Mantra is usually thought of as a Hindu or Buddhist devotional incantation, the repetition of a word or phrase aimed at the supension of thought. Among Christian and Islamic traditions, chants, in which words with irregular rhythm are fitted together by singing several syllables with the same note, are meant to encourage an encounter with God. In both East and West, the rhythmic repetition of a single phrase is recognized as a means of transporting one to a higher spiritual plane.
— Roger D. Joslin, Running the Spiritual Path