IAETSD JOURNAL FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH IN APPLIED SCIENCES ISSN (ONLINE): 2394-8442

IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF AUM CHANTING ON ANXIETY,

REACTION TIME IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS - A RANDOMIZED
CONTROLLED TRIAL

Dr. Niraj Nayan Rishi1, Dr. Ganesh Prasad2, Dr. Shiva Prasad Shetty3,
Dr. Prasanth Shetty4
1(Post Graduate, Division Of Yoga therapy, Department Of Post Graduate Studies, SDM College Of Naturopathy And Yogic Sciences, India)
2(Assistant Professor, SDM College Of Naturopathy And Yogic Sciences, India)

3(Dean, Division Of Yoga therapy, Department Of Post Graduate Studies, SDM College Of Naturopathy And Yogic Sciences, India)
4(Principal, Department Of Post Graduate Studies, SDM College Of Naturopathy And Yogic Sciences, India)
1niraj.rishi10333@gmail.com, 2gpbnys@gmail.com, 3drshivapshetti70@gmail.com, 4drprashanth9@gmail.com

Abstract:
Introduction: AUM is the name or symbol of God (Ishwara, Brahman). It works on the three planes physical, mental and astral plane.
AUM chanting gives mental relaxation and mental alertness, reduces the heart rate, blood pressure, decrease galvanic skin resistance,
induce relaxation and increase the alertness. Neuro-physiological responses of chanting AUM on healthy subjects have not been
studied.

METHODS: 240 subjects were screened as per inclusion and exclusion criteria and 60 subjects of both the gender were randomly
allocated into either of the groups i.e. AUM chanting group (n=30) or Breath awareness group (n=30). The data was extracted at the
baseline and immediately after the intervention in both groups.

DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS: The data were analyzed and result showed significant reduction in both state and trait anxiety
in both the groups (p=0.0001), significant reduction in random (p=0.0006) and fixed (p=0.0023) mean reaction time in control group
but no change in test group and a significant change in control group compare test group where is random (p=0.0013) and fixed
(p=0.0025) mean reaction time.

CONCLUSION: The study concluded that both 5 minutes of AUM chanting and the breath awareness can reduce the anxiety level
immediately. But only 5 minutes of breath awareness can be an adjacent treatment for immediate reduction of reaction time.

Keywords- Ishwara, Brahman, AUM chanting, Anxiety, Reaction time

INTRODUCTION
Anxiety is defined as an emotional state of mind where a perception of danger or loss or suffering is a prominent feature. It arises as a
result of recognition of something unknown, leads to conflicts, tension and disturbances in the primitive urges. Anxiety is the most
common mental health disorder1. It is a natural process of the human body to respond to the threat and emergency and prepare the
body for fight or flight mechanism. To meet the requirement of fight or flight mechanism human body release adrenaline and cortisol
which gives the energy to act. By slowing down other processes in the body deals with the perceived threat also have a damaging effect
on our auto-immune system, affecting sleep, short and long-term memory, the capacity to learn, concentrate and focus, and even speed
up the signs of aging2. To know the variation in the cognitive efficiency, the reaction time is used as the well-suited measure3. Reaction
time is used as the accurate measurement of attention problems or memory impairment4. Reaction time has a direct correlation with
mental and temporal demand5. The reaction is a purposeful voluntary response to an external stimulus. Reaction time is the interval of
time between presentation of stimulus and appearance of an appropriate voluntary response in a subject. Our emotions, attention as
well as memories are the additional factors which influence the response we make a stimulus6. There is a certain time period between
application of a stimulus and appropriate motor response. It is an important method used for central information processing, the speed
with co-ordination.

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IAETSD JOURNAL FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH IN APPLIED SCIENCES ISSN (ONLINE): 2394-8442

