New study reveals how chanting can help us relax

A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), led by Dr Valentina Canessa-Pollard (Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the School of Law, Business and Psychology, University of Chichester), reveals that chants from around the world share universal acoustic features that promote relaxation. 

The findings highlight chanting as a simple, accessible practice that may mirror the calming effects of meditation and slow breathing, requiring no specialist training or equipment. 

Working with colleagues Dr Andrey Anikin (Lund University) and Professor David Reby (Jean Monnet University of Saint Étienne), Dr Canessa-Pollard analysed 242 chants from seven traditions and found they consistently feature slow tempo, slow-changing intonation, relatively low pitch, and vowel sounds produced with a relaxed vocal tract. Playback experiments with 255 participants revealed these traits reliably enhanced relaxation compared to speech or song. 

“Chanting seems to have culturally evolved as a natural tool for regulating the nervous system and supporting wellbeing,” said Dr Valentina Canessa-Pollard. 

For the full research article, go to: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2506480122 

For more information about psychology course at the University of Chichester, go to: https://www.chi.ac.uk/psychology-and-counselling.