The effect of recitation of mantras in Sanskrit from the Samaveda

Abstract

The Maharshi University of Spirituality along with the Spiritual Science Research Foundation conducted an experiment to determine if the recitation of mantras from an ancient sacred text, the Samaveda can impact the body temperature of a person. Using a thermal imaging device, the surface body temperature of 2 seekers were measured around the area of their chakras (which forms a part of the Kunḍalinī system) before, during and after the recitation of mantras.

It was observed that the temperatures of the regions associated with the chakras rose by as much as 2.8°C within 30 minutes in both individuals when exposed to mantras from the Samaveda. This is even though the studio where the mantras were being recited was 5°C less than where the baseline readings were taken.

A control reading was taken (with no mantra recitation) and it was observed that the body temperatures of the regions associated with the chakras of both seekers reduced by as much as 1.4°C even though all other conditions were identical to when the mantras were recited.

In physics, it is a well-known fact that it is not easy to harvest energy from sound waves and that sound does not have the ability to create such temperature differences in the environment. However, this experiment indicates that some sounds like mantras generate energy that can affect the body temperature of a person in a relatively short period of time. Through spiritual research, it was concluded that mantras generate spiritual energy. Thus, along with energy forms such as solar energy, nuclear energy etc., an important finding is that spiritual energy also needs to be considered as a form of energy.

1. Background of the experiment

The Maharshi University of Spirituality along with the Spiritual Science Research Foundation have found through numerous experiments and through spiritual research that Sanskrit emits positive subtle energy when spoken or written. The earliest collection of Sanskrit works are the Vēdās. The Vedas consist of 4 parts and these are the Rugvēda, Sāmavēda, Yajurvēda and Atharvavēda.

Two Vēdmurtis (i.e., priests who have learned the Vedas) from the Shri Yogiraj Ved Vijnan Ashram, Solapur, Maharashtra who are well versed with the Ranayaneeya Samaveda visited the Spiritual Research Centre and Ashram in Goa, India. As they were recording verses from the Ranayaneeya Samaveda in the Spiritual Research Centre’s studio, the Maharshi University of Spirituality took the opportunity to test the effect of the recitation of Sanskrit verses from the Samaveda on two individuals. Thermal imaging technology was utilized to study differences in body temperature in the 2 individuals before and after the recitation of the Sanskrit mantras.

2. About Thermal Imaging

Thermal imaging involves the use of thermographic cameras to detect long-infrared range radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum. An object will radiate more infrared radiation as its temperature increases, so thermal imaging can be used to measure variations in temperature. Temperature naturally changes due to heat flowing from a hotter region to a cooler region, thus raising the temperature of the cooler region and reducing the temperature of the hotter region. If changes in temperature detected by thermal imaging do not follow this pattern, it implies that there is an external energy source powering the heat exchange.  For more information, refer to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermography

3. Setup of the experiment

1. The two priests recited Sanskrit verses from the Samaveda in an enclosed studio which was maintained at 26°C.
2. We asked two seekers to take part in the experiment of listening to the priests reciting the mantras. One of the seekers suffered from spiritual distress while the other did not.
3. Using a thermal imaging device known as the Flir E8 camera, the body temperature of each seeker was measured around the area of their chakras which form part of the Kundalini  system. The Kundalini system is a subtle-energy system in a person. The thermal images were measured before, during and after listening to the verses from the Samaveda.
4. We asked both seekers to wear clothing so that their upper bodies (from the navel to forehead) were exposed and we could take thermal readings of the areas around their chakras. The chakras that were focused on in this experiment were the Ādnyā, Vishuddha, Anāhat and Maṇipur chakras. For more information about the chakras of the Kunḍalinī system, please read the article on ‘what are chakras?’
5. Baseline readings of the body temperatures around the chakras of both seekers were taken outside the studio where the Sanskrit verses from the Samaveda were being recited. The ambient temperature in the adjoining room where the baseline readings were taken was 31.5°C at that time.
6. After recording their baseline readings, the 2 seekers were asked to enter the studio, which was maintained at a temperature of 26°C (i.e., 5˚C less than the adjoining room) to listen to the recitation of the Samaveda.
7. Neither participant in the experiment understood the meaning of the words or sounds of the mantras and hence had no psychological relationship with the sounds. They also did not know the priests reciting the mantras.
8. Once the subjects entered the studio, we asked both of them to sit down on a sofa and just listen to the sounds. We also instructed them not to chant. Over the course of approximately 50 minutes, we took 5 readings (at 10 minute intervals) of each of the seekers’ chakras with the Flir E8 camera. This means a total of 20 readings were taken (i.e., 5 readings X 4 chakras) plus the baseline readings (1 reading X 4 chakras) which is a total of 24 readings per seeker. This was to study the effect of the Sanskrit verses on the body temperature around the chakras of the seekers.
9. Care was taken to ensure that the seekers were not sweating and that their bodies were not shining which could affect the thermal readings.
10. As a control reading the same process was then replicated for both seekers without the mantras Samaveda as a stimulus. The ambient temperatures inside and outside the studio were approximately the same as the ambient temperatures when the seekers were exposed to mantras from the Samaveda.

4. Observations

After the thermal images were taken, each image was viewed and analysed on ‘FLIR tools’ a software provided by Flir Systems. Spot temperature readings were marked in the regions of the chakras. The image and the PDF below provide an example of how the temperature readings were derived.

http://media.spiritualresearchfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/18140806/Example-Report.pdf

The following two sets of charts show the temperature fluctuations of the 4 chakras of the seekers over the period of 50 minutes while listening to the recitation of the verses of the Samaveda and while not listening to anything.