AUM is the intimate component of all pervading sound that has come out from God. With AUM chanting we can control our
mind.[Yog-Vashistha]. AUM chanting having an impact on intellect and concentration. It balances the emotions and motivates a caring
behavior for others. It is used to treat mental disorders including stress8. AUM exists in deep reality. It has three level gross i.e. A,
subtle i.e. U and causal i.e. M and three states of mind awaking i.e. A, dreaming i.e. U and deep sleep i.e. M. To know reality it is
used in spiritual practices. When AUM mantra repeated a pleasant, calming and balancing feeling will be experienced. After knowing
the deeper meanings and different methods of using having richer experience to move further in yoga meditation9. AUM chanting
gives mental relaxation and mental alertness, reduction in the heart rate, decreases the galvanic skin resistance10, induce relaxation11 and
increase in the alertness12. Neuro-physiological responses of chanting AUM on healthy subjects have not been studied. Hence, a
systematic study and analysis of its effects to prove or disprove these claims are essential. This study aims at understanding the
immediate effects of AUM chanting on levels of anxiety and reaction time in healthy volunteers and establishing evidence against the
extent of efficacy of this yogic practice and its physiological background as a therapy in alleviating relevant ailments. Thus formulating
a working hypothesis that AUM chanting reduces the anxiety level which can be analyzed through the reduction in reaction time for
given auditory stimuli.
METHODOLOGY
240 subjects were screened of either gender of the age group of 17 to 25 years from SDM College of naturopathy and yogic sciences,
Ujire. 60 healthy subjects were recruited for this study according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and they were divided into two
groups by using random sampling method AUM chanting group (Test group) and breath awareness group (Control group). All the
subjects participated in this study had no experience of exercise and yoga training. All the subjects were not diagnosed with any
disorder or disease and were not on any medication. Ethical clearance was obtained from the institutional ethical committee. Informed
consent was obtained from each subject after explaining the procedure and giving the assurance that they could withdraw from the
study whenever they wanted. Both the group subjects were asked to assemble in the research lab Anvenshana SDM yoga and nature
cure hospital, Shantivana. A brief introduction as well as demonstration, were given about the AUM chanting and Breath awareness to
the test group and control group respectively. After this baseline data were collected for both the group by Spielbergers STAI (State
trait anxiety inventory) with auditory reaction time. Then test group was instructed to perform AUM Chanting for 5 minutes and
control group were instructed to perform breath awareness for 5 minutes. The post data were collected for both the groups
immediately by Spielbergers STAI with Auditory reaction time.

Procedure for AUM chanting:

The subject was asked to sit relax in the yoga mat and perform Sukhasana posture with Back erect, neck erect and eyes closed. The
subject was asked to be calm for 1 minute then inhale deeply and then while exhaling should produce sound (chant) AUM . The
instruction was given to repeat it for 5 minutes13.

Procedure for Breath Awareness:

The subject was asked to sit relax in the yoga mat and perform Sukhasana posture with Back erect, neck erect and eyes closed. The
subjects were asked to be calm for 1 minute then inhale deeply and exhale completely with the concentration on the breath. Instruction
was given to repeat it for 5 minutes.

DATA COLLECTION
Assessment of stress was assessed by using STAI and auditory reaction time was assessed by BIOPAC polygraph machine, Montana,
USA; model No: BSL 4.0 MP 36) at the baseline and immediately after the intervention in both the groups.

DATA ANALYSIS
The data were checked for normality by Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test. Paired t-test was used to compare the pre and post scores of State
anxiety, trait anxiety, random interval mean reaction time and fixed interval of mean reaction time in both the groups. While unpaired
t-test was used to compare the scores of State anxiety, trait anxiety, random interval mean reaction time and fixed interval of mean
reaction time in between the two groups.

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IAETSD JOURNAL FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH IN APPLIED SCIENCES ISSN (ONLINE): 2394-8442

Figure 1: The illustration of study plan:

RESULTS
There were no significant changes in state and trait anxiety after comparing both the groups by applying unpaired t-test (Table 1),
significant changes in the post level of state and trait anxiety compare to pre-level in both the groups by applying the paired t-test
(Table 2). In the reaction time significant reduction in the RIMRT (Random interval mean reaction time) and FIMRT (Fixed interval
mean reaction time) in control group compared to test group by applying unpaired t-test (Table 1), Significant reduction in the RIMRT
and FIMRT after the intervention compare to baseline in control group and no changes in the test group by applying the paired t-test
(Table 2).

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IAETSD JOURNAL FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH IN APPLIED SCIENCES ISSN (ONLINE): 2394-8442

Table 1: Comparison of control and test group with respect to scores of state anxiety, trait anxiety and to mean RT (seconds) at pre
and post random and fixed interval by unpaired t-test.

Table 2: Comparison of pre and post score of state anxiety, trait anxiety, RIMRT and FIMRT (seconds) in control and test groups by
paired t-test

*P<0.05RIMRT- Random interval mean reaction time; FIMRT- Fixed interval mean reaction time.

