The Coherent Heart

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The Coherent Heart

HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath


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Copyright 2006 Institute of HeartMath

All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system withoutpermission in writing from the publisher.

eartMath, Freeze-Frame, and Heart Lock-In are registered trademarks ofthe Institute of HeartMath. TestEdge is a registered trademark of HeartMath LLC.

Freeze-Framer is a registered trademark of Quantum Intech, Inc.

ublished in the United States of America by:nstitute of HeartMath

4700 West Park Ave., Boulder Creek, California 95006831-338-8500

[email protected]

eartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath,ublication No. 06-022.

ou er Cree , CA, 2006.

Cover esign y San y Roya

A ress correspon ence to:r. Rollin McCraty, HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath, 14700 West Park Avenue,

Boulder Creek, CA 95006. Phone: (831) 338-8500, Fax: (831) 338-1182, Email: [email protected].

This e-book is part of a series of scientic monographs published electronically by the Institute of HeartMath. Other titles in this series include:

The Appreciative Heart: The Psychophysiology of Positive Emotions and Optimal FunctioningThe Energetic Heart: Bioelectromagnetic Interactions Within and Between People

HeartBrain Neurodynamics: The Making of Emotions NeurocardiologyAnatomical and Functional Principles

For more information on the Institute of HeartMaths scientic e-books, go to:www.heartmath.org/research/e-books


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The Coherent Heart

HeartBrain Interactions, Psychophysiological Coherence,and the Emergence of System-Wide Order

Rollin McCraty, Ph.D., Mike Atkinson, Dana Tomasino,and Raymond Trevor Bradley, Ph.D.

there are organism states in which the regulation of life processes ecomes efcient, or even optimal, free-owing and easy. This is a well established physiological fact. It is not a hypothesis. The feelings that usually accompany such physiologically conducive states are deemedpositive, characterized not just by absence of pain but by varieties of

pleasure. There also are organism states in which life processes struggle or balance and can even be chaotically out of control. The feelings that

usually accompany such states are deemed negative, characterized not ust by absence of pleasure but by varieties of pain.

The fact that we, sentient and sophisticated creatures, call certain feelings positive and other feelings negative is directly related to the uidity or strain of the life process.

Antonio Damasio, Looking for Spinoza (2003), page 131.

* is volume draws on the basic research conducted over the last decade at the Institute of HeartMath byr. o in c raty an i e t inson. e origina manuscript or t is monograp was ra te etween 1998

nd 2003 by Rollin McCraty and Dana Tomasino. Mike Atkinson conducted the analysis of the research reportedhere and also constructed the gures and graphs displaying the statistical information. Dr. Raymond Bradley joinedt e project in 2004 to wor on a major revision an expansion o t e manuscript to e p ring t e monograp toits present orm. The authors would like to express their appreciation to Karl H. Pribram, M.D., Ph.D. (Hon., Multi. ),

J. Andrew Armour, M.D., Ph.D., and Bruce Wilson, M.D., for their careful review and helpful comments on themanuscript.


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Prologue

Chris, a 45-year-old business executive, had aamily history of heart disease, and was feelingextremely stressed, fatigued, and generally in poor emotional health. A 24-hour heart rate variability

nalysis revealed abnormally depressed activity in bothbranches of his autonomic nervous system, suggesting

utonomic exhaustion ensuing from maladaptation tohigh stress levels. His heart rate variability was far lowerthen would be expected for his age, and was below theclinical cut-off level for signicantly increased risk ofsudden cardiac death. In addition, Chriss average heartrate was abnormally high at 102 beats per minute, andhis heart rate did not drop at night as it should.

pon reviewing these results, his physician con-cluded that it was imperative that Chris take measuresto reduce his stress. He recommended that Chrisbegin practicing a system of emotional restructuringtechniques that had been developed by the Institute ofHeartMath. These positive emotion-focused techniqueshelp individuals learn to self-generate and sustain abenecial functional mode known as psychophysiologi-cal coherence, characterized by increased emotionalstability and by increased synchronization and harmony

in the functioning of physiological systems.Concerned about his deteriorating health, Chris

complied with his physicians recommendation. Eachmorning during his daily train commute to work, he

practiced the Heart Lock-In technique, and he woulduse the Freeze-Frame technique in situations when heelt his stress levels rise.

At rst Chris was not aware of the transformationthat was occurring. His wife was the rst to notice thechange and to remark about how differently he was

behaving and how much better he looked. Then hisco-workers, staff, and other friends began to commenton how much less stressed he appeared in responding

to situations at work and how much more poise andemotional balance he had. A second autonomic ner-vous system assessment, performed six weeks after theinitial one, showed that Chriss average heart rate haddecreased to 85 beats per minute and it now lowered

t night, as it should. Signicant increases were also pparent in his heart rate variability, which had morethan doubled! These results surprised Chriss physician,

s 24-hour heart rate variability is typically very stablerom week to week, and it is generally quite difcult

to recover from autonomic nervous system depletion,usually requiring much longer than six weeks.

In reecting on his experience, Chris started tosee how profoundly his health and his life had beentransformed. He was getting along with his family,colleagues, and staff better than he could rememberever having enjoyed before, and he felt much moreclearheaded and in command of his life. His life seemedmore harmonious, and the difculties that came up atwork and in his personal relationships no longer created

the same level of distress; he now found himself ableto approach them more smoothly and proactively, andoften with a broadened perspective.

The true story of Chriss transformation is notn isolated example, but rather is only one of many

similar case histories that people like Chris haveshared with HeartMath, illustrating the amazingtransformations that can occur when one learns how

to increase psycho physiological coherence.

Excerpted f rom McCraty & Tomasino (2006),1 pp. 360-361.

ii e analysis of heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of the naturally occurring beat-to-beat changes in heart rate, provides an indicator of neurocardiactness and autonomic nervous system function. Abnormally low 24-hour HRV is predictive of increased r isk of heart disease and premature mortality. HRVis a so ig y re ective o stress an emotions.

iii e Heart Lock-In tool is an emotional restructuring technique, generally practiced for 5 to 15 minutes, that helps build the capacity to sustain thepsychophysiological coherence mode for extended periods of time. e Freeze-Frame technique is a one-minute positive emotion refocusing exercise usedin t e moment t at stress is experience to c ange perception an mo i y t e psyc op ysio ogica stress response. or in- ept escriptions o t esetechniques, see Childre & Martin (1999)

and Childre & Rozman (2005).


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Introduction

Many contemporary scientists believe that theuality of feeling and emotion we experience in each

moment is rooted in the underlying state of ourp ysio ogica processes. T is view is we expresse y

neuroscientist Antonio Damasio in the epigram thatpened this monograph. The essence of his idea is that

we call certain emotional feelings positive and othersnegative because these experiences directly reectthe impact of the uidity or strain of the life process

n the body, as is clearly evident in Chriss case, above.he feelings we experience as negative are indicativef body states in which life processes struggle for bal-nce and can even be chaotically out of control. p. 131

y contrast, the feelings we experience as positivectually reect body states in which the regulation of

life processes becomes efcient, or even optimal, free-owing and easy. 4 (p. 131)

While there is a growing appreciation of this generalunderstanding in the scientic study of emotion, herewe see to eepen t is un erstan ing in t ree primaryways. First, our approach is based on the premise thatthe physiological, cognitive, and emotional systems

re intimately interrelated through ongoing reciprocalommunication. To obtain a deeper understanding of

the operation of any of these systems, we believe it isnecessary to view their activity as emergent from the dy-

namic, communicative network of interacting functionst at comprise t e uman organism. Secon , we a opt

n information processing perspective, which viewsommunication wit in an among t e o y s systemss occurring through the generation and transmission of

rhythms and patterns of psychophysiological activity.his points to a fundamental order of information com-

municationone that both signies different emotionaltates, operates to integrate and coordinate the bodys

functioning as a whole, and also connects the body tothe external world. And third, we draw on the concept

f co erence from the physics of signal processing to un-erstand how different patterns of psychophysiologicalctivity inuence bodily function. Efcient or optimal

function is known to result from a harmonious organiza-tion of the interaction among the elements of a system.

