This is an important question as the Transcendental Meditation technique does involve the use of a mantra. One definition is a sound, or frequency, that has beneficial effects on the mind and body. We all know that some sounds are not so healing, such as heavy metal music, which has been shown in research to actually make plants wilt.
Maybe you’ve heard of a mantra or even tried one. What is the difference between repeating a random mantra and the TM technique? First of all, your TM teacher has been trained to choose the right mantra for you—the specific sound that will resonate with your specific mind and body.
Second, when you learn TM from a certified teacher, you will not only receive your mantra, but you will be taught exactly how to use it to settle your mind and experience the silent depths within. This private, one-on-one instruction in the subtleties of meditation is at the heart of the TM technique.
Unlike other meditation types, Transcendental Meditation is not about concentrating on or repeating a mantra. Rather, you are taught to use the mantra as a vehicle to go beyond thought and experience the hidden reservoir of peace, intelligence and bliss that resides within us all.