Cymatic Science Explains the Benefits of Mantra
Physicists know that energy is in eternal motion. According to the Vedas, everything we perceive is the manifestation of oscillating energy. Modern science recognizes electromagnetic frequencies, what the Vedics call “shakti,” as the primal energy source of form. It is vibration and frequency that organizes “this” into “this” and “that” into “that” — including each of us.
While this is an oversimplification of the Vedic view of creation and existence, as well as energy science, quantum physics now agrees, since discovering that atoms, and their components, are in perpetual states of vibration. Both systems assert that it is this endless dynamic energy that becomes sound, light, heat, and ultimately form, when reduced to the most basic state, causing creation to pulse with the rhythms of energy moving in waves.
Bijas and Mantra Benefits
The Sanskrit word “mantra” translates into two words; “man,” meaning “mind,” and “to think,” and “tra,” meaning “tool” or “instrument.” Mantra is an instrument of the mind, or a tool for thought. Frits Staal, founder of the department of South Asian Studies at U.C. Berkeley and a Vedic scholar, believed mantras pre-date language and words.
Mantra “bijas,” or “seeds” are single-syllable words that carry the essence of a principle. OM is a bija that is used alone or combined with other bijas to make mantric phrases, i.e. “Om Mani Padme Hum.” The bija “OM” is rich with meaning — learn more here.
All mantra, whether spoken or silent, oscillates as subtle frequencies within the body. Karmic habits (how we react the same way over and over again) are imprinted on our energetic being — mantra can subtly change energetic karmic patterns and tendencies. Mantra raises or shifts our subtle frequency, and can “upgrade” our karmic address by helping us change old, unconscious patterns.
Along with invoking specific qualities, spoken or silent mantra recitation protects the mind from reactivity, and can “tame” the wild horse of discursive thought. The untamed mind is the source of karma, in that it draws conclusions and judgements that trigger reactivity of all kinds — for better or worse. Discursive mind has a habit of believing itself to be “right;” always correct in its limited perceptions — often conclusions based on ignorance. By training the mind with mantra, we begin to break out of karmic tendencies and ignorance and open to the world as it is.
Forms of mantra can be found in many traditions. Early Christians chanted single verses from scripture in the same way the Vedics chant mantra. An ancient instruction from a Christian mystic to his student was, “whatever work you are doing, or office you are holding, or journey you are making, do not cease to chant your verse. We must ceaselessly and continuously pour forth the prayer of this verse if we seek holiness.”
A cymatic image displaying attributes of the universal flower of life geometry
Cymatics
Derived from the Greek word for “wave,” cymatics is essentially the study of how sound waves and frequencies influence matter. This is illustrated by a substance (salt, sand) suspended in water or on a surface sensitive to vibration. When exposed to sound, substances flow into visible patterns and shapes. Cymatic experiments have documented the ever-changing forms and designs that reflect principles of sacred geometry and biology.
Some researchers theorize that cymatic action on matter created life, using deep-sea hydrothermal vents to illustrate the theory.
“The hydrothermal vents spewed mineral-rich gases from earth’s core into the seawater and made contact with molten lava in the vicinity of the vent, causing bubbles to form that ranged in size from melons to microbes.
“The elements that poured out of the vents emerged into highly turbulent water in an ocean of rich bubbling sounds. The watery membrane surfaces of the microscopic bubbles offered the perfect places for sound structures to be imprinted with cymatic patterns of energy,” according to the cymascope.com website.
Researcher John Stewart Reid has hypothesized that cymatic action is responsible for Saturn’s visible atmospheric hexagon, caused by a constant stream of ELF, or “extremely low frequency” energy.
By observing cymatic action, we realize that sonics and sound waves impact the body, which is 65 to 70 percent water. Since the body directly influences the mind, by changing the body, we change the mind the same way soundwaves change water and sand. Conversely, when the mind changes, so does the body.
Sonic Science and Wisdom
Science has begun mapping the deep, intricate influences of sound and frequency on the human brain and nervous system. Exploration of sound as a healing modality has exploded in recent decades — sonics are being used for pain management, enhanced learning, performance, immune system health, depression, and many more physical and mental health issues. While science has discovered some of the ways the brain and nervous system respond to sound, sonic and acoustic mysteries are still waiting to be cracked — science is still catching up with ancient wisdom.
To a fetus, the mother’s heartbeat is the entire world. The instinctual human affinity for rhythm is hardwired by our first perception of sound as heartbeat — and not just “heard” sound; the mother’s heartbeat pulses through the entire fetus. Studies have determined that infants who could hear recordings of their mothers’ heartbeat were calmer and cried less. The heartbeat is the matrix of life from womb to tomb — when it stops, we stop.