hus, a harmonious order in the rhythm or pattern ofpsychophysiological activity signies a coherent system,whose efcient or optimal function is directly related,n Damasios terms, to the ease and uidity of life

processes. By contrast, an erratic, discordant pattern ofctivity denotes an incoherent system, whose function

reects the difculty and strain of life processes.

n this monograph we explore the concept andmeaning of coherence in various psychophysiologicalontexts and describe how coherence within and among

the physiological, cognitive, and emotional systems isritical in the creation and maintenance of health, emo-

tional stability, and optimal performance. It is our thesist at w at we ca emotiona co erencea armonioustate of sustained, self-modulated positive emotionis a

primary driver of the benecial changes in physiologicalfunction that produce improved performance and overallwell-being. We also propose that the heart, as the mostpowerful generator of rhythmic information patterns inthe body, acts effectively as the global conductor in thebodys symphony to bind and synchronize the entireystem. The consistent and pervasive inuence of theeart s r yt mic patterns on t e rain an o y notnly affects our physical health, but also signicantly

nuences perceptual processing, emotional experience,nd intentional behavior.

here is abundant evidence that emotions alter thectivity of the bodys physiological systems. Yet the vast

majority of this scientic evidence concerns the effectsf negative emotions. More recently, researchers have

begun to investigate the functions and effects of positivemotions. This research has shown that, beyond their

pleasant subjective feeling, positive emotions and atti-tudes have a number of objective, interrelated benetsfor physiological, psychological, and social functioning(e.g., see Isen, 1999 and Fredrickson, 2002). , 6

n contributing to this work, we discuss howustained positive emotions facilitate an emergent

global shift in psychophysiological functioning, whichs marked by a distinct change in the rhythm of heart

ctivity. This global shift generates a state of optimalfunction, characterized by increased synchronization,harmony, and efciency in the interactions within and

mong t e p ysio ogica , cognitive, an emotiona sys-tems. We ca t is state psyc op ysio ogica co erence.

We escri e ow t e co erence state can e o jective ymeasured and explore the nature and implications of itsphysiological and psychological correlates. It is proposedthat the global synchronization and harmony generated


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n the coherence state may explain many of the reportedpsychological and physiological health benets associ-

te wit positive emotions.

Our discussion of the major pathways by whichthe heart communicates with the brain and body showshow signals generated by the heart continually inform

motional experience and inuence cognitive function.his account includes a review of previous research oneart rain interactions an t eories regar ing ow t ectivity of the heart affects brain function and cognitive

performance. We then present research conducted inur laboratory, which brings a new perspective, focusingn the pattern of the rhythm of heart activity and its

relationship to emotional experience. From this vantagepoint, we derive a new hypothesisthat sustained, self-nduced positive emotions generate a shift to a state ofystem-wide coherence in bodily processes, in which

the coherent pattern of the hearts rhythm plays a keyrole in facilitating higher cognitive functions.

n short, the science reviewed in this monographhows that through regular heart-based practice, it is

possible to use positive emotions to shift ones wholepsychophysiological system into a state of global coher-

nce. When sustained, the harmonious order of coher-nce generates vital benets on all levels and can even

transform an individuals life, as we saw in the Prologueescribing Chriss story.

heoretical Considerations We begin by introducing the basic concepts and

theoretical ideas that inform the material presented inthis monograph.

Conceptual Frameworkntegral to the understanding of psychophysiologi-

al interaction developed in this work are the conceptsf information and communication. As we will see

next, coherence is a particular quality that emergesfrom the relations among the parts of a system or from

the relations among multiple systems. And since rela-tions are constitutive of systems, the communication

f information plays a fundamental constructive role inthe generation and emergence of coherence. Althoughthe communication of information is largely implicitn the interactional basis of the three basic concepts ofoherence we begin with in this conceptual framework,

we go onto develop a detailed account of the nature,ubstance, and dynamics of the psychophysiological

nteractions between the heart, the brain, and the bodys a whole.

Information and Communication

he most basic denition of information is datawhich in-form , or give shape to, action or behavior, such

s a message t at conveys meaning to t e recipientf a signal. In uman anguage, a stract sym o s i ewords, numbers, graphical gures, and even gestures andvocal intonations are used to encode the meaning con-veyed in a message. In physiological systems, changesn chemical concentrations, the amount of biologicalctivity, or the pattern of rhythmic activity are common

means by which information is encoded in the move-ment of energy to inform system behavior.

ut in order to be used to shape or regulate systembehavior, the information must be distributed to and

understood by the system elements involved. Thus,by communication we mean a process by which mean-ng is encoded as a message and transmitted in a signal

to be received, processed, and comprehended by thevarious elements of a system.

The Concept of Coherence

n common usage, the term coherence is deneds the quality of being logically integrated, consistent,n inte igi e, as in a co erent argument. A re ate

meaning is a logical, orderly, and aesthetically consis-

tent relationship of parts. However, for our scienticpurposes in this monograph, it is necessary to delve

eeper into this idea. To describe and quantify the rela-tionship between different patterns of psychophysiologi-

al activity and physiological, emotional, and cognitivefunctions, we draw on three distinct but related concepts

f coherence used in physics.

he rst concept is coherence as global order oherence as a distinctive organization of parts, the re-

lations among which generate an emergent whole. Theproperty of emergence means that the whole is more

than the sum of and qualitatively different from theparts t emse ves. T e generative aspect means t at t e

oherent organization of all parts to form an integratedw o e is more t an a momentary occurrence, in t atthe global order is sustained and maintained over time.t is important to note that all systems, to produce any

function or action, must have the property of global co-herence. However, the efciency and effectiveness of thefunction or action can vary widely, and therefore does


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not necessarily result in a coherent ow of behavior.is, instea , requires certain specia con itions, w ic

takes us directly to the second concept of coherence.

he second concept relates to the dynamics ofthe ow of action produced by a single system. This is

coherence as a uniform pattern of cyclical behavior .

ecause this pattern of action is generated by a singleystem, t e term autoco erence is use to enote t is

kind of coherence. This conception is commonly usedn physics to describe the generation of an orderedistribution of energy in a waveform. An example issine wave, which is a perfectly coherent wave. The

more stable the frequency, amplitude, and shape of thewaveform, the higher the degree of coherence. In physi-

logical systems, this type of coherence describes theegree of order and stability in the rhythmic activity

generated by a single oscillatory system.

When different oscillatory systems interact, therean also be increased harmony in the rhythmic pat-

tern of their interaction. This is the third concept ofoherence we explore in this monograph: coherence

as synchronized interactions among multiple systems .Synchronization is the key idea in this concept, int at it means t at two or more waves are eit er p ase-

r frequency-locked together in their interaction. Afamiliar example occurs in music, in which a chords composed of notes of different frequencies phase-

locked to resonate as a harmonious order of sound

waves. Another example is the laser, in which multiplewaves phase- and frequency-lock together, producing

coherent energy wave. In physiology, coherence isimilarly used to describe a functional mode in which

two or more of the bodys oscillatory systems, such asrespiration an eart r yt ms, ecome entraine an

scillate at the same frequency. The term is also usedto describe a state in which the brains waves of neural

ctivity are momentarily in phase at different locationscross the brain. The term cross-coherence is used

to specify these types of coherence that emerge fromnteractions among systems. As will be described later,

when coherence is increased in a single system, this canrive entrainment, resulting in cross-coherence in thectivity of other related systems.

Theoryhe material presented in this monograph is in-

formed by the following theoretical considerations.Our psyc op ysio ogica systems process an enormous

mount of information, which must be continuouslyommunicated from one part of the brain or body tonother and often stored as a memory of one type ornother. The traditional approach to understanding

how the bodys systems interact adopts an activationperspective, in which variation in the amount of aubstance or the amount of a given physiological activ-ty is viewed as the basis of communication. Although

the amount of activity is clearly an important aspectf communication, the generation and transmission of

rhythms and patterns of physiological activity appearreective of a more fundamental order of information

ommunicationone that signies different emotionaltates and operates to integrate and coordinate the

bodys functioning as a whole.

hroughout the body, information is encoded inwaveforms of energy as patterns of physiological activ-

ty. Neura , c emica , e ectromagnetic, an osci atorypressure wave patterns are among t ose use to enco end communicate biologically relevant information. By

these means, the bodys organs continually transmitnformation to the brain as patterns of afferent (ascend-ng) input. In turn, as we will see below, changes in the

patterns of afferent input to the brain cause signicanthanges in physiological function, perception, cognition,motion, and intentional behavior.

