Heart and Coherence

[obyvatel]

This thread is an effort to explore possible links between concepts like coherence, the physical heart, emotions and the role of breath in the human body. There is a considerable amount of scientific research going on in the field of psycho-physiology which explores the mind-body connection. Research in the fields or neurocardiology has revealed some fascinating facts about role of the heart in the body and it seems that the gap between scientific knowledge and the esoteric 4th Way concept of emotional center and the central role played by emotions in the evolution of man is reducing. . My starting point for understanding the advances in neurocardiology has been a review paper published from the HeartMath Institute which is available at _http://www.integral-review.org/documents/McCraty%20et%20al,,%20Coherent%20Heart,%20Vol.%205%20No.%202.pdf

Introduction
The authors outline their approach to the study of the heart and the body with these words:
[quote author=Coherent Heart]
While there is a growing appreciation of this general understanding in the scientific study of emotion, here we seek to deepen this understanding in three primary ways.

First, our approach is based on the premise that the physiological, cognitive, and emotional systems are intimately interrelated through ongoing reciprocal communication. To obtain a deeper understanding of the operation of any of these systems, we believe it is necessary to view their activity as emergent from the dynamic, communicative network of interacting functions that comprise the human organism.
Second, we adopt an information processing perspective, which views communication within and among the body’s systems as occurring through the generation and transmission of rhythms and patterns of psychophysiological activity. This points to a fundamental order of information communication—one that both signifies different emotional states, operates to integrate and coordinate the body’s functioning as a whole, and also connects the body to the external world.
And third, we draw on the concept of coherence from the physics of signal processing to understand how different patterns of psychophysiological activity influence bodily function. Efficient or optimal function is known to result from a harmonious organization of the interaction among the elements of a system. Thus, a harmonious order in the rhythm or pattern of psychophysiological activity signifies a coherent system, whose efficient or optimal function is directly related, in Damasio’s terms, to the ease and “fluidity” of life processes. By contrast, an erratic, discordant pattern of activity denotes an incoherent system, whose function reflects the difficulty and “strain” of life processes.
In this article we explore the concept and meaning of coherence in various psychophysiological contexts and describe how coherence within and among the physiological, cognitive, and emotional systems is critical in the creation and maintenance of health, emotional stability, and optimal performance. It is our thesis that what we call emotional coherence—a harmonious state of sustained, self-modulated positive emotion—is a primary driver of the beneficial changes in physiological function that produce improved performance and overall well-being. We also propose that the heart, as the most powerful generator of rhythmic information patterns in the body, acts effectively as the global conductor in the body’s symphony to bind and synchronize the entire system. The consistent and pervasive influence of the heart’s rhythmic patterns on the brain and body not only affects our physical health, but also significantly influences perceptual processing, emotional experience, and intentional behavior.
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Concept of Coherence
The word coherence indicates connectedness and consistency. In physics, 2 signals are said to be coherent if they have a stable phase relationship. For a single signal, coherence can be a measure of consistency of periodic behavior of that signal.
In a complex system (human body), there are different parts which perform different functions at different rhythms. The orchestra analogy can perhaps be applied to a single human body. When the different parts are functioning in harmony, one can say that there is a global coherence present in the system. In the absence (or lower degree) of coherence, the (intellectual) thoughts, emotions and action of people are not in harmony and the result is inconsistent and inefficient behavior.
It is also known that two oscillating systems can interact together and can get entrained with each other – like tuning forks. It is contended that in a system, one part displaying a high degree of coherence and energy can pull other parts into coherence. The hypothesis of the authors of the paper is that the heart plays a central role in driving global coherence in the human body.

 

[obyvatel]

The Heart “brain”
The role of the heart in pumping blood to different parts of the body through rhythmic contractions is well known. But the heart is much more than that.
[quote author=Coherent Heart]
Over the past several decades, several lines of scientific evidence have established that, far more than a mechanical pump, the heart functions as a sensory organ and as a complex information encoding and processing center. Groundbreaking research in the relatively new field of neurocardiology has demonstrated that the heart has an extensive intrinsic nervous system that is sufficiently sophisticated to qualify as a “little brain” in its own right. Pioneer neurocardiology researcher Dr. J. Andrew Armour first described the anatomical organization and function of the heart brain in 1991 (Armour, 1991). Containing over 40,000 neurons, its complex circuitry enables it to sense, regulate, and remember. Moreover, the heart brain can process information and make decisions about cardiac control independent of the central nervous system (Armour, 2003; Armour & Kember, 2004).
[/quote]
The heart has an extensive communication system with the brain and other parts of the body through multiple pathways.

