For thousands of years, in a wide range of cultural traditions, people have been using sounds in a variety of ways to contribute to health and well-being. There are traditional songs, chants and music to accompany many social activities. In some indigenous tribes, virtually every activity is preceded by a ceremonial chant, whether it is hunting, gathering or preparing food, going to war, marriage or any type of celebration. These chants help to prepare the participants mentally, physically and spiritually, for the coming event. In this article we will focus on one aspect of this common practice, the use of certain vocalized power sounds that we will call mantras. We will look at information about mantras and discuss some of the ways that they can affect human consciousness