A primary proposition explored in this monographs that different emotions are associated with distinct

patterns of physiological activity. This is the result of atwo-way process by which, in one direction, emotionstrigger changes in the autonomic nervous system andhormonal system, and in the other direction, specic

anges in t e p ysio ogica su stratum are invo ve inthe generation of emotional experience. Research at thenstitute of HeartMath has identied six distinct patternsf physiological activity generated during different emo-

tional states. We call these psychophysiological modes ach of these is described in detail below. Of particularignicance is the psychophysiological coherence mode,

which is characterized by ordered, harmonious patternsf physiological activity. This mode has been found to

be generated during the experience of sustained positivemotions. T e psyc op ysio ogica co erence mo e

has numerous physiological and psychological benets,which can profoundly impact health, performance, and

uality of life.

A second proposition is that the heart plays a cen-tral role in the generation and transmission of system-


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wide information essential to the bodys function as aoherent whole. There are multiple lines of evidence toupport t is proposition. T e eart is t e most consis-

tent and dynamic generator of rhythmic informationpatterns in the body; its intrinsic nervous system is aophisticated information encoding and processing cen-

ter that operates independently of the brain; the heartfunctions in multiple body systems and is thus uniquelypositioned to integrate and communicate information

cross systems and throughout the body; and, of allthe bodily organs, the heart possesses by far the most

xtensive communication networ wit t e rain. Asescribed subsequently, afferent input from the heart

not only affects the homeostatic regulatory centers inthe brain, but also inuences the activity of higher brain

enters involved in perceptual, cognitive, and emotionalprocessing, thus in turn affecting many and diverse

spects of our experience and behavior. These are the

entral ideas that guide what follows.

he Psychophysiological Network:A Systems Perspective

As science has increasingly adopted a systems per-pective in investigation and analysis, the understanding

has emerged that our mental and emotional functionstem from the activity of systems organize pat waysnterconnecting different organs and areas of the brainnd bodyjust as do any of our physiological functions.

Moreover, our mental and emotional systems cannot beonsidered in isolation from our physiology. Instead,they must be viewed as an integral part of the dynamic,

ommunicative network of interacting functions thatomprise the human organism.

hese understandings have led to the emergencend growth of new scientic elds of study, such as

psychophysiology. Psychophysiology is concerned withthe interrelations among the physiological, cognitive,

nd emotional systems and human behavior. It is nowvident that every thought, attitude, and emotion has a

physiological consequence, and that patterns of physi-logical activity continually inuence our emotionalxperience, t oug t processes, an e avior. As we wiee shortly, the efcacy of this perspective has been sub-tantiated by our own research, as well as that of manythers, examining how patterns of psychophysiologicalctivity change during stress and different emotionaltates.

Heart Rate Variability and Measurement ofPsychophysiological Modes

n the early stages of our work at the Institutef HeartMath, we sought to determine which physi-logical variables were most sensitive to and correlated

with changes in emotional states. In analyzing many

ifferent physiological measures (such as heart rate,ectroencep a ograp ic an e ectromyograp ic activ-ty, respiration, skin conductance, etc.), we discovered

that the rhythmic pattern of heart activity was directlyssociated with the subjective activation of distinctmotional states, and that the heart rhythm patternlso reected changes in emotional states, in that it

covaried with emotions in real time. We found strongifferences between quite distinct rhythmic beating

patterns that were readily apparent in the heart rhythmtrace an t at irect y matc e t e su jective experi-

nce of different emotions. In short, we found that thepattern of the hearts activity was a valid physiologicalndicator of emotional experience and that this indica-

tor was reliable when repeated at different times and inifferent populations.

n more specic terms, we examined the naturaluctuations in heart rate, known as eart rate varia i -ty (HRV). HRV is a product of the dynamic interplay of

many of the bodys systems. Short-term (beat-to-beat)hanges in heart rate are largely generated and ampli-

ed by the interaction between the heart and brain.his interaction is mediated by the flow of neural

ignals through the efferent and afferent pathways ofthe sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the

utonomic nervous system ANS . HRV is t us consi -red a measure of neurocardiac function that reectseart rain interactions an ANS ynamics.

rom an activation theory perspective, the focuss on changes in heart rate or in the amount of vari-bility that are expected to be associated with differentmotional states. However, while these factors can andften do covary with emotions, we have found that it

is t e attern of the hearts rhythm that is primarily reective of the emotional state. Furthermore, wehave found that changes in the heart rhythm pattern

re independent of heart rate: one can have a coherentr incoherent pattern at high or low heart rates. Thus,

t is the rhythm , rather than the rate, that is most di-rectly related to emotional dynamics and physiologicalynchronization.


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Emotions and Heart Rhythm Patterns As mentione at t e outset, researc ers ave spent

much time and effort investigating how emotions changethe state and functioning of the bodys systems. Whilethe vast majority of this body of work has focused onunderstanding the pathological effects of negative emo-

tions, recent research has begun to balance this pictureby investigating the functions and effects of positivemotions.

A synthesis of the voluminous work in develop-mental neurobiology has shown that the modulation ofpositive emotions plays a critical role in infant growth

nd neurological development, which has enormousonsequences for later life. Other research on adults hasocumented a wide array of effects of positive emotionsn cognitive processing, e avior, an ea t an we -

being. Positive emotions have been found to broaden the

cope of perception, cognition, and behavior,5, 9, 10

t usnhancing faculties such as creativity 11 and intuition. 12

Moreover, the experience of frequent positive emotionshas been shown to predict resilience and psychologicalgrowth, 13 while an impressive body of research has docu-mented clear links between positive emotions, healthtatus, and longevity. 14-21 In addition, there is abundantvidence that positive emotions affect the activity of

the bodys physiological systems in profound ways. Fornstance, stu ies ave s own t at positive emotionatates speed the recovery of the cardiovascular system

from the after-effects of negative emotions,22

alter frontalbrain asymmetry, 3 and increase immunity. 23-25 Finally,the use of practical techniques that teach people how toelf-induce and sustain positive emotions and attitudes

for longer periods has been shown to produce positivehealth outcomes. These include reduced blood pres-ure in both hypertensive and normal populations, 26,

27 improved functional capacity in patients with heartfailure, 8 improve ormona a ance, 29 an ower ipilevels. 27

n investigating the physiological foundation of this

mportant work, we have utilized HRV analysis to showhow distinct heart rhythm patterns characterize differ-

nt emotional states. In more specic terms, we foundthat underlying the experience of different emotionaltates there is a distinct physiology directly involved.hus we have found that sustained positive emotionsuch as appreciation, care, compassion, and love gen-rate a smooth, sine-wave-like pattern in the hearts

rhythms. This reects increased order in higher-level

ontrol systems in the brain, increased synchronizationbetween the two branches of the ANS, and a general shiftn autonomic a ance towar s increase parasympa-

thetic activity. As is visually evident (Figure 1) and alsoemonstrable by quantitative methods, heart rhythmsssociated with positive emotions, such as apprecia-

tion, are clearly more coherent organized as a stablepattern of repeating sine wavesthan those generated

uring a negative emotional experience such as frustra-tion. We observed that this association between positive

motional experience and this distinctive physiologicalpattern was evi ent in stu ies con ucte in ot a o-ratory and natural settings, and for both spontaneous

motions and intentionally generated feelings. 0, 31

Figure 1. Emotions are reected in heart rhythm patterns.he heart rhythm pattern shown in the top graph, character-

zed by its erratic, irregular pattern (incoherence), is typicalf negative emotions such as anger or frustration. The bot-

om graph shows an example of the coherent heart rhythmpattern that is typically observed when an individual is

xperiencing sustained, modulated positive emotions, in

his case appreciation.

y contrast, our researc as s own t at negativemotions such as frustration, anger, anxiety, and worryea to eart r yt m patterns t at appear inco er-

ent highly variable and erratic. Overall, this meansthat there is less synchronization in the reciprocal ac-tion of the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches

f the ANS. 30, 31 This desynchronization in the ANS, if


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ustained, taxes the nervous system and bodily organs,mpeding the efcient synchronization and ow of in-

formation throughout the psychophysiological systems.urthermore, as studies have also shown that prefrontalortex activity is reected in HRV via modulation of the

parasympathetic branch of the ANS, 32 this increasedisorder in heart rhythm patterns is also likely indica-

tive of disorder in higher brain systems.

