Power of Om

OM is used both as a visual (above) and an oral symbol in many traditions representing the concept that the Divine and individual consciousnesses are essentially the same.

The long, lower curve represents the waking state and the material world, with the upper curve following on from it representing deep, dreamless sleep and the unconscious. Between the two, a third curve denotes dreaming and the thought world. Beyond these three states is the state of liberation, represented by the semicircle and the dot. The incompleteness of the semicircle signifies infinity, that finite thinking cannot reach the point in any meaningful way.

Repetition of the syllable OM as a mantra, and meditation on the OM symbol, are a powerful means of awakening and balancing spiritual centers in the individual.

OM is not a word but rather an intonation, which, like music, transcends the barriers of age, race, culture and even species. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au and ma which, when combined together, make the sound Aum or OM. It is the primordial sound and contains all other sounds. It is a mantra or prayer in itself. If repeated with the correct intonation, it can resonate throughout the body so that the sound penetrates to the centre of one's being, the atman or the soul.

There is harmony, peace and bliss in this simple but deeply philosophical sound. By vibrating the sacred syllable OM, the supreme combination of letters, it has a profoundly healing effect and can open energy centers within the body.

The Power of OM

While meditating, when we chant OM, we create within ourselves a vibration that attunes sympathy with the cosmic vibration and we start thinking universally. The momentary silence between each chant becomes palpable. Mind moves between the opposites of sound and silence until, at last, it ceases the sound. In the silence, the single thought - OM - is quenched; there is no thought. This is the state of trance, where the mind and the intellect are transcended as the individual self merges with the Infinite Self in the pious moment of realization. It is a moment when the petty worldly affairs are lost in the desire for the universal. Such is the immeasurable power of OM.