Jung believed that sound and rhythm were means to access the collective unconscious. Perhaps he was aware that shamanic and indigenous traditions recognize the power of drumming as a potent tool for healing. The shaman or medicine man uses drumming to enter a trance state and travel to other realms to learn of a patient’s illness or dis-ease. Tribes of all times and places enact ritual and ceremony with drumming and dancing.
Whether dancing at an EDM party or festival, or waltzing in a ballroom, those who join together in music and movement are “tribe,” even if just for that moment. Imagine a flamenco dancer with staccato heels whirling to a singer’s lament while the clan claps rhythms in ecstatic trance; a marching band with staccato drums and bright brass instruments rousing a crowd to blood-stirring support for its team at a high school football game; or the woeful wail of bagpipes moving funeral mourners to tears.
Spanda: The Sound of Shakti and the Word
According to ancient tantric sutras, we live and die within the vast, primal heartbeat that the Vedics referred to as the “Spanda.” Derived from the Sanskrit root “spadi,” meaning “to move a little,” the word reflects the yogic perception of the subtle, creative pulse of the universe.
These principles are reflected in Judeo-Christian literature when, in Genesis, God speaks formlessness into form with the words “let there be light;” it was the ‘word’ that brought forth light. The famous passage in John 1:1 in the New Testament says, “In the beginning there was the Word; the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
One argument is that since light travels faster than sound, wouldn’t light preceed sound in creation stories? In 2017, a research team at Middle Tennessee State University conducted an experiment that demonstrated that “sound pulses can travel at velocities faster than the speed of light.” Other experiments have had the same result. Sound can be prior to light.
As humans, our perceptual window is microscopic relative to all there is in space and time. We stumble across puzzle pieces and iceberg tips as we struggle to bring the infinite into focus. Our year of 365 days is a fraction of Saturn’s 29 year trip around the sun. If we can imagine cosmic cymatic activity on a vast scale over (what would be for us) oceans of time, we could conceptualize the universe as the cymatic expression of the spanda. As above, so below; perhaps the key to unlocking vast, cosmic mysteries may be observing energy’s influence on matter on our human scale.
The great hexagon on Saturn’s North Pole. Source: NASA
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Step-by-Step Guide to Perform an Energy Cleansing in Your Home
The energetic cleansing of the home is a practice intended to eliminate the subtle burdens that affect the emotional balance and well-being of those who inhabit it. These energies, though invisible, can accumulate over time and create discomfort, insomnia, or constant tension. In this article, we explore why it is important to care for the energy of the space where you live and how to do it in a simple and effective way.
Table of Contents
- What Is an Energy Cleansing and Why Do It at Home?
- Signs That Your Home Needs an Energy Cleansing
- Essential Elements for an Effective Energy Cleansing
- Preparations Before Starting the Energy Cleansing
- Step-by-Step Guide to Cleanse the Energy of Your Home
- How Often Should You Perform an Energy Cleansing?
What Is an Energy Cleansing and Why Do It at Home?
An energy cleansing is an intentional process to clear a space of dense, stagnant, or negative energies. These may arise from arguments, strong emotions, prolonged stress, or simply a lack of conscious renewal. Just as one dusts or airs out a room, it’s also necessary to tend to what cannot be seen but can certainly be felt.
When a home’s energy is in harmony, everything flows more easily. You sleep better, experience greater mental clarity, and relationships become more serene. Energy cleansing helps restore that harmony, creating a lighter, more receptive, and balanced environment.
Unlike other complex rituals or spiritual practices, energy cleansing can be performed with simple and accessible elements, such as herbs, sound, or visualization. The essential factor is the presence you bring to the process and the clear intention to transform the space.
In the series Quantum Effect, available on Gaia, expert Randy Veitenheimer explores how subtle energy impacts our health and the quality of the environment we live in. Understanding these dynamics is key to performing a more conscious and effective energy cleansing.
Signs That Your Home Needs an Energy Cleansing
Sometimes, even when a house is tidy and physically clean, the atmosphere can feel heavy, uncomfortable, or dull. This sensation may result from an accumulation of unresolved energy. Paying attention to the signs that indicate this need is essential to restoring harmony within the space.
- Feeling of heaviness or discomfort: Feeling drained or lacking energy in certain parts of the home can be a clear sign of energetic buildup. This sensation is often stronger in closed or poorly ventilated rooms.
- Difficulty resting: Insomnia or restless dreams, especially when there is no clear medical reason. A heavy environment can directly interfere with nighttime relaxation.