Psychophysiological Coherencen our research on the physiological correlates of

positive emotions we have found that when certain posi-tive emotional states, such as appreciation, compassion,

r love, are intentionally maintained, coherent heartrhythm patterns can be sustained for longer periods,which also leads to increased synchronization and en-trainment between multiple bodily systems. Because its characterized by distinctive psychological and behav-

oral correlates as well as by specic patterns of physi-ogica activity t roug out t e o y, we intro uce t e

erm psyc op ysio ogica co erenceiv

to escri e t ismode of functioning.

Heart Rhythm Coherence

he development of eart r yt m co erence atable, sine-wave-like pattern in the heart rate variability

waveformis the key marker of the psychophysiologicaloherence mode. Heart rhythm coherence is reected in

the HRV power spectrum as a large increase in power in

the low frequency (LF) band (typically around 0.1 Hz)nd a decrease in the power in the very low frequency

(VLF) and high frequency (HF) bands. A coherent heartrhythm can therefore be dened as a relatively harmonicsine-wave- i e signa wit a very narrow, ig -amp i-

tude peak in the LF region of the HRV power spectrumnd no major peaks in the VLF or HF regions. Coher-nce thus approximates the LF/(VLF + HF) ratio. (See

page 14 for an explanation of the HRV power spectrumnd a description of the physiological signicance of theifferent frequency bands.)

A method of quantifying heart rhythm coherence ishown in Figure 2. First, the maximum peak is identiedn the 0.040.26 Hz range (the frequency range within

which coherence and entrainment can occur). The peak

power is then determined by calculating the integral inwin ow 0.030 Hz wi e, centere on t e ig est pea

n that region. The total power of the entire spectrum isthen calculated. The coherence ratio is formulated as:(Peak Power / (Total PowerPeak Power))2. T is met o pro-vides an accurate measure of coherence that allows forthe nonlinear nature of the HRV waveform over time.

Figure 2. Heart rhythm coherence ratio calculation.

Physiological Correlates

At the physiological level, psychophysiologicalo erence em races severa re ate p enomenaau-

toco erence, entrainment , sync ronizat ion, anresonancewhich are associated with increased order,

fciency, and harmony in the functioning of the bodysystems. As described above, this mode is associated

with increased coherence in the hearts rhythmic ac-tivity (autocoherence), which reects increased ANSynchronization and manifests as a sine-wave-like

heart rhythm pattern oscillating at a frequency of ap-proximately 0.1 Hz. Thus, in this mode the HRV powerpec rum is ominate y a narrow- an , ig -amp i-

tude peak near the center of the low frequency band(see Figures 3 and 4). 30, 31

Another physiological correlate of the coherence

mode is the phenomenon of resonance. In physics, reso-nance refers to a phenomenon whereby an unusuallyarge osci ation is pro uce in response to a stimu us

whose frequency is the same as, or nearly the same

v n ear ier pu ications, t e psyc op ysioogica co erence mo e was re erre to as t e entrainment mo e ecause a num er o p ysioogica systemsntrain with the heart rhythm in this mode.

v pectra ana ysis ecomposes t e wave orm into its in ivi ua requency components an quanti es t em in terms o t eir re ative intensity usingpower spectra ensity ana ysis. pectra ana ysis t us provi es a means to quanti y t e re ative activity o t e i erent p ysio ogica in uences onHRV, which are represented by the individual oscillatory components that make up the heart rhythm.


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s, the natural vibratory frequency of the system. Thefrequency of the vibration produced in such a state is

ened as the resonant frequency of the system. Whenthe cardiovascular system is operating in the coherencemode, it is essentially oscillating at its resonant frequen-

y; this is reected in the distinctive high-amplitudepeak in the HRV power spectrum around 0.1 Hz. Mostmathematical models show that the resonant frequency

f the human cardiovascular system is determined bythe feedback loops between the heart and brain. 33, 34 Inhumans and in many animals, the resonant frequency oft e system is approximate y 0.1 Hz, w ic is equiva entto a 10-secon r yt m. T e system natura y osci ates

t its resonant frequency when an individual is activelyfeeling a sustained positive emotion such as apprecia-tion, compassion, or love, 30 although resonance can also

merge during states of deep sleep.

urt ermore, increase eart rain sync roni-zation is observed during coherence; specically, thebrains alpha rhythms exhibit increased synchroniza-tion with the heartbeat in this mode. This nding willbe discussed in greater depth below.

inally, there tends to be increased cross-coher-nce or entrainment among the rhythmic patterns ofctivity generated by different physiological oscillatoryystems. Entrainment occurs when the frequency differ-nce between the oscillations of two or more nonlinearystems drops to zero by being frequency pulled to the

frequency of the dominant system. As the bodys mostpowerful rhythmic oscillator, the heart can pull otherresonant physiological systems into entrainment witht. During the psychophysiological coherence mode, en-

trainment is typica y o serve etween eart r yt ms,respiratory r yt ms, an oo pressure osci ations;

owever, ot er io ogica osci ators, inc u ing very owfrequency brain rhythms, craniosacral rhythms, and

lectrical potentials measured across the skin, can alsobecome entrained. 31, i

Figure 3. Entrainment. The top graphs show an individualsheart rate variability, pulse transit time, and respirationrhythms over a 10-minute period. At the 300-second mark,he individual used the Freeze-Frame positive emotion

refocusing technique, causing these three systems to comento entrainment. The bottom graphs show the frequencypectra of the same data on each side of the dotted linen the center of the top graph. Notice the graphs on the

right show that all three systems have entrained to theame requency.

igure 3 shows an example of entrainment occur-ring uring psyc op ysio ogica co erence. T e grap sp ot an in ivi ua s eart r yt m, arteria pu se transittime (a measure of beat-to-beat blood pressure),

v

nd respiration rate over a 10-minute period. In thisxample, after a 300-second normal resting baseline

period the subject used a heart-based positive emotionrefocusing technique known as Freeze-Frame, 2 which

vi It should be noted that another type of entrainment between the heart rhythm pattern and the respiratory rhythm can also occur without entrainment ofother physiological systems. is type of entrainment pattern, which typically occurs in the high frequency region of the HRV power spectrum, is associated wit respiratory sinus arr yt mia iscusse su sequent y . t oug t is orm o entrainment is in icative o a more or ere reat ing r yt m, it is notreective of the system-wide coherence or resonance that typies psychophysiological coherence. e latter occurs around the 0.1 Hz f requency, which is inthe low frequency band of the HRV power spectrum.

v u se transit time is a measure o t e spee o trave o t e arteria pu se wave rom t e eart to a perip era recor ing site in t is case t e in ex ngerof the left hand) and reects the rhythmic contractions of the smooth muscles of the vascular system. Pulse wave velocity varies directly with changes in thelasticity of the ar tery walls; the pulse transit time thus varies inversely with the beat-to-beat changes in blood pressure. e pulse wave velocity (45 m/sec)

is much faster than the velocity of blood ow (< 0.5 m/sec). e more rigid or contracted the arterial wall, the faster the wave velocity. Common estimates oft e magnitu e o t is e ect in icate t at pu se transit time varies y a out 1 mi isecon per mm g c ange in oo pressure.


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nvolves focusing attention in the area of the heart whileelf-generating a sincere positive emotion, such as ap-

preciation. After the subject used the Freeze-Frametechnique, the three rhythms shifted from an erraticto a sine-wave-like pattern (indicative of the coherencemode) and all entrained at a frequency of 0.12 Hz. 31

he entrainment phenomenon is thus an example of apsychophysiological state in which there is increased

oherence within each system (autocoherence) andmong multiple oscillating systems (cross-coherence)s well. This example also illustrates how the intentional

generation of a self-regulated positive emotional statean bring about a phase-shift in physiological activity,riving the physiological systems into a globally coher-nt mode of function.