Neurological Pathway
[quote author=Coherent Heart]
The heart brain senses hormonal, heart rate, and blood pressure signals, translates them into neurological impulses, and processes this information internally. It then sends the information to the central brain via afferent pathways in the vagus nerves and spinal column. When different hormones or neurotransmitters in the bloodstream are detected by the sensory neurites in the heart, the pattern in the afferent neural output sent to the brain is modified (Armour, 1994). In other words, in addition to its better-known functions, the heart is also a sensory center that detects and transmits information about the biochemical content of the regional blood flow.
Neurological signals originating in the heart have an important and widespread influence in regulating the function of organs and systems throughout the body. For example, it is now known that in addition to modulating the activity of the nervous and endocrine systems, input from the heart influences the activity of the digestive tract, urinary bladder, spleen, respiratory and lymph systems, and skeletal muscles (Chernigovskiy, 1967).
[/quote]
The neural information transmitted from the heart to the brain goes beyond physiological regulation and has a significant influence on higher brain functions eg activity of the cerebral cortex which plays a role in memory, attention, perception, reasoning etc . Cardiovascular inputs travel through the vagal afferent nerves to the amygdala, hypothalamus and thalamus and onwards to the cerebral cortex. It has been shown that input from the heart to the brain affects the activity of the thalamus and its ability to synchronize cortical activity.

Biochemical Pathways
Though not typically thought of as a part of the endocrine system, the heart manufactures and secretes hormones and neurotransmitters that have a global impact in the body. The heart secretes a hormone called ANF/ANP/atrial peptide which plays a key role in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance. Experiments also suggest that the atrial peptide could have an influence of motivation and behavior.
[quote author=Coherent Heart]
Armour and colleagues also found that the heart contains a cell type known as intrinsic cardiac adrenergic cells. These cells are so classified because they synthesize and release catecholamines (norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine), neurotransmitters once thought to be produced only by neurons in the brain and ganglia outside the heart (Huang et al., 1996).
More recently still, it was discovered that the heart also manufactures and secretes oxytocin, commonly referred to as the “love” or social “bonding hormone.” Beyond its well-known functions in childbirth and lactation, recent evidence indicates that this hormone is also involved in cognition, tolerance, trust, complex sexual and maternal behaviors, as well as in the learning of social cues and the establishment of enduring pair bonds. Remarkably, concentrations of oxytocin produced in the heart are in the same range as those produced in the brain (Gutkowska et al., 2000).
[/quote]
Also,
[quote author=Coherent Heart]
Recent studies by German endocrinology researchers Georg Brabant, Klaus Prank, and
Christoph Schofl have shown that, in much the same way that the nervous system encodes information in the time interval between action potentials, biologically relevant information is also encoded in the temporal pattern of hormonal release, across time scales ranging from seconds to hours (Schofl, Prank, & Brabant, 1995). As most heart hormones are released in synchronicity with the contractions of the heart, there is a rhythmic pattern of hormonal release that tracks the heart rhythm.
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Biophysical pathway
The pressure wave generated by the heart travels through the arteries and affects every organ in the body. In healthy individuals, a complex resonance occurs between blood pressure waves, respiration, and the autonomous nervous system. Laboratory experiments have shown a change in the brain’s electrical activity when the blood pressure wave reaches the brain around 0.24 seconds after the contraction of the heart. There is a signal processing technique by which heart beat evoked potentials are studied by isolating segments of the brain wave (EEG) which are correlated to or affected by the heart beat. From such studies, it has been shown that the alpha wave activity (discussed in the thread Brain Waves and Attention ) in the brain is synchronized to the cardiac cycle and when the coherence is increased in the heart activity (discussed later), alpha wave synchrony is also correspondingly increased.

