Mantra is the psychic sound. In the science of mantra yoga, each person has a different psychic personality. The mantra is a specific sound of the spiritual system. In ancient times when the rishis were meditating, they overcame their sensory awareness, mind awareness and time stood still for them. And finally they came to ether awareness where they were able to hear all the different sounds of the vibrations in the cosmos. These sounds were called mantras.

Mantras hold the pranic power of speech. The Vedas say that prana is hidden speech, while speech is manifest prana. We speak throughout the outgoing breath and can inhale only when we are not speaking. All mantras and sounds arise through the sound of Shiva’s drum. They are forms of Shiva beginning with Om, which is his power of expression. Mantra means liberation from the thought processes of the mind (mantra trayate). When the thought processes are controlled by mantras, the consciousness presents itself in its purest true nature.

There are two kinds of mantras

The first is given by the Guru as mantra diksha. The other appears in a dream or in deep meditation. Your mantra given by the Guru never changes. Swamiji said that you can change your partner but not your mantra. The mantra whispered in your ear by the Guru, has a different Shakti to it. Each of us can have the same mantra but it will have a different meaning for us.

I saw a very funny episode from a serial called “Curb your Enthusiasm”. It was a spoof on Mantras and how they change us. One of the characters is stressed and his friend gives him his personal mantra. The outcome is that after sharing the mantra, the sharer want’s his mantra back. Well in reality that is not possible. When we are given a mantra, it is with us forever. If we change our guru, the new guru will repeat the same mantra in the disciple’s ear. I felt that there though the episode was funny, neither the director nor the writer appreciated the liberating force of the mantra.

If we chant our mantra with faith and fervor, even if we mispronounce it, it will free us. It is our connection with the cosmos, which leads to the union of our consciousness and prana. Experience the magic of the mantra. Chant So Ham, 54 times. Remember So inhalation, Ham exhalation. Count backwards, no errors. Do it whenever you are free and see the change in yourself.

Aim Hrim Klim