Abstract
This quasi-experimental study aimed to investigate the impact of listening quietly to music featuring Mahamantra chanting on the state anxiety levels of young adults in Kolkata. It employed purposive sampling to apprentice 26 participants (4 males, 22 females) in the age range of 18-25 years from Adamas University Campus. With due consent, participants were required to perform a pre-test consisting of demographic questions and the State scale from the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) via Google Form. They were made to listen to a 20-minute musical Mahamantra chanting audio and then were required to complete a post-test using the same State scale. Descriptive analysis through pie charts was performed to envisage alterations in state anxiety before and after the intervention of the musical Mahamantra chanting. Due to the small sample size of 26 partcipants, generalizability would be difficult, hence non-parametric tests were performed. Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to determine and Mann-Whitney U test, were utilized for statistical analysis due to the small sample size and unequal gender proportions. Findings revealed a decrease in state anxiety after the intervention, particularly among females, although not statistically significant. Gender-specific variations were observed, suggesting potential differential effects of the intervention. However, further research with larger samples and controlled designs is warranted to corroborate these preliminary findings and elucidate the mechanisms underlying the observed changes in state anxiety. These findings underscore the potential of Mahamantra chanting as a stress management tool for young adults, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions and gender-sensitive approaches in anxiety management programs.
Keywords
- Maha-mantra
- Anxiety
- Immediate Relaxation
- Meditation
- Chanting
How to cite
Das, S. (2026). Before and after effect of Mahamantra on state anxiety: A quasi experimental study on young adults of Kolkata. Interdisciplinary Indic Studies – A Brilliant Waves Journal, 1(1), 3–39. https://www.brilliantwavesenterprise.com/publications/journal/vol-1-inaugural-issue/bwjv1iip1