Electromagnetic pathways
The heart generates the most powerful electromagnetic field in the body. The amplitude of the electrical waves produced by the heart is about 60 times that produced in the brain. The magnetic component of the heart’s field is 5000 times stronger than that of the brain and easily radiates out of the body.
[quote author=Coherent Heart]
This field can be measured several feet away from the body with sensitive magnetometers (McCraty et al., 1998). These energetic emanations and interactions provide a plausible mechanism for how we can “feel” or sense another person’s presence and even their emotional state, independent of body language and other signals (McCraty, 2004).
[/quote]

Emotions and Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
The rhythmic pattern of heart activity has been found to be one important indicator of emotional states. The heart rate variability (HRV), which as the term indicates measures the fluctuations in the heart rate, has been found to be important in physiological as well as behavioral areas.
It is established that emotions have a high degree of influence on the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. The normal variability of heart rate is supposed to be caused in part by the complementary actions of the two branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) – the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic and parasympathetic branches work together in mutual opposition to maintain homeostasis in the body. Very generally, it can be said that while the sympathetic branch has a more stress inducing fight or flight type action, the parasympathetic branch has a more “rest and digest” type action.
Studies have also shown that the prefrontal cortex activity is reflected in HRV via modulation of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomous nervous system.
[quote author=Coherent Heart]
HRV is a product of the dynamic interplay of many of the body’s systems. Short-term (beat-to-beat) changes in heart rate are largely generated and amplified by the interaction between the heart and brain. This interaction is mediated by the flow of neural signals through the efferent and afferent pathways of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). HRV is thus considered a measure of neurocardiac function that reflects heart–brain interactions and ANS dynamics.
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Faster changes in the heart rate give rise to the high frequency band (0.15Hz to 0.4Hz) in the HRV waveform which is said to be an index of parasympathetic activity. Slower changes give rise to the low frequency band (around 0.1Hz) which is a mixture of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. Still slower changes generate the very low frequency (VLF) band which is mainly indicative of sympathetic activity.

Heart Rhythm Coherence
The authors of the Coherent Heart say that heart rhythm coherence – which indicates a stable (sinusoidal wave like) pattern in the HRV waveform, is a key marker of psychophysiological coherence. This is indicated in the HRV spectrum as a large increase in power in the LF band around 0.1Hz and decrease in power in the HF and VLF bands. Practically, this condition would seem to generate a state of relaxed awareness – osit.
Heart rhythm coherence boosts heart-brain synchronization (which among other things cause increased alpha wave synchrony in the brain) and also helps in the entrainment of other physiological systems.
[quote author=Coherent Heart]
Most mathematical models show that the resonant frequency of the human cardiovascular system is determined by the feedback loops between the heart and brain (Baselli et al., 1994; DeBoer, Karemaker, & Strackee, 1987). In humans and in many animals, the resonant frequency of the system is approximately 0.1 Hz, which is equivalent to a 10-second rhythm. The system naturally oscillates at its resonant frequency when an individual is actively feeling a sustained positive emotion such as appreciation, compassion, or love, (McCraty et al., 1995) although resonance can also emerge during states of deep sleep.
Furthermore, increased heart–brain synchronization is observed during coherence; specifically, the brain’s alpha rhythms exhibit increased synchronization with the heartbeat in this mode.
Finally, there tends to be increased cross-coherence or entrainment among the rhythmic patterns of activity generated by different physiological oscillatory systems. Entrainment occurs when the frequency difference between the oscillations of two or more nonlinear systems drops to zero by being “frequency pulled” to the frequency of the dominant system. As the body’s most powerful rhythmic oscillator, the heart can pull other resonant physiological systems into entrainment with it. During the psychophysiological coherence mode, entrainment is typically observed between heart rhythms, respiratory rhythms, and blood pressure oscillations; however, other biological oscillators, including very low frequency brain rhythms, craniosacral rhythms, and electrical potentials measured across the skin, can also become entrained (Bradley & Pribram, 1998; Tiller et al., 1996).
…………………………………….
The experience of the coherence mode is also qualitatively distinct at the psychological level. This mode is associated with reduced perceptions of stress, sustained positive affect, and a high degree of mental clarity and emotional stability. In Appendix C we also present data indicating that coherence is associated with improved sensory-motor integration, cognition, and task performance. In addition, individuals frequently report experiencing a notable reduction in internal mental dialogue, increased feelings of inner peace and security, more effective decision making, enhanced creativity, and increased intuitive discernment when engaging this mode.
Physiological correlates of the coherence mode include: increased synchronization between the two branches of the ANS, a shift in autonomic balance toward increased parasympathetic activity, increased heart−brain synchronization, increased vascular resonance, and entrainment between diverse physiological oscillatory systems
[/quote]