DISCUSSION
One of the previous study conducted by Arati Amin et al showed in her study in 50 older women 50 to 60 years there was not the
significant reduction in depression, anxiety, stress and MMSE scores and blood pressure and pulse rate between the groups. But six
months of AUM chanting, systolic and diastolic pressure, pulse rate, depression, anxiety, stress decreased significantly. MMSE scores
improved significantly followed by AUM chanting13. This study also showed the same result there was no significant reduction in
anxiety immediately when comparison happens between the groups. But 5 minutes of AUM chanting immediately reduce anxiety level
significantly in healthy subjects.

Previously conducted the study by Maryam Mobini Bidgoli et al in his study he included80 individuals which are double-blind
randomized controlled trial were they performed Sukhapranayama exercises. They were trained to breathe slowly and rhythmically at a
rate of six breaths per minute for five consecutive minutes, where they found a significant reduction in anxiety score in Cardio-
angiography patients in the test group. They also found the significant reduction in anxiety score in Cardio-angiography patients where
test group compared with the control group14. The current study showed the same effect that 5 minutes of breath awareness will also
decrease the anxiety level immediately in healthy subjects and also current study found that AUM chanting, as well as breath
awareness, reduce the anxiety level immediately after the practice.

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IAETSD JOURNAL FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH IN APPLIED SCIENCES ISSN (ONLINE): 2394-8442

Breathe awareness with rhythm and concentration which has an impact on Baro-reflexes which leads to decrease in the functions of
chemical reflexes. On the other hand, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as heart rate, has shown reduction among the
patient those are suffering from hypertension which includes the weakening of the cardiac autonomic responses which can be used for
managing the anxiety15. Regular pranayama practice also has an impact on nervous, endocrine and cardiovascular systems by reducing
the sympathetic nerve activity leads to check the limit of adrenaline release in the blood vessels which lead to the rapid reduction in
blood pressure. Pranayama stimulates the stretch receptors of the lungs which decrease the sympathetic tone leads to inhibit the neural
impulses which control blood vessel dilatation and peripheral resistance causes the remarkable decrease in blood pressure16.

Neuro-dynamics of AUM chanting says that after the 5 minutes of AUM chanting will activate the Cingulate cortex, dorsolateral,
prefrontal and parietal Cortex, Hippocampus and temporal lobe which gives relaxation which manages the anxiety17, 18. Tang et al
showed 11 hours of meditation increase the fractional anisotropy, which shows integrity and efficiency of the white matter of corona
radiate which connects the cingulate gyrus to other structures. Meditation will work on the anterior cingulate cortex of white matter
which leads to emotional control and self-regulation19.

No other previous study was conducted on changes in reaction time immediately after the 5 minutes of AUM chanting as well as
breath awareness. The current study showed there is a significant reduction in reaction time immediately in control group compared to
test group. Also, the significant reduction in reaction time in post compared to pre in control group but there is no significant
reduction in reaction time in the test group.

Chanting of AUM bounded with the feeling of vibration around the ears. Vibration sensation passes through the auricular branch of
the vagus nerve and which produce a limbic deactivation18. The limbic system has a connection with various afferent and efferent
neurons which is having a role to give the pathway to a wide variety of environmental stimuli because of integration and effective
homeostatic responses20. Deactivation of limbic system may block the pathway of afferent and efferent neuron related to
environmental stimuli. This may be the reason that the 5 minutes of AUM chanting immediately not significantly change the reaction
time. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani et al explained the pulmonary stretch receptors which initiate the higher centers to overrule vagus
inhibitory action of the respiratory center which acts on post respiratory ones that manifest the vagal activity that may be the reason
that the 5 minutes of breath awareness immediately reduce the reaction time significantly21.

The strength of the study includes Effective randomization, no documented adverse effects and the first comparative study to see the
immediate effective of AUM chanting as well as Breath awareness. Both the practices in this study are simple, cost-effective, less time
consuming and having the impact to reduce the anxiety level immediately after the practice. The limitation of this study include
blinding had not done and only healthy individuals are recruited for the study. Further study is required with a large sample size and
the effect of prolonging practice of AUM chanting and breath awareness is required. Breathing awareness showed significant,
reduction in the reaction time immediately after the practice in healthy individuals. Further research is required to see the effectiveness
of breath awareness in reaction time on the patients who are suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive lung disease,
chronic alcoholics as well as chronic smokers who want to leave the alcohol and smoking respectively who is having delayed reaction
time.
CONCLUSION
The study concluded that both 5 minutes of AUM chanting and the breath awareness can reduce the anxiety level immediately. But
only 5 minutes of breath awareness can be an adjacent treatment for immediate reduction of reaction time.

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