Can a music performance generate spiritual energy? And can any artist, such as a tabla player, through spiritual practice, positively transform not just his own state but the very space around him? To explore this fascinating possibility, researchers at MAV conducted a pilot study comparing the subtle vibrations generated during a tabla performance—with and without prior spiritual practice.
The study was carried out in the studio of the Spiritual Research Centre and the Ashram of the University in two parts.
In the first experiment, a tabla player performed a tabla solo for 20 Minutes. He did not do any chanting or make efforts in spiritual practice before the performance. To study the effect on the surroundings, two plants with contrasting spiritual characteristics – Tulsi (Holy Basil) and Cactus were placed near the tabla. The Universal Aura Scanner (UAS) was used to measure the baseline auras of the tabla player, tabla, Tulsi, Cactus and air (collected in a cotton ball). After the artist’s performance, the aura measurements were repeated and noted.
In the second experiment, the same artist chanted ‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya’ with concentration for 1 hour in the Temple room (Dhyan Mandir) at the premises before playing the identical composition. The aura measurements were repeated in the same manner.
In both experiments, the tabla performance had a spiritually positive effect on the artist and the objects around him except the Cactus. This indicates that tabla is a sattvik instrument, which has the ability to generate spiritually positive vibrations.
However, the shift was far greater when the artist chanted beforehand. Baseline positivity surged, and the negative auras of the artist and the tabla vanished completely. The tabla’s positive aura jumped by over 300% (compared to 145% without chanting). The Cactus and surrounding air also showed marked improvements in positivity (18% and over 60% respectively). Despite being spiritually negative the Cactus plant gained positivity. This shows the effect that the chanting has on one’s performance.
These findings suggest that when a tabla player or any performing artist integrates Spirituality into their practice, the performance becomes more than sound—it becomes a subtle purifier of the environment. It could enhance their own spiritual growth and also help the world become spiritually enriched. A high level of spiritual positivity will help restore peace and harmony, and bring prosperity and collective spiritual progress.