The HeartMath research focuses on the generation and sustaining of such a coherent state through a focus on positive emotions.
[quote author=Coherent Heart]
In our research on the physiological correlates of positive emotions we have found that when certain positive emotional states, such as appreciation, compassion, or love, are intentionally maintained, coherent heart rhythm patterns can be sustained for longer periods, which also leads to increased synchronization and entrainment between multiple bodily systems.
…………………………
Self-regulation of emotional experience is a key requisite to the intentional generation of
sustained positive emotions—the driver of a shift to coherent patterns of physiological activity. Emotional self-regulation involves moment-to-moment management of distinct aspects of emotional experience. One aspect involves the neutralization of inappropriate or dysfunctional negative emotions. The other requires that self-activated positive emotions are modulated to remain within the resonant frequency range of such emotions as appreciation, compassion, and love, rather than escalating into feelings such as excitement, euphoria, and rapture, which are associated with more unstable psychophysiological patterns.
[/quote]
But there is another aspect of approaching the phenomenon of psychophysiological coherence - which is related to breath.

 

[obyvatel]

Breathing and Heart Rhythm
It is well known that the respiratory rhythm modulates the pattern of the heart rhythm. This breath-related modulation of the heart rhythm is called respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). (Somehow a normal and potentially beneficial mechanism is named in a way that it is made to seem like a disease). RSA is determined largely by the influence of the vagus nerve on the heart and is often regarded as a non-invasive index of parasympathetic activity in the body. Researchers have reported that respiration rate and tidal volume have a profound influence on RSA. In general, within the range of normal breathing (6-30 breaths/minute) faster respiration rate and lower tidal volume lead to reduction in RSA in an approximately linear fashion (Ritz and Dahme, Psychosomatic Medicine 68, 2006). It is also reported that given a tidal volume, RSA is strongest for respiration rates below 0.15Hz (9 breaths/minute). RSA was also found to be larger when the exhalation was longer than the inhalation (as in pipe breath).
During sleep or rest, coupling between the cardiac cycle and respiration is the strongest, and at times of stress, coupling between the heart and respiration becomes disrupted. RSA is also found to be strongly involved in emotional responses. There is one interesting study which explores the links between RSA and emotional response – the paper can be found at _http://www-psych.stanford.edu/~psyphy/pdfs/Butler_06.pdf. The result reported was that among the women participating in the study, those with a high resting RSA showed greater emotional responsiveness to a disturbing movie.

Breath and Heart Rhythm Coherence
Now with the link between HRV and breath being established, it is interesting to revisit the phenomenon of heart rhythm coherence.
[quote author=Coherent Heart]
Most mathematical models show that the resonant frequency of the human cardiovascular system is determined by the feedback loops between the heart and brain (Baselli et al., 1994; DeBoer, Karemaker, & Strackee, 1987). In humans and in many animals, the resonant frequency of the system is approximately 0.1 Hz, which is equivalent to a 10-second rhythm. The system naturally oscillates at its resonant frequency when an individual is actively feeling a sustained positive emotion such as appreciation, compassion, or love, (McCraty et al., 1995) although resonance can also emerge during states of deep sleep.
[/quote]
Now in terms of breath, a 10 second rhythm would indicate 6 breaths/minute. Yogic mantra and rosary recitations are said to lead to this breathing rate. There is an interesting paper at [http://ajpheart.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/287/2/H579] which talks about the synchronization of respiration and heart rate while reciting hexameter verse from ancient Greek literature. These researchers found that rhythmic speech has a very strong impact on the synchronization of breath and HRV. The hexameter verse recitation produced a low frequency component in the breath cycle( around 6 cycles/minute).

Comments
Research conducted by the different groups shed some light on the phenomenon of coherence where the physiological systems of the body seem to work in an optimal manner leading to a relaxed and alert state with lower stress. Various methods have been used to aid in the generation and sustenance of this coherent state. One approach is through the mind with the practice of attention (described in the thread Brainwaves and Attention). A second approach is through the cultivation of positive emotions. A third approach is through regulated breathing patterns – (primarily related to the moving/instinctive center ?).


