Repeating 'OM' mentally changes auditory-evoked potentials in the brainstem. Thirty experienced meditators (ages 20–55, average 29.1 years) were tested in four sessions: two control conditions (single-topic lecture and non-targeted thinking) and two meditation states (focusing on the symbol 'OM' and an effortless single-thought state of 'OM'). Wave V peak latency, indicating neural transmission at the inferior colliculus, increased significantly during non-targeted thinking, lecture, and focused meditation, but showed no change during the effortless single-thought state. This suggests that auditory information transmission is delayed in the first three conditions but not during the deeper meditative state.
The sacred syllable Om, described in Indian scriptures as the primordial sound from which all creation emerges, signifies the Supreme Power. Drawing from four Upanisads, the Bhagavad Gita, and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the article examines Om's significance. Autonomic and respiratory studies suggest that mental repetition of Om produces a combination of mental alertness with physiological rest. Evoked potentials studies indicate a decrease in sensory transmission time at the level of the auditory association cortices, along with recruitment of more neurons at mesencephalic-diencephalic levels. Scientific studies suggest that Om meditation results in physiological alertness and increased sensitivity to sensory transmission.