Chanting: Discovering Spirit in Sound

by Robert Gass, Kathleen A. Brehony

The ancient art of chanting has long been embraced by the world's great religious traditions as a path to healing and enlightenment, but only recently has Western science begun to recognize its therapeutic effects on the body and mind. Chanting provides a fascinating introduction to this powerful and increasingly popular practice and shows you how to use chant in your own life as a powerful tool for relaxation, body-mind healing, and spiritual self-discovery. Drawing on Robert Gass's own experience as one of the world's best-known leaders of contemporary chant, as well as the wisdom of sound healers from around the world, Chanting explores the science of how sound affects both our bodies and our consciousness and takes us on an engaging tour of chant as it is used in Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Islamic, African, Shamanic, Goddess, and Native American traditions. Chanting provides simple exercises and more than twenty musical scores to help you develop a personalized chanting practice that can fuel everyday activities with purpose and meaning.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Spirituality, Religion, Paganism, New Age

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Simmonsmry · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the first four chapters of this book, Gass shares his experience of the powerful musical and spiritual medium of chanting. He explains how he was drawn to chant while on a yoga retreat as an adult, although he has since realized that from a very early age, music was a way to intimately connect with God: “I was transported into another realm where colors were brighter, where pulses of energy created a continually changing tapestry of patterns, being woven and rewoven, a realm where I was no longer desperately alone, and where I felt alive and connected to something larger than myself.” (p. 3) For Gass, chant encompasses many different aspects of such musical experiences; he states that it combines elements found in sing-alongs, rock concerts, worship services, and meditation.
His journey into the world of chant has not only brought him a sense of peace and spiritual fulfillment, it has also allowed him to touch the lives of others through his recordings, writings, and workshops. He relays stories of the varied individuals he has encountered who have been deeply affected by chant: “I have used chanting to help groups as diverse as corporate executives and laborers, people dying from AIDS and physicians, the rich and the homeless, born-again Christians and New-Agers, and Arab and Israeli schoolchildren.” (p. 9)
Gass states that chant has the ability to tell stories (anamnesis), cast out disease (apotropaia), instruct (didactic), and induce a state of trance (exstasis). When one chants, breathing becomes deeper, slower, and more rhythmic, sound vibrations resonate throughout the physical body, and one is able to promote relaxation, release stressful elements, think more clearly, tune in to all of the senses, and generally feel healthier. Chant’s power is, in part, due to the power of sound. Like everything, sound can have both positive and negative qualities and effects, but when it is utilized to its fullness, it has the power to move mountains. Gass describes it as a bridge between the spiritual and material realms.
Through chant, Gass has witnessed amazing moments of healing, such as in children with cancer. In a documented study, he indicated that children who chanted boosted their immune systems while there was no change in those who did not chant. He says that there are five elemental powers used in chant: anchoring, entrainment, breath, sonic effects, and intent. Each of these elements are part of the consciousness when one is chanting, resulting in an overall experience.
While chant may be an intimate connection with the Spirit, it may also be a communal experience, binding humanity in a common expression. Chant is a common thread among religions and cultures. Gass explores Hindu, Christian, African, Buddhist, Islamic/Sufi, Jewish, Shamanic, and Earth and Goddess chant. The styles may vary, but the intent appears to be the same: “Chant is used to quiet the mind, open the heart, uplift the Spirit, and mourn the dead.” (p. 11)

[Mickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a while ago so I don't remember all the details - but I do remember that I loved it...definitely enough to want to read it again!

[Neha Allathur · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve have been meaning to read this since I finished The Beautiful Mystery— which was a fiction murder mystery set at a Benedictine church with monks trained in Gregorian chant.

Song permeates every culture and faith and I’ve always felt like music is the closest I feel to the sacred. This book is straightforward but strings sound as a beautiful common thread across humanity and history — and i’m always happy to learn some niche history.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice idea, but badly executed.

I didn’t get very far in this book, even though the topic excites me. There are a lot of claims in it that are not backed up with any sources or research.

It might work as a light read for those who are into esotericism.

[Rhonda Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read, but I think I enjoyed the Accompanying CD more than anything. Track 3 simply spoke to me

[Quin Herron · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is there really to say about chant? If you've tried it, you know how wonderful it can be. If you haven't tried it, this book might convince you to do so. One of the best things about this book is how it highlights the universality of chant. Every religious tradition also has its tradition of chant. I wish it would have spent more time discussing chant outside of religion, however. It might have also been better served with some more statistical data about how people who chant are happier, if they are. There is also something a bit sinister about chant too, which this book does not address. In the end it is more of a starting point than a thorough description. There are also a lot of interesting resources at the back for further reading, though some of them may be a bit outdated by now.

[Artemisia Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Gass's Chanting takes the mystery out of the mystical practice of spiritual chanting and singing and makes a case for modern versions of this communal practice as a way to uplift the soul, find inner peace, and experience harmony and deep healing. He describes the different ways in which most spiritual and religious traditions have always had some form of ritual communal singing, from the Gregorian chants of Christian monks to the call and response songs used in the Hindu religion. This book was written over 20 years ago when Gass was a leading force in the development of more modern versions of these and other age old practices. My husband and I have led and participated for years in these current day "devotional singing" or Bhakti yoga groups, which all owe a lot to the work of Robert Gass in promoting and carrying on this wonderful spiritual tradition. The book also includes some of the old chants and songs from a variety of cultures, as well as original songs by the author. Chanting: Discovering Spirit in Sound contains a lot of useful information and plenty of inspiration for anyone wanting to enter the beautiful spiritual realm of sacred song and chant.

[Cherie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was hoping for more of a chanting book a la Sanskrit chanting, but this is more of an overview, a history of chanting.