There is another interesting finding mentioned in the Coherent Heart paper which is worth mentioning too.
[quote author=Coherent Heart]
The heart’s rhythmic energetic activity lies at the center of our account. The heart generates a continuous series of electromagnetic pulses in which the time interval between pulses varies in a dynamic and complex manner. These pulsing waves of electromagnetic energy give rise to fields within fields, which form interference patterns when they interact with magnetically polarizable tissues and structures. In more specific terms, we postulate that as pulsing waves of energy radiate out from the heart, the energy waves interact with organs and other structures to create interference patterns.
…………………….
There is compelling evidence to suggest that the heart’s energy field is coupled to a field of information that is not bound by the limits of time and space. This evidence comes from a rigorous experimental study we conducted to investigate the proposition that the body receives and processes information about a future event before the event actually happens (McCraty et al., 2004a, 2004b). The study’s results provide surprising, even astounding data showing that both the heart and brain appear to receive and respond to information about a future event. Even more tantalizing is the evidence that the heart appears to receive intuitive information before the brain.
[/quote]

 

[Stevie Argyl]

The HeartMath research focuses on the generation and sustaining of such a coherent state through a focus on positive emotions.

In Orthodox Christianity there is the Prayer of the Heart (St Theophans writings http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/theoph_prayer.aspx) and in Sufi teaching there is the Dhikr which I suppose varies with ones preparation and readiness as some orders warn agaisnt putting conscious attention on the heart centre (I can only wiseacre here to suggest that perhaps directing wrong energy here can cause raptures which are distractions and not enlightements).

Not much is written about the Gurdjieff work and role of positive emotions as much of the preparatory work outlined in ISOTM was about first stage cleaning but in the movements there is an inner attidute to be held while performance. In some movements such as the multiplication it is complex counting such as names substituted for number and the counting is done by names - eg if Susan is 1 and Violet is 2 and Robert is 3 and say, George is 6 then Violet times Robert = George and Susan + Violet = Robert , these movements are for detachment - self from self. Other movements were done with emotion Solange Claustres reports how when practicing a particularly exacting series they struggled and struggled until Gurdjieff returned to observe then and said it must be done with the feeling one would have towards ones sister. Much of the later exercises whether personal or group were done with the set up attitude of 'For all humanity'.

Interesting thread Obvyatel , I look forward to reading more.


edited to remove duplicate word.

 

[Laura]

Ummm... I think you better do some research on the "heartmath institute" and the authors of the paper. This is the self-calming stuff that Dan Winter, Vincent Bridges, Jay Weidner, and the rest of the cointelpro gang have been promoting for years.

But, of course, the heartmath institute people are NOW disavowing any relationship with Dan. _http://www.heartrelease.com/coherence-3.html

A public statement by Rollin McCraty, PhD, MS, Institute of Heartmath
Regarding Dan Winter's public criticisms of Heartmath's research and claims thereof

Statement by Rollin McCraty, PhD
Boulder Creek, CA., August 2003

The statement below was written by Dr. Rollin McCraty, Executive Vice President and Director of Research for the Institute of Heart Math (aka IHM), Boulder Creek, California.

Dan Winter has suggested that the only measure of heart coherence requires something he calls the "cepstrum," which is basically a spectrum of the power spectrum of the ECG itself. He has also claimed that we at HeartMath have never measured coherence. We have published many papers on this subject which are available on our web site (_www.Heartmath.org) and I suggest the monographs titled:

* The Energetic Heart and
* The Appreciative Heart.

There will also be a chapter that is being re-published as a monograph titled: Physiological Coherence, available in the fall of 2003, that discusses this subject in depth.

The following quote from the Physiological Coherence monograph captures the essence of our use of the term:

"It is the harmonious flow of information, cooperation, and order among the subsystems of a larger system that allows for the emergence of more complex functions. This higher-order cooperation among the physical subsystems such as the heart, brain, glands, and organs as well as between the cognitive, emotional, and physical systems is an important aspect of what we call coherence. It is the rhythm of the heart that sets the beat for the entire system. The heart's rhythmic beat influences brain processes that control the autonomic nervous system, cognitive function, and emotions, thus leading us to propose that it is the primary conductor in the system. By changing the rhythm of the heart, system-wide dynamics can be quickly and dramatically changed.

"We use the term "coherence" in a broad context to describe more ordered mental and emotional processes as well as more ordered and harmonious interactions among various physiological systems. In this context, "coherence" embraces many other terms that are used to describe specific functional modes, such as synchronization, entrainment, and resonance.