• The initial dark blue bar is Reading ‘0’ or the ‘base reading’ and was the one that was taken outside the studio when the ambient temperature was 31.5˚
• The peach-orange bar was the first reading taken inside the studio (at 26˚C) a few minutes after they entered and were exposed to the recitation of the mantras.
  
  
• Observations of the seeker without distress while listening to the Samaveda
  • The temperature readings of the chakras of the seeker without distress showed a consistent rise from the baseline (navy blue) reading to the 4th reading (yellow), followed by a dip for the 5th reading (sea blue) and a subsequent rise for the final reading (green).
  • The increase from the baseline reading to the maximum temperature observed for the seeker without distress was 1.8˚C for the Adnya chakra, 1˚C for the Vishuddha chakra, 2.8˚C for the Anahat chakra and 2.7˚C for the Manipur chakra.
• Observations of the seeker without distress while not listening to anything
  • On the other hand, for the control reading, once the seeker entered the studio, which was maintained at around 26˚C, the temperature around his chakras went down by -0.8 to -0.9 ˚C.
    
• Observations of the seeker with distress while listening to the Samaveda
  • The pattern for the seeker with distress was less clear for the Adnya and Vishuddha chakras. However, a clear pattern was observed for the Anahat and Manipur chakras. For these chakras, there was a consistent rise from the baseline (navy blue) reading to the 4th reading (yellow), followed by a dip for the 5th reading (sea blue) and a subsequent rise for the final reading (green).
  • The increase from the baseline reading to the maximum temperature observed for the seeker with distress was 0.2˚C for the Adnya chakra, -0.7˚C for the Vishuddha chakra, 1.8 ˚C for the Anahat chakra and 2.1 ˚C for the Manipur chakra.
• Observations of the seeker with distress while not listening to anything
  • On the other hand, for the control reading, once the seeker entered the studio, which was maintained at around 26˚C, the temperature around his chakras went down by -0.6 to -1.4 ˚C.
  • While the temperature readings of the chakras of the seeker dipped when initially entering the studio, they stayed relatively constant after entering the studio.

5. Analysis and conclusions

1. What was interesting was that in the case of both seekers, when they were exposed to mantras from the Samaveda, there was an overall increase in the heat around their chakras, by as much as 2.8˚ This is despite the fact that the ambient temperature due to the air-conditioning reduced around them by over 5˚C. Both seekers sat throughout the experiment and did not move, so movement could not be the reason for this rise in thermal energy/body temperature. An increase in temperature indicates that there is a transfer of energy. Such a high rise despite a cooler ambient temperature indicates a higher level of energy transfer. On the other hand, for the control reading, where no mantras were recited, the temperatures around the chakras dropped for both seekers and this was in line with the temperature difference between the outside and the inside of the studio.
2. Aside from the drop in ambient temperature, the only other variable that changed when the subjects entered the studio is that they listened to Sanskrit mantras. This indicates that the mantras that were recited may be the cause and source of the energy that created the rise in temperature.
3. In both seekers, the fluctuation of the temperatures around their Anahat (Heart) chakra and Manipur (Navel) chakra was more prominent. This prompts the question – do certain verses of mantras in the Vedas trigger a greater response in particular chakras and why? This can be an area for further research.
4. In the 5^th bar that is sea blue in colour we noticed a dip in the trend with almost all of the readings. This was because for 7-8 minutes before this reading was taken, the priests took a short break and the effect of this was immediately seen on the thermal readings of the chakras. Since the temperatures of the chakras reduced when the mantra recitation stopped, it indicates that the mantras were having a direct impact on the chakras and stopping the recitation showed up immediately as a reduction of temperature readings of the chakras.
5. By the thermal imaging instrument alone one cannot determine whether the temperature fluctuation on the chakras were positive or negative. However, what the fluctuation in temperature does indicate is that mantras generate some energy which create temperature fluctuations around the area. Temperature fluctuations in general are due to energy transfer.
6. In physics, it is a well-known fact that it is not easy to harvest energy from sound waves and that sound does not have the ability to create such temperature differences in the environment (Ref: mit.edu). To put things in perspective to heat up a 250 ml cup of coffee by 50°C, with energy produced just through yelling continuously at 80 decibels, it would take more than 1.5 years (PhysicsCentral, 2016). However, on speaking to both seekers after the experiment, they both shared that they perceived high levels of energy in the subtle. (Please note both seekers have been practising Spirituality for many years and hence are sensitive to subtle vibrations.) The seeker who had spiritual distress experienced a healing effect while listening to the Samaveda through the 50-minute experiment.

Through spiritual research, it was found that when mantras from the Samaveda were recited, they generated positive spiritual energy. This spiritual energy was absorbed by the chakras of the seekers; an energy exchange was created and hence resulted in the temperature difference. This brings up a few interesting aspects and avenues for discussion and further experimentation:

1. Apart from the usual energy forms such as solar, electrical, nuclear etc., spiritual energy is another form of energy that needs to be considered.
2. For all practical purposes the studio, along with the 2 seekers and the 2 priests can be considered a closed system. The First Law of Thermodynamics states that in a closed system (where no energy is added or removed), total energy is constant, nothing is lost and nothing is left unaccounted for. It is sometimes called the law of energy conservation. Yet in this experiment, from the sound of the mantras (according to spiritual research) spiritual energy was generated as the words were being uttered. This means that energy that was not initially within the closed system was generated from the sound of the mantras within the closed system. If this were true then a point of discussion could be reconciling this phenomenon with the First Law of Thermodynamics.
3. Sound as per physics is one of the least harvestable energies yet how was it able to create such temperature changes?
4. Another possible way of looking at it is that both seekers reacted at a physiological level after hearing the mantras. This is akin to how one may react at a physiological level to relaxing music with reduced heart rate, etc. This opens up the need for further experimentation with other forms of music and their subtle impact and whether they have such an impact on the chakras as the mantras from the Samaveda

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