Om signifies entirety, Om signifies reality, Om signifies statelessness, Om signifies Shunya -the truth, Om signifies creator. Om is the powerful, sacred and mystical syllable originated in Hinduism but reflects the oneness in existence. Om is also written as "Aum". Om is not bound by religions, by people, by geographies.
They say that before the world began, Brahma – the creator,the absolute reality – was one, and He said, “I am one, but may I become many?” This thought created a vibration that settled into a sound. This sound was Om. The creation of the world began with this vibration – Om.
When you chant Om, the vibration from that sound correlates to the original vibrations that were sounded in the universe when the world was created. The sound of Om is often called Pranava, or that which runs through breath (Prana) and sustains life. Om is also a representation of the four states of the Supreme Being.
In Sanskrit, the sound “O” is a diphthong spelled “AU”. A diphthong is the blending of two vowel sounds where both are normally heard and make a gliding sound. As a result, the difference between OM and AUM is simply one of transliteration.
AUM represents the 3 Fold Division of Time
A – is the waking state
U – is the dream state
M – is the state of deep sleep
At the end of AUM is a pause, a silence. This represents the state known as Turiya, or Infinite Consciousness
The Om Symbol
The word is rich with meaning, but what does the symbol mean? The symbol is packed with symbolic meaning, and like the word, it's sacred to certain cultures.
The AUM symbol has three curves (1, 2, and 3), a semicircle(curve 4), and a dot.
Curve 1 is the waking state when you're conscious and aware of everything outside of your body. It's the largest curve because it's the state you're in the most.
The upper curve, number 2, symbolizes deep sleep (sushupti) or the unconscious state. During sushupti, you want for nothing.
Curve 3, the middle curve, sits between curves one (waking)and two (deep sleep) and denotes the dream state (swapna). This is when your consciousness is focused inwards and you're given a different view of the universe inside of you.
The three curves don't just indicate your three states of consciousness. Indian mystic culture believes your manifested reality comes from these three states, so the three states make up your complete physical being.
The dot is a symbol for the fourth state of consciousness, turiya. This state is when you've reached a point of peace and bliss.
The semi-circle is left open at the top for a reason: to show that reaching the highest state of being isn't inhibited by maya.
The Science of Om
Scientists have begun to research the effects on the brain of the vibrations created by chanting. A small 2011 study specifically evaluated the effects of using om as a mantra by taking functional MRI scans of the brains of participants as they chanted om and also the sound "ssss" as a control.
The brain activity the researchers observed during the om periods was similar to that created by vagus nerve stimulation, which is used to treat depression and epilepsy. Although these results are considered preliminary, they still offer scientific support for the positive effects many people experience from chanting om.