"Physiological coherence is thus a specific and measurable mode of physiological functioning that encompasses a number of distinct but related phenomena. Correlates of the physiological coherence mode, which will be considered in further detail in this monograph, include: increased synchronization between the two branches of the ANS, a shift in autonomic balance toward increased parasympathetic activity, increased heart-brain synchronization, increased vascular resonance, and entrainment between diverse physiological oscillatory systems. The coherent mode is reflected by a smooth, sine wave-like pattern in the heart rhythms (heart rhythm coherence) and a narrow-band, high-amplitude peak in the low frequency range of the HRV power spectrum, at a frequency of about 0.1 hertz."

Mr. Winter also appears to insist that heart coherence occurs only when the spectrum of the EGC (over 8 seconds) exhibits a standing wave pattern. He also claims that this spectrum is a measure of love. I cannot fully agree with this for two important reasons. First it is not grounded in an understanding of healthy function and how the ECG spectra relate to the dynamics of the underlying physiological systems. Secondly, repeated controlled studies indicate that love and other positive emotions are more frequently correlated with a very different physiological mode in the majority of people.

It is true that Dan did visit our research facility for two days at the time we were just completing its construction and before the lab was set up. He did indeed suggest to us that we look at spectral analysis of the ECG. I thought then and still do that this was a good idea; however, when we looked deeper into it we found that the appearance of the peaks in the power spectrum of the ECG that look like standing waves are completely dependent on the inter-beat-intervals in the ECG (the time between heartbeats). All one has to do in order to create the standing wave pattern in the ECG spectrum is to make the intervals between heartbeats the same (very low heart rate variability (HRV)). There is direct relationship between the heart's rhythm (HRV patterns) and the ECG spectrum. In other words, you can know what the ECG spectrum will be if you know the HRV pattern. In addition, the spacing between the peaks in the ECG spectrum is dependent on the interval length between heartbeats (heart rate). In order to generate an ECG spectrum with golden mean-related spacing between the peaks, one must have very low HRV and a heart rate of exactly 97.028 beats per minute. For this reason, and to avoid confusion, we call this the "low HRV mode".

The second issue is that the majority of people do not enter the low HRV mode when they are experiencing positive emotions. The majority of people instead exhibit a sine wave-like pattern in their heart rhythms. This is a very dynamic and efficient physiological mode that has been observed and recognized as a healthy functional mode in the scientific literature since the 1950s. This sine wave pattern in the heart rhythms is associated with improved health outcomes and increased systemic HRV.

It is also important to point out that there is no way to really measure a person's subjective state. A person can be in a very loving state and the HRV pattern will not always indicate this, and if the HRV pattern does not reflect it, neither will the spectrum of the ECG. However, with that said, the most reliable indicator we have found that can discriminate positive from negative emotional states is the heart rhythm pattern.

This low HRV mode is a valid transient state that is associated with very low autonomic nervous system outflow. The main point here is that this low HRV state (what Dan Winter calls heart coherence) is not something that should be cultivated by individuals with health problems. A low HRV state is not only associated with autonomic neuropathy and autonomic deinnervation (as found in heart transplant recipients) but is predictive of increased risk of sudden cardiac death and all-cause mortality, and also associated with depression, anxiety and a host of other disorders. To train people into this low HRV state goes against all that is known about healthy function and emotional stability. This does not mean that it is not a valid state for advanced practitioners to enter into sometimes, but to do so without the ability to first be able to maintain the physiologically coherent mode is potentially problematic, especially to individuals with heart disease, diabetes or low heart rate variability.

For the vast majority of people, it takes time and practice to become proficient at entering the heart rhythm coherence mode. Developing consistency and stability in this mode is important in order for this mode of physiological functioning to become established as a familiar state so that individuals can shift into it at will, especially during challenging or stressful situations. Therefore, we have chosen not put focus on the low HRV state at this time.

Mr. Winter also attempts to reduce all the HeartMath tools and techniques and the physiological coherence mode to simple breathing techniques and "relaxation," which is simply inaccurate. He also attempts to reduce the Freeze Framer to a breathing trainer. [Freeze Framer is now known as the emWave Desktop. The emWave is also available in a compact portable version called emWave PSR (Personal Stress Reliever) which doesn't have as many features as the emWave Desktop.] Although it can be used for that purpose, the system is designed as a tool to facilitate learning the HeartMath techniques and to help establish increased ratios of physiological coherence. In reality, breathing is equally important to both the physiological coherence and the low HRV mode. Conscious regulation of the breath, if performed properly, can drive the system into physiological coherence. HeartMath techniques incorporate a breathing element; however, their primary focus is promoting coherence through a positive emotion-driven physiological shift, in contrast to cognitively-directed paced breathing methods. Moreover, positive emotion-focused coherence-building techniques promote a far wider range of benefits, both physiological and psychological, than methods that simply forcing the system into coherence using regulated breathing alone.

