An interesting clipping that I've stumbled on since the last letter concerns vibration:(Globe and Mail, 13 June 2006) "SCIENTIST GETS VIBES TO BUILD BONES. Device to help space travelers approved to treat sufferers of osteoporosis." The device is a machine that generates vibrations - vibration implies acceleration/deceleration, and is therefore somewhat like gravity - therefore in theory, and it seems in practice, good for maintenance of bone mass in zero gravity (it was designed for use in space). On earth, the article says, "a person who stands on [the platform of the vibration device] for 20 minutes a day can build bone density an average of 2 percent a year. ... By sending small vibrations through the body - moving about 50 micrometers (or the thickness of a few human hairs) up and down and repeating at a rate of 34 cycles per second - the platform triggers musculoskeletal stimulations that naturally occur... the vibrations from the platform are set to a frequency that [generates acceleration that] is one-third that of gravity... and is therefore safe. Other devices (exercise machines) which generate 4 to 15 gravities are dangerous, we are told.

The thing that I find interesting here is that a relatively subtle vibration is having an appreciable (positive) effect on body metabolism and function. I am therefore wondering what the vibrational effects of chanting, OM, for instance, are? We'd need an engineer to tell us about the difference in order of magnitude between that devise and the vibrations that are set up in your body by, a) a rock band in a bar, b) by chanting, OM for instance. However, orders of magnitude might or might not be of relevance here. Subtle vibrations may be having physiological effects. One would have to look and see.

Meanwhile, the safe course would be to do the chanting. It's bound to have salubrious effects at many levels (if not bone mass and muscle mass - muscles, that too was in the article). ("Salubrious" = health promoting - forgive the use of a relatively obscure word.) "Over all the bone density of the controlled group (the reporter has got this wrong - he means "experimental group" as compared to the control group) increased by 3 percent during a year, and muscle mass improved by 4 percent."

So get chanting, OM (or what you fancy).