Chants across seven traditions share acoustic traits that enhance subjective relaxation

What is it about?

Chanting has been part of human culture for thousands of years, appearing in traditions from Buddhism and Hinduism to Christianity, Islam, Paganism, and Shamanism. Despite cultural and linguistic differences, our research found that chants around the world share strikingly similar sound patterns — and these seem designed to help people relax. In our study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), we analysed over 240 chants from seven major traditions and compared them with speech and song from many languages. Chants consistently had a relatively flat and steady intonation, slow tempo, comfortable pitch range – typically lower than everyday speech or song - and simple vowel sounds that are easy to produce (i.e., with little articulation and a relaxed throat). These features create a vocal "signature" that is very different from everyday speech or song. We then tested how chants affect listeners. Across three experiments with more than 250 participants, chants were consistently rated as more relaxing and soothing than speech or song. In particular, slower tempos and slow changing intonation made people feel calmer, while mid-vowel sounds like “uh” and “oo” (which require little articulation) were judged most pleasant. Our work highlights why chanting has endured across centuries and traditions: it helps us slow down, breathe more deeply, and feel a sense of calm.

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Photo by Daniel Schaffer on Unsplash

Photo by Daniel Schaffer on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Our findings suggest that chanting isn’t just a cultural or spiritual practice — it has universal sound patterns that actively promote relaxation and wellbeing. Unlike many other practices, it requires no equipment or training, just the human voice. By uncovering the acoustic “recipe” for calm, our research helps explain why chanting has been so widespread across human history, and it opens up new possibilities for using chanting in modern settings, from stress reduction and therapy to community wellbeing.

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