How Chanting Relates to Cognitive Function, Altered States and Quality of Life

Chanting is practiced in many religious and secular traditions and involves rhythmic vocalization or mental repetition of a sound or phrase. This study examined how chanting relates to cognitive function, altered states, and quality of life across a wide range of traditions. A global survey was used...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBrain sciences Vol. 12; no. 11; p. 1456
Main Authors Perry, Gemma, Polito, Vince, Sankaran, Narayan, Thompson, William Forde
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 27.10.2022
MDPI
Subjects
altered states
Brain research
Buddhism
chanting
Cognitive ability
Deities
devotion
Hinduism
Meditation
mind wandering
Mindfulness
Nervous system
Phenomenology
Quality of life
Religion
Rhythms
Secularism
Sound
Spirituality
Traditions
India
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Summary:Chanting is practiced in many religious and secular traditions and involves rhythmic vocalization or mental repetition of a sound or phrase. This study examined how chanting relates to cognitive function, altered states, and quality of life across a wide range of traditions. A global survey was used to assess experiences during chanting including flow states, mystical experiences, mindfulness, and mind wandering. Further, attributes of chanting were assessed to determine their association with altered states and cognitive benefits, and whether psychological correlates of chanting are associated with quality of life. Responses were analyzed from 456 English speaking participants who regularly chant across 32 countries and various chanting traditions. Results revealed that different aspects of chanting were associated with distinctive experiential outcomes. Stronger intentionality (devotion, intention, sound) and higher chanting engagement (experience, practice duration, regularity) were associated with altered states and cognitive benefits. Participants whose main practice was call and response chanting reported higher scores of mystical experiences. Participants whose main practice was repetitive prayer reported lower mind wandering. Lastly, intentionality and engagement were associated with quality of life indirectly through altered states and cognitive benefits. This research sheds new light on the phenomenology and psychological consequences of chanting across a range of practices and traditions.
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ISSN:2076-3425
2076-3425
DOI:10.3390/brainsci12111456