Meditation on <i>OM</i>: Relevance from ancient texts and contemporary science
oleh: Kumar Sanjay, Nagendra H, Manjunath N, Naveen K, Telles Shirley
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2010-01-01 |
Deskripsi
<b>Background:</b> In Indian scriptures the sacred syllable <i>Om</i> is the primordial sound from which all other sounds and creation emerge which signifies the Supreme Power. <b>Aims:</b> To explore the significance of the syllable <i>OM</i> from ancient texts and effects of OM meditation in contemporary science. <b>Descriptions from ancient texts:</b> The descriptions of Om have been taken from four Upanisads (<i>Mundaka</i>, <i>Mandukya, Svetasvatara,</i> and <i>Katha</i>), the <i>Bhagvad Gita</i>, and Patanjali′s Yoga <i>Sutras.</i> <b>Scientific studies on <i>Om:</i></b> Autonomic and respiratory studies suggest that there is a combination of mental alertness with physiological rest during the practice of <i>Om</i> meditation. Evoked potentials studies suggest a decrease in sensory transmission time at the level of the auditory association cortices, along with recruitment of more neurons at mesencephalic-diencephalic levels. <b>Conclusion:</b> It is considered that a person who realizes <i>Om</i>, merges with the Absolute. Scientific studies on <i>Om</i> suggest that the mental repetition of <i>Om</i> results in physiological alertness, and increased sensitivity to sensory transmission.