OM – The powerful mysterious gift

ॐ as OM, the most common word in Spiritual world and we have been hearing all our life. But, leave apart know in-depth about OM, I have seen most of the people are not able to pronounce it well. Lets understand what it is, perhaps we’ll understand why it has been used for thousands of years by all renowned yogis & spirituals, and then we’ll try harder to use it perfectly the next time we need to use.

‘Om kar bindu sanyuktam, nityam dyayanti yoginah
Kaamdum mokshadum chaiva, Omkar namo namah.’

Om kar bindu sanyuktam, is the awareness of ‘I am pure Soul’.

There have been several theories behind the OM mantra with the most popular explanation being that it was the cosmic sound which initiated the creation of universe (big bang theory). It is commonly thought that Om is to be used only for meditation on the Formless Transcendent (Nirguna) Brahman, but the following show that, since Om encompasses both the Saguna and Nirguna aspects of Brahman, it can also be used for meditation on God With Form. Saguna and Nirguna are sometimes spoken of as “lower” or “lesser” and “higher.” It is a mantra or prayer in itself.

Religion– One of the most popular misconception about “OM” is that it is religious. On the contrary, it is the most universal syllable because it neither refers to any particular religion nor God. In Islam, Om referred to as Samaa, Samaa is the hum that helps you find a spiritual connection with Allah. In Sikhkhism, Omkaar is the only truth. Om is auspicious and its chanting helps us in attaining harmony. Thus, OM is the transcendental reverberation that carries magic that can free your mind from material conditioning. The chanting of Om has long been a tradition in Tibet, where it is practiced by itself or as part of other mantras. In Tibetan Buddhism, the most popular mantra that contains Om is ‘Om mani padme hum.’ Another powerful mantra is ‘Om ah hum.’ In this mantra Om represents the body, the syllable Ah represents the speech, and Hum represents the mind. It is considered so divine in Hinduism that they place it before and after every other Mantra.

Om is considered sacred and resonates a high spiritual and creative energy, is the signifier of the ultimate truth that all is one. This single word produces the sound and vibration which allows you to feel at one with the universe. Om is the vibration of creation. ‘Om’ is the primordial sound of the universe. It is the first sound that comes from silence, the first movement from stillness. And it is the first something that comes from the nothing, the first movement from the un-manifest to the manifest is known as the vibration of OM. Om can therefore be said to be at the source of everything that exists in the manifest world. It is the first sound that was produced at the time of creation, when the golden womb exploded, known as ‘Sphota’, and through this act the God shaped the universe. In the ancient texts of the Upanishads, it says ‘In the beginning when no thing existed, there was the word and the word was Om.’ Om provides a dualistic perspective. On one hand, it projects the mind beyond the instantaneous to what is intangible and indefinable; on the other hand, it makes the absolute more substantial and inclusive. It includes all possibilities and prospects; it is everything that was, is, or can be. Just like God, Om is supreme and remains undefined.

Science- Thoughts are in essence un-manifested potentiality. They are the seeds of creation. As a result, our thoughts are one of the most powerful tools needed to direct consciousness – taking it from still silent space into physical existence. Everything we see around us human-made was once a thought in a person’s mind. Om vibrates at the frequency of 432 Hz, which is the same frequency as everything in nature. Keep in mind that everything in the entire universe is actually pulsating and vibrating. Einstein coined the definition of matter with his equation E=mc2, that suggests all matter consists of energy waves, which can be converted from one form into another, from electricity to heat and heat to electricity. Chanting Om connects us to all that is living, from beings, to nature, to the universe.

Few years ago, scientists conducted an experiment in which participants who had never chanted Om mantra were asked to chant it for few minutes and each of their chants were recorded. The time frequency analysis of it showed irregular waveforms which indicated unsteadiness in the mind. They were asked to chant the mantra on a regular basis and after few days, the experiment was repeated. The time-frequency analysis this time had some startling revelations. The waveforms were improved with regular spacing, had almost perfect symmetry and harmony. Not only had these participants witnessed dramatic improvements in focus, concentration & steadiness, but found themselves to be in peace, witnessed reduction in mental stress & could remain calm all the time.

