AP writes: " . . . Dr. Daniel Amen, a former Catholic (now Christian),  well-respected brain research psychiatrist, best-selling author, uses SPECT brain imaging to target treatment for his patients at his Amen Clinics in California.  He tries to use diet, supplements, exercise, and relaxation/breathing/meditation/self-hypnosis techniques before prescribing psychotropic medication.  

"But he is now recommending some questionable relaxation and meditation techniques that might not be spiritually safe.  For example, the following one is supposed to increase activity of the prefrontal cortex which helps with attention, forethought, and making good decisions.  He suggests that you chant these syllables (" 'sa', 'ta', 'na', 'ma' ") while touching your thumb alternately to the index, middle, ring, and pinkie fingers over and over for 12 minutes a day.  I looked up the meanings of sa, ta, na, ma chant and it's definitely new age so I don't want to be involved with this but I would like to know if there is still spiritual danger of using the finger touches with a phrase like  " 'I' ,'love', 'Je', 'sus' ";  or  " 'Je', 'sus', 'mer', 'cy' ";   or  " 'Je', 'sus', 'is', 'my', 'Lord', 'and', 'Savior'".

"I am trying to keep my young daughter off of psychotropic medicines and would like to add anything that is not spiritually dangerous to her treatment plan as I do believe that Dr. Amen is on the right track with most of his recommendations as he backs them up with proven science."

Yes, there is a danger in practicing the sa ta na ma chant. As for Dr. Daniel Amen, this blog outlines numerous problems with this man, not least of which is the controversial SPECT scan that he uses in his practice. A SPECT scan - which stands for single photon emission computed tomography - costs thousands of dollars. It involves the injection of radioactive material into a patient to produce colored pictures representing blood flow and/or chemical reactions in different parts of the brain. Amen claims SPECT can "rebalance" the brain but this has never been scientifically proven.

As for the Sa Ta Na Ma mantra he uses, this is hardly surprising because it is considered to be the most fundamental mantra used in Kundalini yoga.  Amen is a big promoter of Kirtan Kriya, a form of meditation that involves 12 minute meditation exercises involving chanting that has its origins in Kundalini yoga.

The Sa Ta Na MA mantra or chant is intended to help one realize their true divine nature and uses visualization techniques to activate the higher chakras (Crown and Ajna or Third Eye) and associated endocrine glands (pineal and pituitary).

This practitioner explains how it's done:

"As you chant each syllable, imagine the sound vibrations and energy flowing in and entering through the top of your head, your crown chakra (sahasrara) and out the middle of your forehead between your eyebrows, through your third eye chakra (ajna). We focus on these two chakras as these are where our enlightenment, spiritual connection and intuition reside.

"The chanting is done in what is known as the three voices - the singing voice which is called the "voice of action"; the whispered voice, which is referred to as the "voice of your inner mind"; and the silent voice, which is the your "spirtual voice."

The mudras - or hand positions - are very important in this practice.

"The four fingers used in the meditation each symbolise something unique," the site explains. For example, Sa - the index finger represents wisdom; ta - the middle finger, represents patience; na - the ring finger, represents energy, and; ma - the pink finger represents communication."

The finger positions supposedly bestow benefits such as the touching of the thumb to the index finger which gives wisdom; the middle finger to the thumb which gives focus; the ring finger to the thumb which gives energy; and the little finger to the thumb gives connection.

Yogi Bhajan, who teaches and promotes kriya says that anyone who practices it for 2.5 hours a day for one year "shall know the unknown and see the unseen."

Using this type of meditation has only one goal - to bring a person into an altered state of consciousness, which leaves them vulnerable to the influence of dangerous spiritual entities. It is the chanting, more than the specific words, that makes this happen, so just substituting Jesus' name will not prevent you from entering this altered state.

My advice is to find another psychiatrist and leave both Daniel Amen and his ideas out of your daughter's treatment plan. Allison Ricciardi at Catholic Therapists may be able to help you connect with a more appropriate provider.