Our Story
A research initiative born from a moment of revelation — dedicated to quantifying the psychophysiological effects of Indian raga music.
Origin
"The brain activity patterns of musicians during raga performances bore striking resemblances to the EEG readings of patients undergoing successful anxiety therapy." — Vidwan Prashanth Iyengar, Bangalore Medical College, Monsoon 2022
In the monsoon of 2022, during an EEG study of brain patterns at Bangalore Medical College in response to Veena playing, Vidwan Prashanth Iyengar — pharmacist, technocrat, and professional Carnatic musician for over four decades — noticed something extraordinary.
He shared the observation with his disciple Dr. Prashanth Srinivasan, a professor at BMC who had been tracking heart rate variability patterns in meditation practitioners. "The ancient texts speak of ragas as medicine. What if we could measure that effect precisely?"
From this conversation, Shruti Labs emerged — a multidisciplinary research initiative spanning neuroscience, cardiology, musicology, signal processing, and traditional Ayurvedic medicine.
Mission
Shruti Labs was founded to create a bridge between India's ancient musical heritage and modern medical science — validating, documenting, and implementing the therapeutic potential of raga music through rigorous scientific methodology.
We honour the cultural wisdom from which this practice emerged while subjecting it to the full rigour of modern research design: randomised trials, objective biosignal measurement, and replicable protocols.
"यथा पिण्डे तथा ब्रह्माण्डे"
As in the body, so in the cosmos. — Sanskrit axiom
Timeline
EEG study at Bangalore Medical College reveals striking similarities between raga musician brain patterns and anxiety therapy EEGs. Shruti Labs is conceived.
Core multidisciplinary team assembled: musicians, neuroscientists, Ayurvedic specialists, engineers, and traditional practitioners join the initiative.
Initial clinical applications demonstrate promising results — EEG normalisation in anxiety patients and enhanced HRV in stress-related disorders.
Release of the Swarānu Chikitsā comprehensive project report detailing methodology, raga taxonomy, clinical protocols, and preliminary findings.
24-month clinical trial underway. Real-time adaptive feedback systems deployed. Collaboration invitations open to medical institutions.
What We Stand For
Every claim is subjected to objective measurement. We employ EEG, ECG, and validated psychometric instruments — not anecdote alone.
The raga tradition is not merely data — it is a living heritage. We honour its custodians and resist reductive appropriation.
Swarānu Therapy complements, never replaces, necessary conventional care. Informed consent and patient autonomy are paramount.
We actively invite researchers, clinicians, and musicians to challenge, refine, and extend our work.
The healing power of raga should not be limited by economics or geography. Scalable protocols are a design objective from day one.
Generic music therapy is insufficient. Individualised biosignal-matched raga prescription is the standard we hold ourselves to.
Where We Work
Primary research site for EEG/ECG clinical studies. Home of the founding research partnership.
Collaboration with Vidwans and senior practitioners to build an acoustically validated raga compendium.
Integration of marma theory, dosha assessment, and traditional sound healing into clinical protocols.