Psychological and Behavioral Correlates

he experience of the coherence mode is also quali-

tatively distinct at the psychological level. This mode isssociated with reduced perceptions of stress, sustained

positive affect, and a high degree of mental clarity andmotiona sta i ity. Later in t is monograp we a so

present ata in icating t at co erence is associatewith improved sensory-motor integration, cognition, andtask performance. In addition, individuals frequentlyreport experiencing a notable reduction in internalmental dialogue, increased feelings of inner peace andecurity, more effective decision making, enhancedreativity, and increased intuitive discernment when

ngaging this mode.n summary, psychophysiological coherence is a

istinctive mode of function driven by sustained, modu-lated positive emotions. At the psychological level, theterm coherence is used to denote the high degree of

rder, harmony, and stability in mental and emotionalprocesses that is experienced during this mode. Physi-

ogica y spea ing, co erence is use ere as a gen-ra term t at encompasses entrainment, resonance,nd synchronizationdistinct but related phenomena,ll of which emerge from the harmonious activity and

nteractions of the bodys subsystems. Physiologicalorrelates of the coherence mode include: increasedynchronization between the two branches of the ANS, ahift in autonomic balance toward increased parasympa-

thetic activity, increased heartbrain synchronization,ncreased vascular resonance, and entrainment betweeniverse p ysio ogica osc atory systems.

Drivers of Coherence

A t oug t e p ysio ogica p enomena associatewith coherence can occur spontaneously, sustained epi-odes are generally rare. While specic rhythmic breath-ng methods may induce heart rhythm coherence and

physiological entrainment for brief periods, cognitively-

irected paced breathing is difcult for many people tomaintain for more than about one minute (discussedn detail later). On the other hand, we have found thatndividuals can intentionally maintain coherence forxtended periods by self-generating, modulating, andustaining a heart-focused positive emotional state.

Using a positive emotion to drive the coherence modeppears to excite the system at its resonant frequency,nd coherence emerges naturally, making it easy toustain for long periods.

Self-regulation of emotional experience is a key

requisite to the intentional generation of sustainedpositive emotionsthe driver of a shift to coherent pat-terns of physiological activity. Emotional self-regulationnvolves moment-to-moment management of distinctspects of emotional experience. One aspect involves

the neutralization of inappropriate or dysfunctionalnegative emotions. The other requires that self-activatedpositive emotions are modulated to remain within theresonant frequency range of such emotions as apprecia-tion, compassion, an ove, rat er t an esca ating intofeelings such as excitement, euphoria, and rapture,

which are associated with more unstable psychophysi-logical patterns.

A series of tools and techniques, collectively knowns t e HeartMat System, provi e a systematic process

that enables people to self-regulate emotional experi-nce and reliably generate the psychophysiologicaloherence mode. , 3, 35 The primary focus of these tech-

niques is on facilitating the intentional generation of austained, heart-focused positive emotional state. Thiss accomplished by a process that combines a shift inttentional focus to the area of the heart (where many

people subjectively experience positive emotions) withthe self-induction of a positive feeling, such as appre-

iation. Our work has shown that this shift in focusnd feeling experience allows the coherence mode tomerge naturally and helps to reinforce the inherent as-ociations between coherence and positive feelings. Our

research also suggests that the intentional applicationf these coherence-building techniques, on a consis-

tent basis, effectively facilitates a repatterning process


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whereby coherence becomes increasingly familiar tot e rain an nervous system, an t us progressive y

ecomes esta is e in t e neura arc itecture as new,ta e psyc op ysio ogica ase ine or set point. 1, 36, 37

Once the coherence mode is established as thefamiliar pattern, the system then strives to maintain

this mode automatically, thus rendering coherence amore rea i y accessi e state uring ay-to- ay activi-ties, and even in the midst of stressful or challenging

tuat ons.

At the physiological level, the occurrence of suchrepatterning process is supported by electrophysi-

logical evidence demonstrating a greater frequency ofpontaneous (without conscious practice of the inter-

ventions) periods of heart rhythm coherence in indi-vi ua s practice in t e HeartMat co erence- ui ingtechniques. Furthermore, a number of studies suggestthat this repatterning process can produce enduringystem-wide benets that signicantly impact overalluality of life (discussed below).

W i e evi ence c ear y s ows t at t e HeartMatpositive emotion refocusing and emotional restructur-ng techniques lead to increased psychophysiologicaloherence, other approaches have also been shown to

be associated with increased coherence. For example,n a recent UCLA study, Buddhist monks meditatingn generating compassionate love tended to exhibit

ncreased coherence, and another study of Zen monksfound that the more advanced monks tended to have

o erent eart r yt ms, w i e t e novices i not. 38

is oes not imp y, owever, t at a me itation ap-proaches lead to coherence; as we and others have

bserved, approaches that focus attention to the mind(concentrative mediation), and not on a positive emo-tion, in general do not induce coherence.

Benets of Psychophysiological Coherence

n terms of physiological functioning, coherences a highly efcient mode that confers a number of

benets to the system. These include: (1) resetting ofaroreceptor sensitivity, w ic is re ate to improvehort-term blood pressure control and increased respi-

ratory efciency; (2) increased vagal afferent trafc,which is involved in the inhibition of pain signals andympathetic outow; (3) increased cardiac output inonjunction with increased efciency in uid exchange,

ltration, and absorption between the capillaries and tis-ues; (4) increased ability of the cardiovascular system

to adapt to circulatory requirements; and (5) increasedtemporal synchronization of cells throughout the body.

his results in increased system-wide energy efciencynd metabolic energy savings. 39-41

sychologically, the coherence mode promotes aalm, emotionally balanced, yet alert and responsive

tate that is conducive to cognitive and task perfor-mance, inc u ing pro em-so ving, ecision-ma ing, an

ctivities requiring perceptual acuity, attentional focus,oordination, and discrimination. Individuals generallyxperience a sense of enhanced subjective well-beinguring coherence due to the reduction in extraneous

nner noise generated by the mental and emotionalprocessing of daily stress and the positive emotion-

riven shift to increased harmony in bodily processes. Many also report increased intuitive clarity and efcacy

n addressing troublesome issues in life.

he use of coherence-building interventions hasbeen documented in numerous studies to give rise toignicant improvements in key markers of both physi-al and psychological health. Signicant improvementsn several objective health-related measures have beenbserved, including immune system function, 24, 25 ANS

function and balance, 30, 31 an t e DHEA/cortiso ratio. 9

At the emotional level, signicant reductions in depres-ion, anxiety, anger, hostility, burnout, and fatigue andncreases in caring, contentment, gratitude, peaceful-

ness, and vitality have been measured across diverse

populations.26-29, 42-44

Other research has demonstratedignicant reductions in key health risk factors (e.g.,

blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol) 27 and improve-ments in health status and quality of life in variouspopu ations using co erence- ui ing approac es. Morepecically, signicant blood pressure reductions haveeen emonstrate in in ivi ua s wit ypertension; 26

mproved functional capacity and reduced depressionn patients with congestive heart failure; 28 improved

glycemic regulation and quality of life in patients withiabetes; 45 and improvements in asthma. 46 Coherence-

building interventions have also been found to yieldfavorable outcomes in organizational, educational, andmental health settings. 27, 36, 42-44, 47-49

n short, our ndings on psychophysiological co-herence essentially substantiate what human beingshave known intuitively for thousands of years: namely,that positive emotions not only feel better subjectively,but they also increase the synchronous and harmoni-

us function of the bodys systems. This optimizes our


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health, well-being, and vitality, and enables us to func-tion with greater overall efciency and effectiveness.

