Mantra: An object of scientific research
A lot of research has been conducted by various scientists and experts on the matter of chanting mantra since it promises peace and tranquillity of mind to the person. (Source: Getty Image) A lot of research has been conducted by various scientists and experts on the matter of chanting mantra since it promises peace and tranquillity of mind to the person. (Source: Getty Image)
In India, people can hear a plethora of mantras being chanted from all directions during the early hours of the morning. There are sounds of bells ringing, prayers being sung and musical instruments being played from houses as well as temples. The moment we pass by a temple, the sweet-smelling incenses and mind refreshing aroma of flowers make us stop for a moment and pay respectful obeisance to the deities. We fold our hands and offer prayers, recite some mantra in their praise and then carry on with our work. These mantras or prayers are an integral part of the way we worship across religion. It might be known by different names like aayat, mantra, surah, paudi, bani, couplets and verses etc., but all of them in essences are mantras.
This age-old tradition of chanting mantras has been an indispensable part of many who believe in the lord. A mantra, as per Vedic literature, has nine elements, six primary and three secondary. Out of them, the element of chhanda or tone is very important. People, in general, are more likely to play a musical cassette of the same mantra rather than chanting it on their own. The tune and melody associated with a mantra are of high importance to people because of its natural soothing tendency.
The significance of ragas and mantras
If we start singing a song without any instrument and in a haphazard tone without any melody, it will result in the creation of noise. The same song, which was once a favourite when sung by a melodious singer and supported by nice instrumental music, can sound coarse. When we hear a nice song, it has a calming effect on us. Our mind stops worrying and our body becomes relaxed. The effect of mantra on the mind and the body can be felt even if we are unable to pronounce it properly. But, when pronounced in the proper it is supposed to, it has a tremendous presence on the person.
Modern Science on mantra chanting
A lot of research has been conducted by various scientists and experts on the matter of chanting mantra since it evokes peace and tranquillity in the mind of the people comcerned. As per research, the brain is continuously emitting waves, which signify the level and mode of activity happening inside.These waves symbolise relaxation and the hyperactive areas of the brain calm down. Apart from these, all the other frequencies start to die down gradually. Depending on the duration and seriousness of the chant, the time taken varies relatively and the result are tremendous.
A recent experiment conducted by James Hartzell on 21 professionally trained Sanskrit mantra chants of Yajur Veda led him to see that these people had a tremendous effect on their brains. They showed a drastic increase in memory, happiness, intelligence and extraordinary abilities. Even when he started studying Sanskrit and other Vedic literature, his memory became sharper. His students remarked about his extraordinary capacity to repeat the exact sentences from his previous lectures.
According to him, every Sanskrit mantra is associated with a frequency and when chanted as prescribed, it produces sound waves of a particular frequency which matches with that of our body cells. When both of these co-ordinate, the cells of the body start to vibrate leave. This leads to removal of toxins from the body. The vibration of brain cells relaxes and repairs worn out cells. They also nourishe the cells and tissues of the brain, which are responsible for a deeper understanding of life.
Benefits of mantra chanting
Just how every ingredient of a dish has its own unique flavour and contribution, a mantra has its own specialized effect on the chanter. The effects can be summarised as:
* Some provide peace to the chanter.
* Some give happiness, while some give deep spiritual realisations.
* Some relax the mind, some invoke deep reflective thoughts.
* Some give mystic powers, while some make them humble.
* Some make them confident, while some give them determined.
Therefore, one might see a variety of effects of the mantra chanting on the individual. Peace, satisfaction and happiness, being relative and absolute at the same time, are the general final outcomes.
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