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Wording Counts
"Sometimes, the biggest roadblock in people coming to this program, I think, is the word 'mantram,'" Bormann says. "And so, sometimes we call it a rapid-focus tool or we call it a comfort word, or for people who are particularly religious … we say it's a prayer word."
Bormann says her work makes the assumption that "human beings are spiritual beings."
"We believe that human beings have a mind, a body, and a spirit, whether we're aware of it or not," Bormann says. "We believe the way you can become aware of those inner spiritual resources is to quiet your mind and one way to do that is with a mantram."
Not Just Distraction
Bormann says the effect isn't just about distracting people from stress.
"If I walk around all day and am calling on a name of God or something that is the highest ideal of what I could become, that's very different than if I'm just trying to distract myself," Bormann says, adding that it can take time and practice for the technique to have an effect, which may be subtle.
Bormann is also studying mantra use in a variety of other groups, including parents and caregivers for Alzheimer's patients.
She notes that her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the Veterans Affairs Research and Development Office.
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Published on March 3, 2006
