Science and Spirituality: New Experiments in Mantra-Chanting & Music Therapy
It is a common observation that bed-ridden or hospitalized patients have to spend a lot of time without any company. Friends and relatives may stay back during emergency but otherwise they can spend only a few hours a day with the patient. In such situations, reading books or listening to recorded cassettes of enchanting music seem to be the best solutions as they offer an entertaining and inspiring company of one's choice as and when required.
Interestingly, the entertaining company of music also serves therapeutic purposes in the background. While the other therapies have a problem of mutual compatibility, music therapy does not cause any suppressive effect on any other mode of treatment. For instance, Allopathy and Homeopathy often annul the effects of different medicines and therefore, cannot be tried out simultaneously on the same patient. But music therapy can very well be used along with each of these prominent modes of treatment and also with any other therapy.
Musical currents vibrate the neuronal circuits and enhance the flow of vital energy in general. It does not have any risk of adverse side-effects like antibiotics. It offers positive support on the psychological front too, provided its tuning and pitch remain within the limits of melody and do not become noisy or disturbing. The filmy music or the commercially produced, so-called popular cassettes often consist of exciting lyrics that dominate over the musical compositions. When one listens to such music, he may get a diversion of mind and shallow delight but the lyrics and quality of music would induce erotic feelings, excitement, or heart-breaking gloom — as per the motif and the tempo of the song. Such kind of music does not have any therapeutic value and might at times turn out to be unhealthy in terms of psychological aberrations.
Assimilation of the ill effects of erogenous songs in the memory also has corresponding effects on the subconscious mind and therefore influences one's intrinsic character too. Occurrence of crimes and erotic mentality is expanding like an epidemic these days; role of ribald songs and exciting amorous music cannot be ignored in this context. The tools like loudspeakers, gramophones, cassette players, radio, TV, etc. have accelerated the rapid spreading of these infections. The maligning of the mental domain by such effects is frequently reflected in psychological disorders that give rise to epilepsy, hysteria, tension, insomnia, continuous headache and impotency, etc.
Research in Music Therapy — Hints from the Vedas
For a scientifically perfect and effective use of music therapy, it would be necessary to carry out research into the different types of sonic waves generated by specific compositions of music and the effect of their vibrations on the nervous system and physiological functioning of the human and animal subjects. Decipheration of the ancient science of music, analysis of its different domains and sub-domains, and their classification according to the swara and nāda patterns as cited in the Indian scriptures — would alone be so vast that its compilation would expand across several volumes.
As the roots of music had originated in India and its full-grown tree had blossomed on the soil of Indian Culture, it is natural to expect that the ancient Indian scriptures would be the richest source of knowledge on this classical subject. The Vedas, especially the Sāmaveda, is regarded as the first and the most comprehensive treatise on music in its purest form. The Atharvaveda is often referred as the foundational scripture of the science of Ayurveda. Its mantras are said to contain coded formulae about the control of the functioning of the human body and mind by natural methods and elements.
Most significant in the present context is the fact that the hymns (mantras) of the Atharvaveda were designed according to the principles of music therapy. Precise chanting of the original hymns according to the specific patterns of chanting (sāmagāna) — as implied in the Sāmaveda — would offer significantly positive effects as though the remedy or the medicines recommended in the associated mantra were applied. The chanting of these mantras in special yajnas is supposed to generate therapeutic, environmental and other applications of music at the subtle as well as macro levels.
The Brahm Varchas Research Center and Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya (DSVV) in Haridwar, India have taken up research on the Gayatri Mantra under the auspices of the parent institute Shantikunj, Haridwar. Along with several other projects on the study and practice of the Gayatri Mantra, several experiments are conducted to study the effects of chanting this mantra in different classical rāgas. Quite a few systematic rāgas according to the sāma principles have been designed; and sequential tests on sādhakas have shown significant positive effects. The psychometry labs of these institutions are also engaged in studying the effects of classical music-based Nāda-Yoga in stress-management, with the help of integrated experiments on multi-channel polygraphs and biofeedback techniques.
The Electronic Media Division of Shantikunj has developed different kinds of cassettes consisting of musical compositions suitable for — (i) maintaining physical health in general; (ii) increasing mental concentration and sharpness of mind and clarity of thoughts; (iii) inspiring pious sentiments and moral elevation. Development of special musical records for therapeutic use in different diseases and those useful for healthy vegetation and agricultural applications is also under progress.
Significance of Mantra-Chanting with Fire Ritual
Experiments on the Gayatri Mantra and Yagya are the unique features of the research work at Brahm Varchas. Sound, heat and light are the basic energies immanent in nature. An excellent combination of these energy waves is used in a yagya. The cyclic pronunciation and chanting of Gayatri Mantra has majestic impact because of the unique emission and superimposition of the sound waves of this mantra. As per the interpretations of ancient texts, the sound waves generated by continuous japa of this mantra are supposed to move towards its 'astral center' — Savitā — in a spiral fashion as they collide with the flames of the sacrificial fire of yagya and also get energized by the electrons of the substances sublimated in this fire.
The presence of early morning sunlight multiplies these effects by triggering specific photochemical effects on the fumigating substances and also supplements the thermal effects of the yagya in the surrounding atmosphere. These coherent effects of sound, heat and light also result in excellent conditioning of the body and mind of the persons performing yagya. The enhanced impact of music induces most suitable effects after such a conditioning.
In the experiments on music therapy carried out in the yagya-therapy and sound therapy (mantra cikitsā) labs, the subjects are asked either to perform the yagya or sit quietly in the yagyaśālā. Analyses of their physical, pathological, physiological and psychological conditions are carried out before and after participation in such experiments. Significant results have been obtained in increasing the vitality and immunity of the subjects and controlling their psychosomatic disorders by this special therapy of music with fire ritual.
The Śāstras on music specify that all the swaras have emanated from the eternal sound of Oṁkāra. In view of the prevalent importance of the sound of Oṁkāra, further research would be focused in these centers at the gamut of musical power currents that could be generated by singing Oṁkāra in different rāgas.
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