UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA
                INDIAN BRAIN RESEARCH ASSOCIATION
                   DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY


                             11/2/77

To Whom It May Concern:
     The  chanting  of the Hare Krishna 'mantra'  (Hare  Krishna, 
Hare  Krishna,  Krishna Krishna,  Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama, 
Rama  Rama,  Hare Hare) is practiced as a form of meditation  not 
only  by the Vaishnavas (Krishna devotees) of India but  by  most 
Hindus.  Millions  of Hindus practice this meditation with  great 
devotion as a regular religious, social, and familial function. I 
can  assert  that there is no difference between  the  devotional 
chanting of Hare Krishna practiced in India and that practiced by 
members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. I 
am not aware of any case in which this meditation has exerted any 
detrimental  effect on a person's physical or mental  health,  on 
either  him  who performs the chanting or him who  hears  it.  In 
fact,  the dancing and chanting performed by the Krishna devotees 
may  have profoundly beneficial psychological effects on  persons 
suffereng  from  mental  illness.  Further,  the  devotional  and 
meditative  chanting of the Hare Krishna 'mantra' has no relation 
whatsoever  to "brainwashing" - a colloquial term  which  carries 
little real scientific meaning.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. J.J. Ghosh
Prsident
Indian Brain Research Association
(On behalf of the IBRA)

35 Baliygunge Circular Road, 
Calcutta-19, India
Telephone: 47-3681