Our brain is wired with intelligence and hence is very dynamic in imagination & conclusion. Merely by listening the sound of screeching, crashing and sudden eruption of air, we are able to figure out scene of a probable accident. Our mind processes bite-sized information to make sense of not only physical objects but events as well. This forms perception and allows mind to deviate. Since OM is also a sound so it must also evoke a response in our brain to form some image, but its not associated with any image. Brain can form mental images of objects or events, it has observed by sight. And since, the brain has never actually seen OM, the sound keeps resonating in our right hemisphere till a meaning is assigned to it, but there is no meaning associated and hence no meaning is assigned. So, ultimately, the left part of our brain processes and stores this sound as formless, or like a ring. A ring, that later becomes mind’s focal point of gradual expansion of physical and emotional awareness. And every time we meditate on it, Om creates an ethereal event inside us, which the Yogis refer to as uniting with the divine self, the absolute. I believe, that’s the reason why some people refer to God as a formless entity.

If you want to create something new in your life, then you can do so by harnessing the power of your thoughts and Om. Harnessing the Power of Om- Aligning your attention with Om is to align your attention with the infinite power of creation. It can be incredibly powerful. Whatever thoughts you marry Om up with in your mind can help to bring them into creation.

Sound- Om is not a word but rather an intonation, which is beyond the barricades of age, race and culture. Om is believed to represent the basic sound of the Universe, the cosmic vibration that gives birth to all other sounds, hence Om contains all other sounds. The scientific principle behind chanting of Aum relates to the genesis of sounds as mentioned in Sanskrit literature and Hindi alphabets. Hindi alphabet has vowels (swara) and consonants (Vyanjana), and the last consonant in every line is a nasal consonant. Aum is nothing but a combination of a vowel along with a nasal consonant. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au and ma which, when combined together, make the sound Aum or Om. The vowel here is ‘O’ or ‘AU’ and the nasal consonant is ‘M’.

Om consists of notes of the octave (SA, RI, GA, MA, PA, DHA, NI), which is also the sound form of the Soul .The three base notes ‘ A ‘ ‘U’ ‘M’ or the basic ‘SA’ ‘PA’ of the fundamental scale and again Sa (the base note) of the immediately higher scale. When one pronounces these notes in continuity, all the basic notes from Sa to Ni also sound. Similarly when one pronounces AUM correctly, all the basic sounds also echo. It is believed to be the traditional way of clearing all the impediments in the vocal chord to make one chant the hymns correctly. Their unison makes one not only sound sonorous but also acts as the necessary preparation to chant a Mantra (Incantation) correctly.

A = tamas, signifying darkness, inertia and ignorance (waking state)
U = rajas, signifying passion, activity and dynamism (dream state)
M = sattva, signifying purity, truth and light (state of deep sleep)

– The A (aahhh) sound represents the creation aspect of the universe and all of the physical objects within it. Ahh is the beginning of all sounds (this is the most common letter that starts alphabets). It connects us to our sense of self (the ego), and we experience the existence of the world through the activity of the senses. When you chant this sound, notice that the stretched-out A sound begins at the back of your throat, where the tongue is rooted, and resonates in the lower abdomen. You will begin to sense your chest and solar plexus vibrating.

– The U (oooh) sound signifies the maintaining energy of the universe and the subtle impressions of the mind. It connects us to an inner sense of something greater than that which we can see and feel with our senses. The stretched Oooh sound will gradually resonate along your upper palate, creating vibrations in your throat, the sound moves forward between the tongue and the palate up to the lips, and vibrates in the solar plexus. It lets in lightness, clarity, balance and goodness.

– The M (mmmm) sound characterizes the transformative energy of the universe and the thoughts and beliefs of your being-ness. This sound unites you to the awareness of oneness. It allows you to slow down in order to feel the connectedness of all that is. The sound “mmmm” is produced by closing the lips and it vibrates the crown of the head.

– The fourth sound is silence or anagata. It is the vibration that is beyond verbal pronunciation, it is created via the transition from the “M” to the deep silence of the Infinite.. It is pure consciousness of the Self or the Soul.

How to chant OM- Om must be chanted in a high and prolonged note with great devotion. Chanting produces a quivering sensation and power within. It affects every part of the body, negativity in the mind is destroyed and it experience strength, dormant inner strength is aroused.
Sit cross-legged with an upright posture, with your spine, head, neck and spine aligned. Close your eyes and inhale deeply and release your breath while executing the chant. The actual pronunciation of OM is – to pronounce as AUM, slow & deep where all the seven notation of the music is used from start to end. More correct the pronunciation is, better would be the vibration creation within and around us. Repeating this three times will allow you to feel the vibration of the Om sound resonating through every single cell in your body. We should invoke it in the Crown or in the brow centre, travel from throat to top of head as vibration, and utter it in a slow, soft, deep and uniform way. It produces a resonance in the whole body that we should observe. If the vibration becomes silent again, we sing the OM anew. By doing so, we experience.
The power lies within us, and the sound of Om helps us discover the same. If repeated with the correct intonation, it can resonate throughout the body the sound penetrates to the centre of one’s being, the soul.

