To go off on another tangent -- an interesting post from SokaGakkaiUnofficial, message 99485:
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Scientific American magazine (Oct.2004) published an article : Heartbeat Poetry
[
www.scientificamerican.com] which
described the physiological effect of rhythmic chanting.
The study focused on the efficiency of Hexametric or Six-beat rhythm chanting
[such as in :
NAM(1) MYO(2) HO(3) REN(4) GE(5) KYO(6)], which is 6 beat or 6 units per line].
The study did not specifically analyse the rhythm of the daimoku itself, which
researchers may have not heard about, but examined old Greek poetry recitation,
such as in Homer's Odyssey, which used the same 6-beat rhythm.
The reason why 6-beat (or Hexameter) poetry was chosen for study of its effects
was the "historical accounts of Greek choruses and audiences gathering to recite
more than 10,000 lines of hexameter without pausing. The verse must have
produced feel-good effects".
The article suggested that this type of hexametric
recitation [as in the daimoku] harmonised two physiological rhythms: breathing
and heart beat. When these two physiological waves of oxygen intake and blood
pressure get synchronised, one feels increased energy:Cardiovascular and respiratory responses are not normally in sync. Rhythmic
fluctuations in blood pressure take place naturally in 10-second-long cycles
known as Mayer waves, whereas spontaneous breathing normally occurs at a rate of
approximately 15 breaths per minute.
Dirk Cysarz of the Herdecke Community Hospital and Institute of Mathematics at
the University of Witten/ Herdecke wanted to explore the connection between
these oscillating mechanisms, which are known to couple weakly at times. The
type of poetry was a key aspect of the study. Cysarz and his colleagues
specifically used Homer's Odyssey translated into German, which maintains the
original hexametric pace of the verse--that is, six meters, or rhythmic units,
per line.
The article also mentions the opinion of a specialist from Harvard Medical
School : He postulates that something inherent in our physiology may have
enabled this pattern of poetry to take shape.
Interestingly, the study compares mantra chanting with silent meditation (or
controlled breathing) and finds that mantra chanting is more effective in
harmonising physiological rhythms and : Also, subjects found poetry reading
stimulating but controlled breathing boring.
Full article :[
www.scientificamerican.com]
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Now, I've felt for a long time that chanting somehow balances the brain and nervous system. If I'm tired and depressed, chanting gives me energy. But on the other hand, if I'm angry or agitated, chanting is calming. In the early years of my practice, I thought that it was Nam myoho renge kyo, and the Mystic Law itself. Now, I wonder if chanting anything with a similar rhythm would have the same results.
I think that Toda and Ikeda, in the 1950's, rather exploited the physical effects of chanting. Members felt good because their breathing and heartbeat were in sync -- and SGI leaders convinced them that these good feelings were because of SGI!
While I think chanting is a good thing, even good things can be overdone, and SGI has encouraged people to overdo chanting. Early in this thread, Anticult and I both wrote about friends of ours who suffered from anxiety and chanted obsessively, in all sorts of situations, to deal with the anxiety. They'd be in some social situation and they'd have to go in another room and chant.
You might say, "Well, isn't it better that they chant a lot -- rather than do something like self-medicate the anxiety with alcohol or drugs? Yes and no. Chanting is certainly better for your liver, but for your life?
The trouble is, if you've chanted and been around SGI for awhile -- you've taken in toxic ideas along with some good ideas and practices.
I think that for some people chanting becomes a band-aid -- taking the edge off of the person's discomfort just enough that he or she is not uncomfortable enough to seek real help for the anxiety. They follow their leaders' guidance -- chanting more and doing more for SGI is supposed to make them feel better -- gradually it gets to the point where SGI has become their whole life. Maybe the person is not that happy chanting and doing SGI activities 24/7 -- but they've done it so long it's hard to imagine living any other way. Or they're terrified that all hell will break loose if they cut back at all.
Also, what of the cost to the person's relationships? It's hard to have an alcoholic as a parent, husband, wife, or friend because the alcoholic's total focus is alcohol. They're either drunk, recovering from a hangover, out drinking, or thinking about their next drink.
A hardcore SGI member can be either chanting obsessively, at SGI activities, or doing shakabuku, leaving them with little time and attention for children, spouse, nonSGI friends. Mentally and often physically, they are just not there for you.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/2010 10:03AM by tsukimoto.