Modes of Psychophysiological Functionn the course of our research on the relationship

between HRV and emotion, we observed that certainpsychophysiological states were consistently associatedwith distinct psychological and behavioral correlates aswell as with specic patterns of physiological activitythroughout the body. As these systemic patterns werefound to hold over many trials across diverse studypopu ations, we conc u e t at t ey constitute sixgeneral categories of psychophysiological function,which we call modes , each of which is distinguished by

unique set of characteristics. Although there is indi-vidual variation within each mode, there are broader

mpirical commonalities that are characteristic ofach mode and that differentiate the six modes from

ne another.

our of these psychophysiological modes are read-ly generated in the context of everyday life. We have

termed these modes Mental Focus (associated with im-passive emotions experienced while attention is directedto performing familiar, cognitively engaging tasks or

ctions), Psychophysiological Incoherence (associatedwit negative emotions suc as anger, anxiety, etc. ,

Re axation associate wit ca m emotions experiencewhile resting from the effort and stress of everyday life),

nd Psychophysiological Coherence (associated withpositive emotions such as appreciation, care, compas-ion, etc.). We have also identied two additional modes,

Emotional Quiescence and Extreme Negative Emotion ,which both appear to belong to a qualitatively different

ategory of psychophysiological function. These twomodes are physiologically and experientially distinctfrom the other four modes and are generated under more

xtraordinary life circumstances. Before moving on toescribe the emotional tone and empirical character-

stics of each of these modes, it is necessary to provideome information on the heart rhythm data presented

n the graphs in this section.igure 4 s ows t e typica eart r yt m pat-

terns and the associated HRV power spectra for thepsychophysiological modes we have identied. Thesepatterns are reective of the ongoing adjustments ofthe various physiological systems in relation to the

ver-changing processes in the body and in thexternal environment.

he normal variability in heart rate is due to theynergistic action of the two branches of the ANS, whichct to maintain car iovascu ar parameters in t eirptimal ranges and to permit appropriate reactions tohanging external or internal conditions. In a healthyndividual, the heart rate estimated at any given time

represents the net effect of the parasympathetic (vagus)nerves, which slow heart rate, and the sympatheticnerves, which accelerate it.

igure 4. Heart rhythm patterns during differentpsychophysiological modes.

e e t- an grap s are eart rate tac ograms, w ichow beat-to-beat changes in heart rate. To the right arehe heart rate variability power spectral density (PSD) plotsf the tachograms at left. While there are individual varia-

ions in the HRV patterns associated with each mode, thexamples depicted are typical of the characteristic aspectsf the more general patterns observed for each mode.

Mental Focus is characterized by reduced HRV. Activityn all three frequency bands of the HRV power spectrums present. Anger, an example of the Psychophysiological

Incoherence mode, is characterized by a lower frequency,more disordered heart rhythm pattern and increasing meanheart rate. As can be seen in the corresponding powerpectrum to the right, the rhythm during anger is primar-y in t e very ow requency region, w ic is associateith sympathetic nervous system activity. In this example,

he anger was intense enough to drive the system into anxtreme state, where the heart rhythm trace became at

(indicating very low HRV) around 200 seconds. Relaxationresults in a higher frequency, lower amplitude rhythm, indi-ating reduced autonomic outow. In this case, increased

power in the high frequency region of the power spectrums observed, reecting increased parasympathetic activity

(the relaxation response). Psychophysiological Coherence ,hich is associated with sustained positive emotions (in

his example, appreciation), results in a highly ordered,ine-wave-like heart rhythm pattern. As can be seen in theorresponding power spectrum, this psychophysiological

mo e is associate wit a arge, narrow pea in t e owrequency region, centered around 0.1 Hz. Note the scale

difference in the amplitude of the spectral peak during theoherence mode. This indicates system-wide resonance,ncreased synchronization between the sympathetic and

parasympat etic ranc es o t e nervous system, an en-rainment between the heart rhythm pattern, respiration,

nd blood pressure rhythms. The coherence mode is alsossociated with increased parasympathetic activity, thusncompassing a key element of the relaxation response,

yet it is physiologically distinct from relaxation because theystem is oscillating at its resonant frequency and there isncreased harmony and synchronization in nervous systemnd heartbrain dynamics. The Emotional Quiescence

mode is characterized by state-specic very low HRV. Dueo the low HRV, the power spectrum has very little powern any of the three frequency regions.


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igure 4. Heart rhythm patterns during different psychophysiological modes.


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We use the term adaptive variability to denotet ese ongoing moment- y-moment accommo ations.

Within normal parameters, greater amplitudes of oscil-ation are associate wit ea t . T us, t e amp itu ef rhythmic physiological processes, such as heart

rhythms, may index the health status of the individualsnervous system and capacity to respond to environmen-tal demands. 50-53

he left-hand graphs are heart rate tachograms,w ic s ow t e eat-to eat c anges in eart rate eartrhythms) in the different modes. These patterns havebeen identied in recordings obtained both in the labo-ratory and in real-life circumstances from a database ofmore than one thousand cases.

o t e rig t are s own t e eart rate varia i itypower spectral density (PSD) plots for each of the heartrhythms. To discriminate and quantify sympathetic andparasympathetic activity and total autonomic nervousystem activity, the HRV data must be converted into

their spectral components. This is done by applying amathematical transformation, the Fas t-Fourier Trans-form. The resultant power spectrum reduces the heartrhythm into its constituent frequency components.

hese are divided into three main frequency ranges,ach of which corresponds to a specic physiologicalctivity and rhythm.

he very low frequency (VLF) range (0.0033 .04z) is primarily an index of sympathetic activity, while

power in the high frequency (HF) range (0.15 .4 Hz),representing more rapi eat-to- eat c anges in eartrate, is primari y ue to parasympat etic activity. T efrequency range encompassing the 0.1 Hz region is

alled the low frequency (LF) range (0.04 0.15 Hz)nd reects activity in the feedback loops between the

heart and brain that control short-term blood pressurehanges and other regulatory processes. The physi-logical factors contributing to activity in the LF rangere complex, reecting a mixture of sympathetic and

parasympathetic efferent and afferent activity as well

s vascu ar system resonance.

he six psychophysiological modes we have identi-ed will next be distinguished in terms of their emotionaltone and associated heart rhythm and ANS activationpatterns. It should be noted that these modes can alsobe distinguished on the basis of the patterns of their

ssociate energetic e ectromagnetic activity; t is wibe discussed in a later section.

Modes of Everyday Psychophysiological Function

Mental Focuse top grap in Figure 4 epicts a typica eart

rhythm pattern and the associated HRV power spectrumuring a period of mental focus. We use this term toescribe an impassive emotional state experienced while

performing a familiar, routine task or action. This states primarily one of mental attention to the task at handnd, as such, is characterized by little or no emotionalrousal, either of a positive or negative nature, and low

motor activity. In t e examp e s own in Figure 4, t eresearch subject was sitting quietly while focused on aroutine computer tas . As epicte in t e eart r yt mgraph (left-hand side), the HRV pattern is relatively

onstrained in its overall amplitude variation, and theres less higher frequency variability as compared to the

pattern for relaxation.

he HRV power spectrum (right-hand side ofigure 4) shows some activity in all three frequency

bands, as would be expected from examining the heartrhythm trace. The multiple peaks present in the VLFregion indicate that the organization of oscillations inthis band is unstable and variable; this is apparent inthe heart rhythm data as well. The fact that the overallheart rate remains relatively constant (approximately 70bpm), indicates, in this example, that there was not anncreased activation of the sympathetic nervous system.owever, t ere appears to e ess sync ronize activity

n overall ANS function as compared to the coherencer relaxation modes, which is reected in the more er-

ratic heart rhythm pattern. The power in the HF band ismuch lower than that in the Relaxation mode, indicatingthere is less parasympathetic activity. This typically

orrelates with shallower, faster breathing rhythms.here is also reduced power in the LF band, which is aommon nding in tasks that require primarily mental

focus with little motor activity. In sum, these data showt at t ere is re uce autonomic activity an overa

RV during periods of mental focus when compared tothe relaxation or coherence modes.

