By Robert Waxman Ph.D.

     In the Upanishads, the “word symbol” for Brahman is AUM. It is a sacred sound with three letters that represent three consecutive states of “waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.” AUM is the link between the mortal and divine worlds. During deep meditation both worlds are united. AUM is only defined in negatives: “unperceived, unrelated, incomprehensible, unthinkable, and indescribable” (Torwesten, 1999). When devotees chant the sound AUM, their goal is to transcend duality and experience oneness with the Eternal Reality. This phenomenon is known as the mystical experience: “The infinite becomes the word, thus taking root in the human heart, and what is inmost in the heart expands.” Achieving this state of transcendence, leads the devotee toward self-realization.