THE SCIENCE AND PHYSIOLOGY OF CHANTING ANCIENT MANTRAS
WHY CHANTING MANTRAS IS GOOD FOR YOU
1) Breath + vagus nerve “tuning”
- Chanting naturally lengthens the exhale and regularizes breathing. Slower, steadier breathing is strongly linked with shifts in autonomic balance and Heart Rate Variability.
2) Vibration + sensory-motor integration
- Audible chanting creates vibration in the chest/throat/head region and engages coordinated auditory + vocal-motor circuits. Some authors hypothesize this may contribute to calming effects.
3) Attention becomes simpler (less rumination)
- Repetition gives the mind a stable “object” (sound/meaning/feeling). That can reduce uncontrolled mental wandering and repetitive negative thinking. One reason mantra practices are often experienced as emotionally regulating.
4) Emotion + meaning (“devotion effect”)
- Ancient mantras often carry deep personal, spiritual, or ethical meaning. Meaningful vocalization can amplify positive affect, hope, gratitude, and felt safety. Factors that can influence stress physiology and adherence.
5) Social regulation when chanted with others
- Group chanting adds rhythm, synchrony, and connection.Known ingredients for downshifting threat responses and increasing resilience (even when the exact mantra differs).
6) Downstream biology (stress → inflammation/immune signaling)
- The Kirtan Kriya caregiver trials suggest that regular practice can influence not only mood but also measurable biological pathways (e.g., telomerase activity and gene-expression profiles linked to stress biology).
Scientific Studies on Benefits of Chanting Ancient Mantras
- “OM” chanting and limbic/brain deactivation (pilot neuroimaging):
- Kalyani et al., 2011 examined the neuro-hemodynamic correlates of audible “OM” chanting and reported patterns consistent with reduced limbic activity (often interpreted as a calming/settling effect).
- Five minutes of “OM” chanting and heart-rate variability (HRV):
- Inbaraj et al., 2022 found that a brief bout of OM chanting was associated with changes in HRV suggesting stronger parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) influence, especially in experienced practitioners.
- Listening to OM chanting and cardiovascular stress markers:
- Adlakha et al., 2023 reported that listening to OM chanting influenced HRV/cardiovascular measures in medical students, supporting its potential as a stress-buffering practice (at least short term).
- Longer OM-chanting exposure and blood pressure / stress / sleep:
- Bhoot et al., 2025 reported that a month of exposure to OM chanting (in their protocol) was associated with lower pulse/BP, more parasympathetic dominance on HRV, and improvements in perceived stress and sleep.
- Kirtan Kriya (Sa Ta Na Ma) for dementia caregivers: mood + telomerase:
- Lavretsky et al., 2012/2013 (caregiver sample) found that a brief daily yogic meditation practice (including Kirtan Kriya) improved mental health measures and was associated with increased telomerase activity compared with a relaxing-music control.
- Kirtan Kriya and gene-expression shifts linked to inflammation/antiviral pathways:
- Black et al., 2012/2013 randomized dementia caregivers to Kirtan Kriya vs relaxing music and found differences in immune-cell gene expression, including pathways often discussed in stress/inflammation biology.
- Kirtan Kriya vs music listening for subjective cognitive decline (RCT):
- Innes et al., 2016 reported feasibility/acceptability and outcomes suggesting cognitive and related benefits for adults with subjective cognitive decline using Kirtan Kriya compared with music listening.
- Kirtan Kriya for breast cancer survivors (RCT):
- Henneghan et al., 2020 tested a Kirtan Kriya intervention vs music listening and reported effects on cognitive and psychological symptoms (feasibility + signals of benefit).
- Mahā Mantra chanting and EEG/relaxation markers:
- Mohanty et al., 2024 (ScienceDirect-indexed study) examined Mahā Mantra chanting and reported changes consistent with relaxation/mental well-being (including EEG-related findings).
- Gurbani devotional music intervention and stress/anxiety/depression outcomes:
- A study titled “Impact of Gurbani Music Intervention…” reports effects on depression, anxiety, and stress in a university sample following a Gurbani music intervention. (This is one of the few directly “Gurbani-specific” items I could locate quickly; it’s promising, but it also needs more independent replication.)