Psychophysiological Incoherencesychophysiological Incoherence is associated

with negative emotions, such as anger, frustration, andnxiety. While there is some variation within this moden the morphology of the associated HRV waveforms,sychophysiological Incoherence is generally typied

by an erratic and disordered heart rhythm pattern (see


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the example of frustration in Figure 1). The example oft is mo e s own in Figure 4 was recor e w en t isndividual was experiencing an episode of anger duringn argument with his wife while sitting still in a car. In

this case, the emotion of anger was sufciently intenseto activate the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in

more pronounced VLF rhythm and an increasing meanheart rate. As can be seen in the corresponding powerpectrum to the right, there is a single large peak in

the VLF region, which indicates sustained sympatheticctivation, whereas the HF region shows virtually noctivity. T e activity in t e LF region remains strongecause t e p ysio ogica mec anisms regu ating oo

pressure are active in order to maintain control andnhibit sympathetic outow so that the blood pressureoes not reach levels that will harm the system.

n addition to the Psychophysiological Incoherence

mo e, w ic is t e main pattern o serve in t is re-ording, parts of this same recording also show anotherpattern of psychophysiological response that is indica-tive of a different mode, evident in the segments beyond150 seconds in Figure 4. This pattern illustrates whathappens when an individual experiences an extremenegative emotionin this case, intense anger. Extremenegative emotions such as this can lead to excessiveympathetic activation, in which the heart rate increasepproaches the range of maximum function and where

the heart rate variability pattern almost attens out. Wee ieve t at t is psyc op ysio ogica pattern is in ica-

tive of a hyper-state of extreme negative emotionalxperience, which is described in more detail below.

Relaxationhe Relaxation mode is a state of emotional calm

xperienced when resting from the activity and stress ofveryday life. It is characterized by a higher frequency,ower amp itu e r yt m, an a virtua y stea y eart

rate (approximately 60 bpm in this example) once theystem has stabilized in this mode. In the beginning of

the shift into relaxation, however, there is also typically

decrease in heart rate, which indicates a reduction inverall autonomic outow and a shift in autonomic bal-nce towards increased parasympathetic activity. Thisxample (Figure 4) is from a case in a study in which the

research subjects were instructed to sit quietly and notto engage in any active cognitive or emotiona processing

r to use any specic meditative or emotional manage-

ment techniques. The increased parasympathetic activ-ty can e c ear y seen in t e re ative y arge pea in t eF band of the power spectrum. There is also activity

n both the VLF and LF bands because the sympatheticnd blood pressure control rhythms are still active (as

would be expected), although there is shift to increasedparasympathetic activity (the relaxation response) andlower overall HRV. This same rhythm and power spectralignature are also seen during periods of restful sleep.

t is imperative that the Relaxation mode not beonfused or confounded with the Psychophysiological

Coherence mode described next. There is typically anverall reduction in ANS outow and a shift in ANS

balance towards increased parasympathetic activityuring periods of rest or relaxation, or with structured

relaxation or meditation techniques (resulting in lowerRV). Although the coherence mode is also associated

wit increase parasympat etic activity, an t us en-ompasses a key element of the relaxation response,relaxation and meditation are not usually associatedwith signicant increases in physiological coherence.Not only are there fundamental differences between thephysiological correlates of relaxation and coherence, butthe associated psychological states are also markedly

ifferent. Many relaxation and mediation techniques(with specic exceptions) are essentially disassociationtec niques, w ereas t e psyc o ogica states associatewit co erence are irect y re ate to activate positive

motions.v

Psychophysiological Coherencehe example of the Psychophysiological Coher-

nce mode shown in Figure 4 was generated when thisresearch participant was instructed to activate andustain a genuine feeling of appreciation. The graphhows how sustained, modulated positive emotions,uc as appreciation or ove, are associate wit aig y or ere , smoot , sine-wave- i e eart r yt m

pattern co erence . It is important to un erstan t atlthough the coherence mode is typically associated

with increased parasympathetic activity, whether a shiftn heart rate (either up or down) occurs, depends on the

preceding psychophysiological state of the individual.he coherence mode thus does not necessarily involvechange in heart rate per se, or a change in the amountf heart rate variability. Rather, it is signied by a shift

to a distinctive heart rhythm pattern

viii Meditation and relaxation techniques can be inappropriately thought to induce psychophysiological coherence when they are combined with specicbreathing techniques, because certain paced breathing rhythms can induce the physiological coherence mode.


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As can be seen in the corresponding power spec-trum, t is psyc op ysio ogica mo e is associatewit an unusua y ig -amp itu e pea in t e LF an ,

entered around 0.1 Hz. To appreciate the magnitudef this difference relative to the other ve modes, it is

mportant to observe that there is a scale difference inthe amplitude of the spectral peak in the LF region inthe coherence mode x (note the changed ordinate scalefor Appreciation relative to the other modes): the top ofthe peak is near 700 while it is below 150 in all of the

ther examples. This indicates system-wide resonance,ncrease sync ronization etween t e sympat eticnd parasympathetic branches of the nervous system,nd entrainment between the heart rhythm pattern,

respiration, and blood pressure rhythms.

One may observe that the heart rhythm in boththe relaxation and coherence modes can manifest a

ine-wave- i e pattern. In t e psyc op ysio ogica co-erence mo e, owever, t is pattern occurs at a owerfrequency and typically with a higher amplitude. Evenmore signicantly, in the coherence mode increasedynchronization, resonance, and entrainment across

multiple bodily systems occur, all of which reect alevel of global organization that is not present in therelaxation mode.

Although in relaxation increased autocoherencean occur in the breathing rhythm (as in the examplehown in Figure 4) and it is also possible to have a

type of entrainment between the respiration and heartrhythms, these characteristics are not reective of theystem-wide entrainment or resonance that typify psy-hophysiological coherence. The type of entrainment

t at is sometimes o serve in t e re axation mo eccurs in the high frequency range of the HRV powerpectrum an is associate wit respiratory sinus ar-

rhythmia (RSA), which is discussed in detail in a laterect on.

We have found that as the respiratory rate is low-re , t ere is a tipping point typica y e ow 0.26 Hz at

which the heart rate variability pattern, blood pressurer yt m an respiratory r yt ms su en y entrain. In

ssence, the system jumps to a different physiologicalmode and settles into a new oscillatory rhythm at itsresonant frequency. In the majority of people, the lower

nd upper thresholds for the onset of the coherencemode are approximately 0.04 and 0.26 Hz, respectively,n the HRV power spectrum, but the rhythm typicallyettles at the systems resonant frequency of ~0.1 Hz.

Hyper-States: Psychophysiological ModesDistinguished by Low Variability

As noted previously, we have empirical evidencef two additional modes that appear to belong to aualitatively different category of psychophysiological

function than the four modes of everyday function justescribed. What sets these patterns apart is that theyre not typically experienced in the course of normalveryday life but, instead, occur under extraordinary or

unusual circumstances. Also, they are physiologicallynd experientially distinctphysiologically, they are

both associated with very low heart rate variability;xperientially, they are at opposite ends of the spectrum,

with one mode being associated with an uncommonense of inner peace and the other mode associated withxtreme negative emotions such as fury and rage.

Emotional Quiescencen addition to the psychophysiological coherence

mode, there is also another, less common modeEmotional Quiescencethat emerges when certainndividuals undergo an extra-ordinary transition tonter a distinctive heart-focused psychophysiologicaltate (see Figure 5). The specic HeartMath tool that

practitioners use to enter t is mo e is ca e t e Pointero tec nique.

he subjective experience of this mode is a staten which the intrusion of mental and emotional chat-

ter is reduced to a point of internal quietness, to bereplaced by a profound feeling of peace and serenity and

ix When speaking of coherence in a psychophysiological context, it is important to note the distinction between types of patterns that are associated withorganized, healthy function and those that underlie pathology. Within normal parameters, a greater amplitude of oscillation in heart rate variability and

ost other physiological processes is associated with health. us, the amplitude of the oscillations associated with the hearts rhythm is a general indexo t e status o t e in ivi ua s nervous system an capacity to respon to c ange. n ot er wor s, t e greater t e amp itu e o organize r yt micphysiological variability, the greater the response potential or possible range of behavior. is is relevant to our discussion of coherence because manyillnesses are character ized by a reduction in the complexity of the patterns of activity generated by the bodys systems (i.e., previously complex rhythms andpatterns become strikingly periodic and predictable). For example, a low overall HRV is associated with autonomic neuropathy and autonomic deinnervation(as found in heart transplant recipients) and is predictive of increased risk of sudden cardiac death and all-cause mortality. Low HRV is also associated with depression, anxiety and many other psychological disorders. is loss of variability and complexity is quite different from the type of coherence we

re describing. e coherent mode described here is not characterized by a loss of variability, but rather by the emergence of a more organized variability.itiona y, it is important to note t at t ese are not stea y states, suc as t ose associate wit isease; rat er, t ey are ig y ynamic an c anging.


