Mantra, the sustained repetition of a word or phrase, appears across cultures as a widely practiced method of focusing the mind. Despite its recognized emotional and cognitive effects, researchers still do not fully understand the neural processes behind it.
“It appeared to quiet competing activity without asking the brain to construct something complicated in its place.”
In 2015, the word one became the subject of a brain scan. Researchers wanted to isolate repetition from the spiritual beliefs, emotional associations, and rituals surrounding traditional mantra practice. They placed 23 healthy adults with no meditation experience inside an fMRI scanner. With their eyes closed, the participants silently repeated the word “one” at a comfortable pace.