Almost every spiritual tradition includes some form of sacred sound and music to bring everyone in attendance into a greater experience of Oneness with the Divine. Just like God, there are many similar definitions of All That Is.

     Why is why the all-inclusive, non-denominational concept of “the field” is so important. Lynn McTaggart’s bestseller of the same name is essential reading for anyone who wants to put together the pieces of this puzzle called life.

     However, just because an age-old concept has now been proven true by quantum physicists doesn’t mean we have to give up the pleasures of old-school psycho-spiritual technologies. Take chanting mantras, for example.

     As I’ve mentioned in passing over the past four years, I’ve had a re-introduction and re-awakening to the benefits of chanting certain mantras. It seems that every few months, I discover new subtleties the more I listen.

     It’s like I was tricked into discovering this for myself, in the course of the recording project that began as Tonal Alchemy and In the Om Zone and continues with my upcoming release, In the Om Zone 2.0. Like an archaeologist digging through layers of soil and stone to get to artifacts of an earlier civilization, each time I thought I was finished with the master tape, I kept hearing additional sonic textures that appeared of their own accord.

     But before I share a little bit about what makes In the OM Zone 2.0 so special, let me summarize what makes Om such a special mantra.

     According to the most ancient spiritual traditions of India dating back over 25,000 years, Om is the “soundless sound” made by the primordial vibration of the universe, and the basic harmonic building block of our three-dimensional world. Many leading edge astrophysicists now agree.

     This concept is included in the timeless truths encoded in the Bible, “In the beginning was the Word ...” And of course, the word was a sound. Om is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au, and ma. When these sacred seed syllables are combined, they make the sound Aum or Om.

     Om is a mantra or non-denominational prayer in itself. Mankind has always understood the importance and benefits of adding audible manifestations of these divine harmonics to enhance our spiritual development.

     But not all mantras are created equal. Some have more archetypal resonance and power than others. Om is considered the most powerful.

     Our atoms, molecules, cells and vital organs are actually little radio receivers and transmitting stations which automatically resonate and respond to incoming sound stimuli at precisely the same frequency, or a harmonic thereof. We now can broadcast to them with pre-recorded CDs, and amplify the effects with our own voice.

Give (inner) Peace a Chant

    In the past, royal families had court musicians to chant and serenade them as they meditated and practiced yoga. The miracle of recorded sound has revolutionized and democratized the concept, empowering all of us. Now tuning in to the cosmos is as close as your iPod or CD player.

     Unlike many other fine recordings on the market, In the Om Zone 2.0 is less about listening to a performance and more about participating in an interactive cosmic symphony that has been playing in your DNA. This album invites and supports you to use your voice to send primordial healing frequencies to your body, mind and spirit.

     You’re probably familiar with the phenomenal best-sellers The Secret and The Laws of Attraction. Ancient mystics, sound healers, and these authors are now all using the same vocabulary to describe the universal realities of frequency, resonance, entrainment and intention.

     Simply listening to the sounds on this recording will thus strengthen your attunement and connection with Source. As you’ll also likely discover, you’ll feel the buzz even more profoundly when you chant along.

Mantras and Chants Didn’t Come About by Chance

    The pioneering 20th century cymatics research of Swiss scientist Dr. Hans Jenny confirmed the truth of ancient wisdom. His photographs provide compelling visual evidence of the power of sound vibrations to create archetypal forms and designs in solids, liquids and gases.

     He demonstrated that when you chant Om onto a sand-covered steel plate, the sand gets arranged by the sound into a geometric image of interlacing triangles. This occurs as a result of the diminishing harmonics that are created as you change the shape of your mouth and vocal cavity. This image is universally recognized as the Sri Yantra. To learn more about this fascinating subject, you’ll want to view the Cymatics DVD, available at my website.

     For a succinct overview of the power of sound and mantra, check out chapter seven of Wayne Dyer’s best-seller, Manifest Your Destiny, which distills the teachings of his guru, Dattatreya Siva Baba.

     If you want to experience the deeper profundities of sound and mantra, I highly recommend visiting www.sivababa.org to read this enlightened meditation master’s books (Life Changing Sounds and The One Minute Guide to Prosperity and Enlightenment) and view his short videos on the power of sound and mantra.

How to Use In the Om Zone 2.0

     On each track, I chant the fundamental tone and the primary harmonic overtones in the key of C, and am later joined by the other singers. I encourage you to hum or chant along. You will find that you can chant other mantras, such as “Om Nama Shivaya,” with the Om in the background.

     Each track features a slightly different orchestration with traditional Indian tambura and synth drone tones that evoke the same meditative alpha brainwave state. You may notice and appreciate, as I do, the subtle difference that the presence or absence of one instrument makes. Feel free to repeat a favorite track. Otherwise, the album is sequenced to provide a continuous ambience that is conducive to maintaining a meditative state.

     I include the tones of a Tibetan singing bowl to focus the mind in meditation, as well as to designate when we shift from a tonality based on A = 424 cycles per second as the frequency of the tonal center as opposed to our modern tonality of A = 440 cycles per second.

Nature’s Tuning vs. Man–Made Standards

    Have you ever wondered why orchestras tune to A = 440 cycles per second? Has this always been the vibrational frequency?

     In the time of Bach and Mozart, the key frequency was actually lower, around A = 424 cycles per second. The international music industry agreed to raise this keynote in 1925 so that all instruments could play together.

     According to Alan Howarth (www.RAmusic.com), in so doing, we may have lost some of the benefits of music.

     Parts I through VII of this CD are tuned to A = 440. Starting with Part VIII, the

Oms are keyed to A =   424. As you listen to both the man-made standard and the RA standard chants, can you notice a difference? Do you like one better? I’d be interested in any feedback you’d like to share.

     Sound clips will be posted soon on my website. For superior sound experience, order the actual CD which will be available at innerpeacemusic.com in late November and listen with headphones.

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Steven Halpern is currently celebrating his 33rd anniversary as the first sound healer to openly promote the healing powers of contemporary instrumental music composed with the intention of creating an experience of well-being and inner peace. His latest releases are Relaxation Suite, which is already being reviewed as one of the most significant albums of his illustrious career (listen to samples at www.InnerPeaceMusic.com/RelaxationSuite), and In the Om Zone 2.0.

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