Regarding Mr. Winter's statements that we have not given him proper credit: As I stated earlier, he was the first person to suggest to us that we perform spectrum analysis of the ECG, and we have always been very open about that. Mr. Winter was not, however, the first one to ever think of this. There is actually a long history of the use of this analysis method although he is the first that I know of to associate it with emotion, which in an indirect manner is correct. He was in fact given credit by us for his suggestion in one of our most popular books titled, The Hidden Power of the Heart, which contained several pages devoted to this. He was given copies of this book. However, these pages were removed in later editions, after he had started spreading falsehoods about his relationship with HeartMath and his growing legal problems regarding copyright law violations. He has again violated copyright laws by publishing our graphs in his email messages without our permission.

I have no problem giving credit when it due, however, Mr. Winter is simply demanding credit that is not due. He did not inspire HeartMath, he did not teach us everything we know, and he never worked for HeartMath, etc.

I sincerely feel that the mission of spreading heart coherence on the planet would be better served if Mr. Winter chose to devote his energies to increasing the methodological rigor of his own work rather than seeking to openly decry and propagate falsehoods regarding the work of others. To do this only harms the larger mission of bringing heart coherence to the world.

Rollin McCraty
Director of Research
HeartMath Research Center

 

[Stevie Argyl]

Obvyatel , this is perhaps a little off topic but since you are interested in this are are you aware of 'assemblage point shifting' using gem therapy ? _http://www.whalemedical.com/nakedspirit/
_http://www.theassemblagepoint.com/ap.htm . I had an appointment set up with a practitioner years ago and it fell through so I have no direct experience. I will see if the practitioner is still around and try to investigate further.

[links deactivated by moderator]

 

[obyvatel]

Ummm... I think you better do some research on the "heartmath institute" and the authors of the paper. This is the self-calming stuff that Dan Winter, Vincent Bridges, Jay Weidner, and the rest of the cointelpro gang have been promoting for years.

Oops, sorry. I was searching the net for scientific discoveries related to the resonance and heart and attention and came upon this paper. I did not check the background of the authors. It is interesting that I initially wrote that the focus on positive emotions to boost coherence seems a little New Agey to me - but before posting it I edited it out.
The neurocardiology research on the heart and its extensive nervous system, hormone secretions, electromagnetic effects etc seem like solid science. The research on HRV as an indicator of parasympathetic activity and emotions has been proved by other research groups. Also, the relationship of breath to HRV and emotions also seems well-established - something that the HeartMath paper did not explore to a great extent. As far as my current understanding goes, apart from the focus on positive emotions to drive coherence and the part which alludes to prenomination and intuition, there are other parts could be objective. But that is how disinfo works - sandwiching a lie between big slices of truth.
Just for clarification, even though I did not know the connection of HeartMath to disinfo agents, I did not believe that only breathing in a particular rhythm or focusing on positive emotions is all that it takes to wake up. To me, these appeared to be some parts of the bigger puzzle which have been studied by mainstream scientific techniques.

 

[obyvatel]

Obvyatel , this is perhaps a little off topic but since you are interested in this are are you aware of 'assemblage point shifting' using gem therapy ? _http://www.whalemedical.com/nakedspirit/
_http://www.theassemblagepoint.com/ap.htm . I had an appointment set up with a practitioner years ago and it fell through so I have no direct experience. I will see if the practitioner is still around and try to investigate further.

No, I am not aware of such techniques. In general, I feel a little sceptical about using external tools to bring about lasting and beneficial internal changes. If a "shift in assemblage point" is possible, then I would rather have it happen naturally as a result of internal efforts to balance the lower centers and using a different attention style. Just my thoughts on it - fwiw.

 

[Buddy]

Hi obyvatel.

It is our thesis that what we call emotional coherence—a harmonious state of sustained, self-modulated positive emotion—is a primary driver of the beneficial changes in physiological function that produce improved performance and overall well-being.

I can be a bit dense sometimes, but I don't even know what that is supposed to mean. We know that mechanical man is backward, acting on his emotional impulses instead of DOing first and then experiencing the emotional results (evaluation) of a feedback. I don't even think "a harmonious state of sustained, self-modulated positive emotion" is even possible.

