The Value Of Vedic Chanting

In 2018, an extraordinary article in the Scientific American on the "Sanskrit Effect" caught my attention. A neuroscientist studying MRI scans discovered, after 14 years of researching the brains of Vedic pandits, that memorizing ancient mantras increases the size of brain regions associated with cognitive function.

For decades, I have been teaching around the world that Vedic chanting is not about chanting in any way we want, nor is it about freedom of expression or creativity. Instead, it is about discovering the experience of the Rishis, the great seers of the Vedas. Now, we know that there is science behind the process that can assist us in a very worldly way, pun intended.

Traditionally, Vedic mantras were chanted for the well-being of the world and the well-being of all. Through this body of research, we have come to understand that chanting Vedic mantras in accordance with their unique rules can be beneficial. The personal benefits are even more significant than their altruistic benefits.

Intention alone is not sufficient if one does not embody the science behind the process. Our attention is as important as our intention, as it contributes to our efforts, helping to change our state of consciousness so that our desire for the well-being of the world is bolstered by the consciousness we produce within ourselves.

In recent months, we have been focusing on Shanti mantras, peace prayers from the Upanishads. These relatively easy mantras help us learn what we call the Rules of the Rishis. These seers are credited with being the channels through which humanity received the Vedas, which are not considered to be the work of human authors. They are apaurusheya, of non-human origin, which is not too much of a stretch to comprehend today, given the advancements in AI, which could stand for Alien Intelligence.

Curious about the cognitive shifts caused by Vedic chanting, James Hartzell, who enrolled in a cognitive neuroscience doctoral program at the University of Trento (Italy), partnered with India's National Brain Research Center to scan the brains of Vedic pandits and controls matched for age, gender, handedness, eye-dominance and multilingualism.

Their objective was to study the MRIs, or structural magnetic resonance imaging, to learn how intense verbal memorization training affects the physical structure of the brains of these Vedic chanters, in order to correlate it with enhanced cognitive function. They discovered a consistency in this correlation that highlighted the right hippocampus.

The pandits' right hippocampus—a region of the brain that plays a vital role in both short and long-term memory—had more gray matter than the controls. Our brains have two hippocampi, one on the left and one on the right, and without them, we cannot record any new information. The two hippocampi share many functions related to memory and learning. The right is, however, more specialized for patterns.

There are five essential variables in Vedic chanting that help modify our consciousness:  

1) Breath cadence (vowel length),

2) Tongue placement (sparśa),

3) Tones handed down by tradition (swara)

4) Rules of joining letters (sandhi),

5) Pauses instituted by suppressed consonants.

The gift of proper pronunciation and embodiment of the rules of Vedic chanting creates entrainment. This entertainment is critical to the nature of consciousness generated by Vedic chanting.  

To make a difference in the world with our practice, our attention to the details of mantra chanting (Rules Of The Rishis) can help us not only with self-care (finding peace within) but also in our world as a whole.  

Shanti mantras are the best way to enter into the experience of Vedic mantras while learning their rules and generating the consciousness known to the awakened ones.  

Once you learn Shanti mantras, you can progress to pārāyaṇa, the correct chanting of entire Vedic texts, which is the final stage of Vedic mantra chanting and training. This objective of the traditional Vedic schools, which have evolved over thousands of years, remains the same to this day.

There is therapeutic value in Vedic chanting, particularly in its ability to calm and stabilize the mind. In this sense, it can be considered a form of yoga. We may refer to it as "Shabda Yoga," a form of yoga that focuses on the power of words. The Vedas are a form of sacred speech embodied in chant.  

A close examination of chanting in the style of the Krishna Yajur Veda reveals a strong connection between the inflections of speech and the tones ascribed to those particular syllables. In this manner, the meaning of the words is preserved in the chanting, which is why we must retain this underlying messaging in our Vedic chanting practice.

"Tradition holds that precisely memorizing and reciting ancient words and phrases, known as mantras, enhances both memory and thought." However, the steps leading up to memorization can substantially increase cognitive function. The effects upon the brain and consciousness are significant.

As we age, we often seek to enhance our memory and sharpen our cognitive skills. However, these very same powers of the mind are highly coveted in the workplace and envied by any student in school or college who wants to score better grades. Life is about learning! Vedic mantra training can have a profound impact on your brain's neuroplasticity.