Nyasa – A scientific study

Background: Divine worship follows Veda or agama sastras (liturgy) in Hindu lore. Nyasa is a mandatory procedure before every mantra japa (repetition of a mantra) as per agama sastra. In nyasa, the individual places parts of the mantra in designated parts of the body in a sequential order before performing japa. Aims: The aims of this study are to understand the concept and the diverse practices and to gather scientific evidence of the benefits to the body-mind-intellect of an individual doing mantra japa with nyasa. Method: Literature available on the subject was studied. Controlled experiments on a limited scale were performed using Electrophotonic Imaging (EPI) device with participants from a Vedic institution, performing daily Gayatri japa (recitation of the most popular mantra) with self as control and cross-over design. EPI was used to measure three parameters, namely integral entropy, integral area, and fractality. Results: Qualitative outcome of the study is described. Marginal improvements in integral entropy (decrease) and integral area (increase) were observed. Both signify positive outcome due to nyasa compared with relaxation by the control group. There was no noticeable difference in fractality between the two groups. Conclusion: Because decrease in entropy and increase in integral area are associated with better health, the study can be extended to larger and heterogeneous samples and over longer periods of nyasa practice for more conclusive results.