Wooden incense holder with an Om symbol on it. In Hindu mythology, before the world began, Brahma (the creator or 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. From this vibration, everything sprang into existence. 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 was 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.
