Nada and the Brain Waves
By T V Sairam
Ancient traditions in India view sound intonation (nada) as an important principle of existence.
Nada is considered as the non-material source of all matter. It is also viewed as the ‘thread-like’ link between one’s material and spiritual realms – a key by which one can become free from the worldly bondage.
Mantra, which is believed to be sculpted with appropriate intonation, needs to pass through several stages or levels before it is fully experienced by the listener in perfection. The four such levels of sound identified in the ancient vedic texts for this purpose are: para, pashyanti, madhyama and vaikhari, each equated with a corresponding level of one’s consciousness.
It is believed that one's experience of sound depends entirely upon the refinement of one's consciousness. By understanding these stages of sounds, thereby the consciousness thoroughly, it is stated that one can get rid off the bondage of matter – the ultimate aim of many a yogi, ‘to scorn delight and live laborious days.’
In other words, the belief is that it takes a realized consciousness to have a ‘roller-coaster experience’ – an experience of the full range of sound, or, let us say, the full range of existence.
Curiously, the modern-day scientists and neurologists have also stumbled upon –not two or three, but precisely four distinct types of brain-wave rhythms, with the help of sophisticated electronic gadgets and techniques such as EEG. Each such brain-wave pattern has a remarkable identity with the very same nada consciousness levels, known to the Indian meditators from the remote past!
The seers who could comprehend these four stages of sound ages ago, described the higher three forms of sound patterns: para, pashyanti and madhyama, as the sound ‘hidden within one’s self’ (guha). The fourth, vaikhari, according to them was, however, considered as the external manifested speech (laukika bhasha).
In terms of the universal cosmology, vaikhari, madhyama and pashyanti correspond respectively to the mythological Three Worlds (Triloka) : bhuh, bhuvah, and svah. The para-shabda ultimately corresponds to the Lord's tri-pada-vibhuti
The Table here makes an attempt to bring together the mythology and modern science together.
| Sound Category |
Corresponding State of Consciousness (‘existential realities’) |
Probable Brain-wave Rhythms, Corresponding to the State of Consciousness, described in the previous column |
Remarks |
Para (‘highest’; ‘farthest’)
|
Transcendental state (Turiya ), the fourth state of consciousness |
Delta waves (?) |
Para refers to the sound, which is beyond the perception of senses – an unvibratory condition of sound beyond the reach of mind and intelligence. It has no distinction between the object and the sound, as it contains within it, all the qualities of the object. In manifestation the subtle is always the source of the gross, and thus from para manifests the other three forms of sound |
| Pashyanti ("that which can be seen or visualized")
The seat of pashyanti is traced to navel (Manipura Chakra) . When sound goes up to the navel with the bodily air in vibratory form without any particular syllable(varna), yet connected with the mind, it is known as pashyanti.
.
. |
Intellectual or Dreamless state of Deep Sleep (Susupti), where the causal body (karana-sarira) operates . In the pashyanti-stage exists one’s Will-power (iccha-shakti). The finest impulse of speech also exists here. The speech here is intuitively connected to the object. The differences between language do not exist here, as the sound is intuitive and situated beyond rigidly defined concepts. There is near oneness between the word and the experience described. |
Delta and Theta waves |
Pashyanti- is less subtle than Para.
In the pashyanti stage sound possesses qualities such as color and form. Those who have inner vision (eg., yogis) can perceive these qualities in sound. |
Madhyama (‘in between’; ‘the middle’); the intermediate, unexpressed state of sound, situated in the heart region.
|
Mental or Dream state (Svapna) , in which Subtle or Psychic Body (sukshma-sarira) operates. The middle sound is that sound which exists between the states of susupti and jagrat. In Madhyama exists one’s power of knowledge (jnana shakti)
|
Alpha waves |
Madhyama refers to mental speech, as opposed to external audible speech. It is on this level that we normally experience thought. Some commentators however,differ. For them, wakeful thought is on the level of vaikhari.
After attaining the form of pashyanti , sound vibrations go further up to the heart and merge with the assertive intelligence (madhyama). This can be perceived only by those, who are endowed with discriminative intelligence.
(Here and also in vaikhari, there is a clear distinction between the sound and the object. The object is perceived as something different from the sound, and sound is connected to an object mostly by convention.) |
Vaikhari (‘the spoken syllables’), when sound comes out through the mouth.
|
Physical or Wakeful state (Jagrat ), a state in which physical body (sthula sarira) operates.
In vaikhari exists one’s power of action (kriya-shakti) |
Beta waves |
Vaikhari is the grossest level of speech, and it is responded by the external senses.
(Though the manifestation of sound takes place from para- down to vaikhari (or fine to gross), in explaining these stages we will begin from the external vaikhari, as that is the sound we all have most experience of) |
(The author can be contacted at his e-mail address: tvsairam@rediffmail.com)
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