- Frequent conflicts: If constant arguments or repeated misunderstandings occur at home, it’s likely that the energy of the space is disturbed. This affects both communication and the emotional state of those living there.
- Feeling of stagnation: Lack of motivation, apathy, or a sense of blockage in various areas of life. Sometimes cleansing your surroundings can help unlock internal processes.
- Withering plants or objects breaking for no reason: Energy also manifests in the physical. If items frequently break or plants don’t thrive, it may be a sign of energetic imbalance.
Essential Elements for an Effective Energy Cleansing
To perform a deep energy cleansing, it’s important to have elements that move, purify, and harmonize the energy of the space. These resources can be physical—like incense or sound bowls—or subtle, such as mental intention. The key is to choose the tools you resonate with most and use them with full awareness of the effect they generate in your environment.
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Herbs, incense, and smudging sticks
Smoke is one of the most ancient and widely used energetic purifiers. Burning herbs like rue, lavender, or rosemary, or smudging with copal, myrrh, or palo santo, helps dissolve stagnant energy and restore harmony in the environment. Passing the smoke through every corner renews the home’s vibration quickly and effectively.
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Sea salt, vinegar, and other natural purifiers
These elements are known for their ability to absorb and neutralize dense energies. Sea salt can be placed in small containers in key corners of the house, while white vinegar, diluted in water, is used to cleanse energetically charged surfaces. After using them, it’s important to discard them, as they hold the energy they have absorbed.
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Sound: bowls, bells, and clapping
Sound produces a vibration strong enough to break invisible energetic blockages. Using Tibetan bowls, bells, or simply clapping in the corners helps move stagnant energy and restore the natural flow of the space. This technique is especially useful in areas that are quiet or poorly ventilated.
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Intention, visualization, and mental energy
The most powerful tool for energy cleansing is a focused mind. Visualizing a purifying light traveling through your home, or internally affirming that the space is filled with harmony, enhances any other technique. Clear intention directs energy and transforms the environment from the invisible level.
Preparations Before Starting the Energy Cleansing
Before starting the energy cleansing, it’s essential to prepare the physical space. Opening windows to let in fresh air, tidying up the rooms, and removing broken or unused objects helps energy flow more freely. Having your tools ready in advance avoids interruptions and allows the process to unfold in a continuous and conscious way.
It’s also important to prepare yourself internally. Take a few moments to breathe deeply, connect with your purpose, and set a clear intention. This initial moment defines the energy you’ll be working with and allows you to enter a state of greater presence and sensitivity toward the environment.
Step-by-Step Guide to Cleanse the Energy of Your Home
Performing an energy cleansing doesn’t require advanced knowledge, but it does require attention, presence, and a clear intention. Below is a practical guide you can follow to renew the energy of your home in an organized and effective way.
- Air out and tidy the space: Open doors and windows to allow air to flow and eliminate clutter. A clean and well-ventilated space lets energy move more freely. This first step already creates a noticeable shift in the atmosphere.
- Set your intention: Before you begin, take a few minutes to connect with the purpose of the cleansing. You can mentally repeat a phrase like “I release what I no longer need and make space for the new.” Clarity of intention directs the energy of the process.
- Start at the main entrance: Begin at the front door and move through each room in a clockwise direction. This helps mobilize the energy coherently and close the cleansing cycle more effectively. Pay special attention to corners and areas with little movement.
- Use your chosen tools: Apply the elements you selected, such as smoke, sound, or visualization. Do it with presence and without rushing, focusing on each space as you move through it. Combining different techniques enhances the effect.
- Finish with gratitude: Once the cleansing is complete, thank the process and allow fresh air to circulate for a few more minutes. You can place a candle, fresh flowers, or a meaningful object that symbolizes renewal. This seals the energetic work and reinforces the harmony of the space.
How Often Should You Perform an Energy Cleansing?
The ideal frequency for energy cleansing depends on the pace of life in your home and what happens within the space. In general, doing it once a month is enough to keep the environment balanced and light. However, certain situations call for more immediate attention.
If you’ve gone through intense stress, arguments, illness, loss, or emotionally heavy visits, it’s a good idea to do a cleansing shortly after. It’s also helpful to do one after moving into a new place or before starting a new cycle, such as a project or significant personal chapter.
In addition, many people choose to cleanse their space in alignment with seasonal changes or significant astrological events. The most important thing is to listen to your intuition and observe how the space feels. If you sense that things aren’t flowing or the atmosphere feels dense, it’s probably time to refresh its energy.
