There are strong reactions to the Om sound found in our free audio download. Some are immediately transfixed by the sound as a hypnotic lure to a quieter mind. Others find it helps them to fall asleep faster or stay asleep longer, increase dream recall and intuition, decrease anxiety and stress, open up creative channels, while others report a sense of calm and peace. Others can't get past how it sounds scary or spooky, unnatural or mechanical. Some have asked about our religious motivations or beliefs.
My own experiences of vocalizing "om" proved to be effective at quieting the mind. In various ways, I had been exposed to situations where a group of people were asked to chant "om" together. In each of these occasions, I felt my body's vibrations and a calmer state of being, a profound presence, a sense of peace and inner stillness.
In his spiritual journeying practice, Kevin Kossi, co-founder of Sacred Acoustics, had found voicing "om" to be an effective way to activate his pineal gland — for him, an excellent starting point for exploring within consciousness. "Whenever I go into a sacred space, either man-made like a temple, or natural like a cave, I try making sounds like 'om' in different pitches and volumes to get a feel for the resonance of the space."
Upon meeting Dr. Eben Alexander, author of Living in a Mindful Universe and Proof of Heaven, we learned that "om" was the sound he heard during the deepest portion of a profound spiritual odyssey while in coma. "During meditation, 'om-ing' allows a greater connection to my awareness of existence and the intention of the meditation. The vibration of my intention combines with the sound frequencies as I willfully join the journey provided by the tones."
From our individual personal experiences, we all understood "om" to represent an energetic or vibrational state of being and an ideal way in practice to begin our sound journeys. When presenting our sound experientials to a group, I typically invite the audience to join me in making three "oms" together, creating a beautiful group resonance.
We chose 108hz as our base tone for Om and all other sounds are harmonically related. The NeuralHelix frequencies center on the hypnagogic sweet spot at the border between delta and theta [expand], an excellent foundation for further consciousness exploration.
When vocalizing "om" out loud, try out different pacing, pitches and volume levels. Look for a vibrational sense emanating from the heart area. This is the beginning of finding your inherent intelligence -- the part of you that attaches to primordial mind, of which we are all a part. Others may feel vibrations in other parts of the body.
Try approaching intention by generating a one-word feeling state of what you want to accomplish in the sound journey -- to be experienced in that moment and/or the state you wish to feel on an ongoing basis in your life. Feel that intentional state in the moment of vocalizing om and imagine your own vibrations are blending with the sound as part of a grander consciousness.
Many traditions have a deep history of using "om" in certain ways. Hindus especially have embraced "om" as a foundation of spiritual practice. However, if such things are distracting, let go of any preconceived ideas about "om" as a religious belief or foreign concept. Simply experience "om" as a vibration and see where it takes you.
Recordings that contain Om as starting frequencies:
Foundation Series 2, Golden Light, Heart Center 2, Light Body, Know Yourself, Spiral of Time, Crystal Portal, Healing Center, Heart Presence, Divine Love, Lotus, Solar Eclipse
Recordings that do not contain Om:
Whole Alpha, Whole Theta, Whole Delta, Whole States, Cosmic Womb, Sacred Lullaby, Sacred Sleep, Sacred Siesta, Event Horizon, Lunar Cycles, Love Body
Thank you very much for sharing this. It is very insightful and helpful for myself. I have a question.
When vocalizing “om,” we have to stop to catch up with the breath and continue with it. This may make me out of breath and disrupt the flow and my peacefulness. What’s the correct way to do it while meditating? Thanks.
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Knowing how to maintain a core sense of presence and balance creates a foundation of strength to move from empathy to compassion, and at your finest, altruism, when you take action to help another without concern for yourself.
Karen Newell
Author
co-founder of Sacred Acoustics and co-author of Living in a Mindful Universe