“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.” Nikola Tesla, inventor and scientist.

India may have had a head start on this. Its people have been chanting Om for millennia, as a way to harmonize the forces of nature and nurture. The word Om is defined in ancient Indian scriptures as being the primordial sound of creation. It is the original vibration of the universe, from which manifested every other vibration. Like any other sound, the Om chant produces vibrations that travel through the air, are picked up by the ear and interpreted by the brain. The number of vibrations per second is known as frequency.

All matter, including our bodies, is made of atoms that are in constant motion, vibrating at some frequency. Chanting Om aligns one’s frequency to that of the original source. The vibration triggers the brain, taking the mind into a transcendental state of equilibrium, which our sages refer to as the ‘opening of the third eye’. This state of elevated consciousness or samadhi is one of sublime tolerance and acceptance towards others and oneself. In other words, peace. According to ancient Indian texts, the Vedas, peace is the highest human value and when practised in thought, word and action, can lead to universal harmony across creation.

Let’s examine how science perceives the resonance of peace with vibrations and frequencies. In a study titled Directional Brain Networks Underlying Om Chanting in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry, MRIs of the brain were taken to study the effect of chanting Om. It was noted that Om chanting is associated with an experience of relaxation, with beneficial changes in both the autonomic and limbic systems, i.e. stabilizing blood pressure, heart rate, emotions, cognition and arousal. It significantly increased theta brain waves, signalling deep relaxation, and also initiated delta waves which are associated with deep, relaxing sleep. The Om is being studied currently for its potential to stimulate the vagus nerve and treat depression and epilepsy.

If peace is the state of the source we have all emanated from, it exists within us all. It tends to get lost in the chaos and noise of everyday life, egos, conditioning and everything else that takes us away from our inherent core. The way to access this limitless reservoir of stillness is to travel within. Whether by chanting Om, by focusing on your life force -your breath, or listening to music with a binaural frequency, the pursuit of peace has been has been an eternal human quest. More so than ever now, the planet needs to harmonise and resonate with a frequency that will bring calm and natural order to the chaos and disruption that we see around us. And within us.