In the absence (or lower degree) of coherence, the (intellectual) thoughts, emotions and action of people are not in harmony and the result is inconsistent and inefficient behavior.

To me, that is also too vague to be useful.

...the heart’s energy field is coupled to a field of information that is not bound by the limits of time and space.

To me, that one statement is interesting insofar as it may relate to the content in the matter and spirit thread.

Remember how Lovelock couldn't get anywhere with his GAIA concept until he actually demonstrated 'mechanism'? He had to prove that the Earth maintained itself out of chemical balance in order to always have a flow going, or a potential for flow, that supported life. The only way for the system known as GAIA to be in balance is when it is dead.

Similarly, the human body's systems are maintained out-of-balance for the same reason - so that there is always something to be done. Since we can look at every cell in the body in terms of receivers and transmitters of information, we can think of the interactions between subsystems in terms of information (chemical or other) being transduced from one form to another. Same with any other network. So to me, coherence and harmony would be the natural condition of the system and the only attention needed would be to prevent and/or identify pathological invasion.

It seems to me it would be much easier to study linkages between the items you mentioned when we know the system is clean.

Just my 2 cents and I could be off.

 

[obyvatel]

Hi obyvatel.

It is our thesis that what we call emotional coherence—a harmonious state of sustained, self-modulated positive emotion—is a primary driver of the beneficial changes in physiological function that produce improved performance and overall well-being.

I can be a bit dense sometimes, but I don't even know what that is supposed to mean. We know that mechanical man is backward, acting on his emotional impulses instead of DOing first and then experiencing the emotional results (evaluation) of a feedback. I don't even think "a harmonious state of sustained, self-modulated positive emotion" is even possible.

I agree. Sustained self-generated positive emotion has a distinctly new agey spin. I initially wrote that in my post but subsequently edited it out.
[quote author=Bud]

In the absence (or lower degree) of coherence, the (intellectual) thoughts, emotions and action of people are not in harmony and the result is inconsistent and inefficient behavior.

To me, that is also too vague to be useful.
[/quote]
My understanding of the above is that it coincides with the Work idea of the different centers not operating with their own energies and own rhythms. IMO there is nothing of practical value to be gained from the above apart from what I thought was a parallel between traditional scientific understanding of man and the 4th Way concepts.


[quote author=Bud]
Similarly, the human body's systems are maintained out-of-balance for the same reason - so that there is always something to be done. Since we can look at every cell in the body in terms of receivers and transmitters of information, we can think of the interactions between subsystems in terms of information (chemical or other) being transduced from one form to another. Same with any other network. So to me, coherence and harmony would be the natural condition of the system and the only attention needed would be to prevent and/or identify pathological invasion.

It seems to me it would be much easier to study linkages between the items you mentioned when we know the system is clean.

Just my 2 cents and I could be off.
[/quote]
The linkage between breath and the emotions/heart (RSA) was of interest to me since such a linkage is what is possibly being used in the pipe breath and EE. We have seen from experience that breath does have an effect on stress and emotions. Deep breathing with longer exhales which affect vagus nerve have a calming effect due to greater parasympathetic activity. The 6-3-9-3 count pipe breaths roughly translate to around 3 breaths/minute and in that range parasympathetic activation is strong. The corresponding effects on HRV would have been interesting to see.
I agree that the system is not clean - but breath and attention are two ways which could help in providing some help in the cleaning process. Breath and attention are two aspects which are under some degree of conscious control as long as we are awake. So my interest was to find out whether there have been any meaningful scientific body-mind type research that has looked into these concepts.
Seems like the disinfo agents have jumped in, taken some legitimate but very preliminary stage scientific body-mind studies and co-opted them to fit an agenda. It is interesting that when reading the HeartMath paper, I was struck by what I thought at the time the naivety of the conclusions reached by the authors regarding the part that you highlighted about the sustained self-generated positive emotions. It seemed to say "just stay within a feel good bubble and all will be well". Still the other connections seemed interesting - coming from what I thought was mainstream scientific sources - so I decided to post them nonetheless. My physiological knowledge is quite limited and I had no idea that the heart had an extensive nervous system or it generated neurotransmitters and hormones - so all those were news to me. So I made the mistake of letting the excitement of the new scientific information which I got from the papers override what my instincts were telling me about some of the conclusions that the HeartMath coherence paper came to. Thanks to Laura for pointing out the connection with disinfo agents and it makes sense now.