(Framed under Glass) Graphite drawing on A1 paper

Aum (ॐ) is the vibration by which the Supreme Spirit brings all things into manifestation. It is the Holy Ghost of the Christian Trinity. Paramhansa Yogananda has explained that everything — all matter, all energy, all thoughts — exists in Aum.

All major religions recognise this creative vibration, though they call it by different names. For example, the Bible calls it “Amen” (its meaning in Hebrew being sure, faithful) as well as “Holy Ghost.” St. John called it the Word of God (“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.… All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” —John 1:1 – 3). It is the sacred word “Amin” (which means faithful in Arabic) of the Muslims, and Tibetans call it “Hum.”

Alexander has made in his own depiction of Aum a new, impossible world of floating mountains and elegant pine trees. Fungi and mushrooms allude to an entheogenic inspiration for such a place. The two symbols at the top and bottom of the drawing also represent Aum in Tibetan Sanskrit. Traditionally in India, Aum is chanted three times. One reason is to invoke the blessings to the three universes (or the three “bodies” the soul is encased in) — physical, astral, causal. Another is a reminder of these three aspects of Aum.

All of manifestation is created, preserved in the created state for some time, then eventually destroyed. Aum, therefore, encompasses the three vibratory energies required to create, preserve, and destroy, and each of these energies vibrates at a different frequency.

The three letters of AUM represent these three vibrations inherent in creation. (Even though the variant spelling in English is “Om,” AUM is more accurate.) “A (Akaar)” represents the vibration that brings into manifestation the created universe; “U (Ukaar)” represents the vibration that preserves the creation; and “M (Makaar)” represents the destructive vibration that dissolves the manifested universe back into the Infinite Spirit.