Practical benefits of OM, to be seen are:

1. One of the most popular claims made by Yogis is that chanting Om mantra improves our concentration, gives peace and steadiness to our mind, reduces mental stress and clears all worldly thoughts.
   When one begins with the Aum (chanted similar to Home), the forced sound of ‘A’ opens you up, widening your soul for reception. This is a gross approximate of our conscious or waking state.           
2. With gradual shift to ‘au’ person moves into the dream like state, sensing everything on a much subtler level. It also cleanses your aura.
3. Regular chanting of this Mantra will take you on a spiritual journey to greater happiness and positivity, but only if it is done daily for a longer period of time. Mantras are not and overnight fix to your problems – you must have patience and learn the correct techniques.
4. Your concentration increases when you chant this universal hymn.
5. Chanting Om properly can help us unwind ourselves and help us gain control over our breathing. Since the exhaling is produced by a relaxation of the muscles in our breathing system, the OM sound will not be emitted uniformly unless this relaxation is fully under control.
6. OM chanting produces direct effects in our minds that are just as important as the effects it has in our body. The abstract and complex meaning of the syllable OM makes its way into our minds intercepting the flow of thoughts we are constantly submitted too.
7. When you chant Om, the adrenaline levels decrease. This helps reduce the stress levels by providing more oxygen in the body. If you are chanting Om and meditating, you are not only dropping stress but also the blood pressure. While chanting Om or Aum, the first alphabet A creates vibrations. These vibrations affect the spinal cord and increase its efficiency. Second alphabet U creates vibrations in the throat and hits the thyroid glands.
8. It is a well-known fact that whenever we suffer physical pain, we automatically produce a vowel sound. For example, the natural reaction when one is pricked by a pin or needle is to say out loud ‘ee’ and when in pain, the sound ‘Ah’ is produced. A lot of researchers claim that chanting of vowels produces interleukin-2 in the body, which has an action, similar to that of aspirin, a painkiller. Aum can be chanted with prolonged ‘O’, prolonged ‘M’ or ‘O’ and ‘M’ in equal cycles. When we chant ‘O’ prolonged, we produce more painkillers and when we chant ‘M’ prolonged, we produce more tranquilizers.
9. When a mantra is chanted in rhythmic tone with ups and downs, they create a melodious effect in the body . This effect can be defined as the Neuro-linguistic effect. Quantum Physics tells us every state of matter has its own associated vibration and so does light. And when a person is chanting with ‘m’ sound, he attunes himself with the echoing cosmos. Much like putting yourself online with the whole universe!
10. Om chanting produces a vibration and sound which is felt in your vocal cord and sinus. It opens pore which in turn helps in removal of sinus problems gradually and if done in complete faith. It also has a cardiovascular benefit too which keeps blood pressure normal. It is just like any other supplement that will help in the overall development of your body and mind positively without any side effects.
11. The ॐ chanting actually improves your voice by giving strength to your vocal cords and the muscles around it, produces a vibration and sound which is felt through your vocal cords and sinuses. The vibrations open up the sinuses to clear the airways. This is very helpful during old age.
12. The Om Mantra has cardiovascular benefits – by relaxing our mind and body, our blood pressure will decrease and our heart will beat with regular rhythm. It allows us to have better control over your body, mind and emotions.
13. Some people have also claimed to lose weight through ॐ chanting as it puts your entire body in a heightened state of sensitivity – its vibrations are thought to stimulate your metabolism which would lead to weight loss.
14. It has been our experience that Om can even help cleanse your skin. The massive levels of internal positive energy and a cleansed aura that come from chanting the Om Mantra regularly will be reflected externally with a sunny glow on your face and body.
15. Your spinal cord is strengthened through the vibrations caused by sound of Aaaa. As this sound is generated from abdomen, it helps to strengthen the supporting muscles of the spinal cord.
16. Your spinal cord is strengthened through the vibrations caused by sound of Aaaa. As this sound is generated from abdomen, it helps to strengthen the supporting muscles of the spinal cord.
17. It is found to trigger changes in gene expression that can affect the body’s immune function, energy metabolism and insulin secretion.
18. In an experiment, scientists analyzed functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans (f-MRI scans) before & after Om mantra chanting and concluded that regular chanting of Om mantra can treat depression & epilepsy as well.

Hope you’ll find it useful or at least interesting. Please reach out to me for any help, using Contact page or or mail us at info@shikti.com or drsantkj@gmail.com.

Thanks, be Blessed

– Dr Sant