of hypertensive subjects–a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology, 34(1), 69-75.
Shanker, S., & Pradhan, B. (2022a). Effect of yoga on children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in special school environments (Doctoral dissertation, SVYASA).
Shanker, S., & Pradhan, B. (2022b). Effect of yoga on the motor proficiency of children with autism spectrum disorder and the feasibility of its inclusion in special school environments. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 39(2), 247–267.
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