Most of us have experienced a glass being shattered from a high-pitched sound, or the push of a contagious bass line that compels us to bust a move in public . We’ve seen hypnotists talk people into embarrassing themselves onstage, and babies soothed by lullabies. We have medical devices which emit sound frequencies to heal various issues, such as the vagus nerve stimulator, a physical implant, which prevents seizures in epileptics, and other sound devices for healing a host of physical and mental problems. They work.

The Bible’s Genesis chapter famously tells us, from the first line, that “In the Beginning was The Word, and The Word was God.” It was clearly a top priority to share this divine wisdom with the people. Word is sound – vibrational frequency with intent behind it. We can thus conclude that sound is a way of influencing the bigger picture of Creation. Sound has massive physics power: the power to transform matter and energy into other each other, the power to create quantum entanglement where there was none, and far more. Sound transcends the ordinary mental, neurotic, emotional or physical obstacles to transformation and movement. It burrows directly into the cells of beings, accomplishing its profound influence.

Chanting is a spiritual practice that capitalizes on the power of sound to create transformation. More active than meditation, chanting has advantages as a technique for focusing the attention and generating energy. It’s easier and the results are immediately palpable. If you’ve never sat in a meditation hall or a sacred space and chanted in unison with others, you’re in for a treat, especially if there are good acoustics.

Chanting can empower you to transcend challenging circumstances and change your life completely. Tina Turner is a famous example. A victim of spousal abuse, Turner credits her Buddhist faith and chanting to giving her courage to leave her husband and to strike out on her own.

What is chanting? Chanting is a rhythmic vocalization of sacred syllables, known as “mantras.” The word “mantra” means “mind protection.” It is a spiritual phrase to be repeated aloud in meditation. Alternatively, it can be internally repeated in one’s mind throughout the day to achieve mindfulness. These phrases carry sacred meaning and intent, empowered by centuries of use in this way. They are templates in the universe. The sounds of these syllable create specific and highly beneficial vibrations. The vibrations can heal, protect, elevate, clarify, and empower us and our circumstances.

Since our bodies are 60% water, and since Dr. Emoto’s groundbreaking experiments confirmed the perceivable impact of various sounds on water molecules, we can conclude that chanting with divine intent has incredible power to heal and change us, indeed.

One common way to chant is to repeat a mantra slowly at first, stretching out the sounds for say 3 minutes, then doubling the speed of repetition for another 3 minutes, and then doubling the speed again for 3 minutes.

Often, one receives a secret mantra from a teacher, but you can choose a mantra as well, based on your needs. There are many many mantras. Some common ones include:

• “Om” or “Aum” – repetition of a sacred syllable meant to represent God or Infinity or Eternity. Brings forth divine consciousness.
• “Om Mani Padme Hum” – meaning, “the jewel is in the lotus,” or “Enlightenment is within me.”
• “Om Tare Tutare Ture Soha” – this is the mantra of the female Buddha Tara. Repeating this mantra is said to eliminate disease, pain, troubles, disasters, and karma, and also brings believers blessings and a longer life. It is my go-to mantra to sing for anyone who is ill or sad, usually with my hand on their heart.
• “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo” is the powerful mantra repeated by Nichiren Buddhists– it is known as the Buddha’s Lotus Sutra
• “Gate, Gate Para Gate, Parasam Gate, Bodhi Svaha!” – refers to complete enlightenment, and translates to, “Gone, gone, gone beyond, beyond the beyond, to the farther shore!” It is the ultimate chant to refocus oneself on divine reality and a sense of imperturbability regardless of external phenomenon.

Chanting is taught by example and participation, and there are many different styles and cultures of chanting. You don’t have to be a singer to chant. You can easily find chants online on the various media networks like Youtube, and many local organizations offer chanting as part of an all-around program, or a stand-alone practice.  I will soon be adding a “Chants” section to my website to share and demonstrate sound bytes of some of my favorites, so be sure to subscribe to this blog to know when those become available.

I hope I have convinced you to give chanting a try. Please take a moment to watch the stunning CYMATICS sound experiment by musician Nigel Stanford, dubbed to Alan Watt’s lecture on sound and vibrations. Cymatics demonstrates the principles discussed above in a most mesmerizing way. Also, watch Tina Turner discuss chanting on Larry King Live, or leading a children’s chant here.

Namaste!

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