Question: Can you tell us about the major psychic centres in the body and their mantras?

Sri Chinmoy: There are six major psychic centres in the human body. These centres are actually located in the subtle body. For each centre there is a seed sound or seed word. Each word represents a state of consciousness and within each state of consciousness there will be a particular symbol: perhaps a flower or an animal.

There is a centre at the base of the spine which is called Muladhara. If we can repeat the seed word lam while focusing all our attention at the base of the spine, in the course of time we will open this centre and we will be endowed with the power to cure diseases.

A few inches higher, near the spleen, is another centre, called Svadhisthana. If we can repeat the mantra vam while concentrating here, we will eventually be endowed with the power to offer love to everyone and everything and to receive love from everyone and everything.

At the level of the navel is a centre called Manipura. If we can concentrate here and repeat the syllable ram with power and force, we will eventually be able to conquer all sorrow and suffering. Also, this centre gives us the power to enter into the subtle worlds and higher planes.

The heart centre is called Anahata. The mantra yam has to be chanted here slowly and sweetly. If we can open the heart centre, we can attain pure joy and the bliss of oneness.

The throat centre which is the fifth centre, is called Vishuddha. If we chant ham while we concentrate on it, we will receive the power of eloquence in expression in all forms of art.

Then we come to Ajna, which is a little above the base of the nose. There the seed word is AUM. By concentrating on this centre and charting AUM, we can get boundless psychic and occult powers.

No matter which centre we choose to concentrate on or which mantra we repeat, we should try to feel a vibration from all the centres. While we are repeating a particular mantra, we should try to feel that a current is flowing through our spinal cord as if a snake is passing through us, and all our centres are being aroused by this current.