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deep sense of being centered in the heart. First-per-on descriptions include a heightened awareness of the

movement of energy both within ones body and betweenneself and other people; the feeling of being totallylive and fully present in the moment; the experi-nce of an all-embracing, nonjudgmental love (in the

largest sense); and a sense of increased connectednesswith ones higher self or spirit, and with the whole. Its important to point out t at many experience me ia-

tors w o ave earne t e Point Zero tec nique escri etheir subjective experience of Emotional Quiescence as

distinctly different state than is typically experiencedthrough meditation approaches.

Figure 5. Phase-shift to a positive hyper-state. This gurehows a typical example of the phase transition observedn a subject moving from the Psychophysiological Coher-nce mode to a positive hyper-state we call Emotionaluiescence. Note the abrupt change from the larger-am-

plitude sine-wave-like heart rhythm pattern distinguishinge Co erence mo e to t e muc ig er- requency an

ower-amplitude rhythm marking the Emotional Quies-ence positive hyper-state.

ysio ogica y, w en an in ivi ua enters t e Emo-tional Quiescence mode, either the sympathetic andparasympathetic outow from the brain to the heart isubstantially reduced, or an energetic control acting at

the level of the heart itself is activated to such a degreethat the beat-to-beat oscillations in the HRV waveformbecome nearly zero. It is also possible that both occurimultaneously. This leads to an HRV power spectrum

with unusually low power in all the frequency bands.xi

As shown in Figure 4, the heart rhythm is almost a atline and therefore the power spectrum has almost nopower in any of the frequency bands due to the lack ofheart rate variability.

Extreme Negative Emotion At the opposite end of the emotional spectrum lies

second unusual non-everyday psychophysiologicalmode. Individuals can enter this mode when experi-

ncing extremely activated negative emotions, such asthose that occur during episodes of intense fear, anger,

r rage. In t e Extreme Negative Emotion mo e t eheart rhythms are also reduced to a at-line appear-

nce. However, in contrast to Emotional Quiescence,the underlying physiological mechanism is quite dif-ferent. In this mode the HRV becomes very low dueto excessive sympathetic outow to the heart, whichboth drives the heart rate up to very high rates and in-

hibits parasympathetic outow to the heart. At higherheart rates there is less time for variation in the beat-to- eat eart rate to occur,

ii an t is com ine wit

the inhibition of parasympathetic outow reduces themplitude of the variations in heart rate to nearly zero.

An example of this mode can be seen in the latter partf the heart rhythm trace shown in Figure 6. Although

the HRV power spectra for the Extreme Negative Emo-tion and Emotional Quiescence modes appear veryimilar, these modes are readily distinguished by theverall heart rate and by the ECG spectrum (discussed

later). It should be noted that a similar pattern of physi-ogica activity ig eart rate an ow HRV can a soccur wit sustaine extreme p ysica exertion. As justescribed above, when the heart rate is driven so high

that it all but reaches the hearts physical limit, there islittle space for variation so that a greatly reduced HRVresults. However, it is rare that an individuals system is

riven to this extreme state through physical exertion.he fact that extreme negative emotions alone can drive

the physiological systems to this same extreme stateunderscores the profound impact that such emotions

an ave on t e o y.

x n ear ier pu ications31 we use t e term interna co erence to escri e t e p ysio ogica aspects o t is mo e; owever, we now ee t at t is termino ogyis con using, as t e term co erence is etter use in t e roa er context w ic em races entrainment, resonance, an sync ronization. e a so use t eterm amplied peace in earlier publications to describe the subjective inner state.

x t is important to note t at t e in ivi uas we ave stu ie ave t e a i ity to enter t is mo e at wi an t us emonstrate exceptiona se -regu ationecause t eir is norma y quite arge. is can e a source o con usion, as ow is usua y associate wit pat o ogy. owever, t e state-speci c,

short-term low HRV associated with the Emotional Quiescence mode (or that seen in meditation) is markedly different from the low HRV found inpathological conditions. In pathology the HRV is always low and is associated with impaired function of the autonomic nervous system, heart, or brain stemcenters.

xii Te link between heart rate and HRV is termed cycle length dependence. In healthy individuals as heart rate increases, HRV decreases, and vice versa.


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Figure 6. Phase-shift to a negative hyper-state. T e eartrhythm data shown in the top graph were recorded from

male who was riding in a car and got into an argumentith his wife. Before the argument and resulting emotional

ctivation, the graph shows a period of normal psycho-p ysio ogica activity. C ear y apparent is t e point (spi e)t which the subjects emotion of anger was triggered. Thisas followed by a period (from about 612 minutes in

he record) of sympathetic activation and increased heartrate. Next, there is evidence of a relatively rapid transition,

hich culminates in a phase-shift into a negative hyper-statef intense anger. As is evident from this case, the nega-

ive hyper-state is characterized by a high heart rate andignicantly reduced HRV. The large downward spikes inhe hyper-state waveform pattern, which indicate periodic

drops in heart rate, result from the subject taking deep

breaths. The bottom graph depicts a 10-second movingverage of the heart rhythm data displayed in the top graph.his is shown to highlight the general morphology of the

anges in eart rate an r yt m an t e p ase-transitionbetween the states.

xtreme anger or rage is subjectively experienceds an intense, highly focused state that is usually di-

rected outward. Individuals describe their subjectivexperience of this state as one that is highly energized

nd seething with negative emotion, with a feeling ofncrease p ysica power an a correspon ing re uctionn sensitivity to p ysica pain.

he empirical documentation of these two hyper-tates of psychophysiological function has led us to

postulate that there are at least four additional hyper-

tates that have yet to be discovered and empiricallymapped. The basis for this expectation will become clearn the conceptual map we develop next of emotionaltates and their associated distinguishing physiologicalharacteristics.

A Typology of Psychophysiological Interactionn the last section we identied six distinct patterns

f HRV, which appear to denote six different modes ofpsychophysiological interaction. Looking more closely

t our data, we found a number of empirical clues thatpoint to a more fundamental conceptualization of therelationship between HRV patterns (which include bothheart rate and rhythm) and different emotional states.

he rst clue is that there is a general relationship be-tween coherence and emotional valence, in that positive

motions are associated with physiological coherencend negative emotions with incoherence. The secondlue is that, for certain emotions, we found a relationship

between the morphology of the HRV waveforms and spe-ic emotional states. The third nding of signicance

here is that we also found evidence of HRV waveformpatterns (namely, those characteristic of the EmotionalQuiescence and Extreme Negative Emotion modes) that

ppear to involve a rapid phase transition into a quali-tatively different category of physiological function. Inhort, the empirical generalization suggested by these

ndings is that the morphology of HRV waveforms co-varies with different emotional experiences.

ollowing the logic of this general relationship,we can thus use the six psychophysiological modes to

onstruct a typologya conceptual mapshowingthe expected relationship between different categories

f subjective emotional experience and the differentpatterns of physiological activity associated with themsee Figure 7 . T is genera t eoretica sc eme app ies

to norma , ea t y in ivi ua s experiencing emotionsnd feelings of relatively short duration (minutes to

hours).

Although the mapping is not isomorphic betweenata and concept, the typology provides a compellingnd fruitful way of conceptualizing and organizing these


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phenomena. In addition to offering some understandingf the relationships between different types of emotionalxperience an t eir associate p ysio ogica processes,

this scheme also aims to predict the distinguishingphysiological correlates of emotional states that, to ourknowledge, have yet to be empirically described.

he typology distinguishes between two generallasses of psychophysiological interaction. One class

reects normal psychophysiological states associatedwith the variety of subjective experiences of everydaylife. This area is represented by the space within the in-ner circle shown in Figure 7. This area has been dividednto six segments, each representing a different basic

range of emotion. The second class is a qualitativelyifferent category of psychophysiological interactionssociated with extreme emotional experience, repre-ented by the space beyond the outer perimeter of the

ircle in the gure. Because the patterns of psychophysi-ogica interaction in t is space are pre icte to s own abrupt movementa phase shiftfrom patterns as-ociated with feelings typically experienced in everyday

life to qualitatively distinct psychophysiological patternsssociated with the experience of extreme positive orxtreme negative emotions, well beyond the range of

normal feelings, we have labeled them as hyper -states.vidence of such a phase shift can clearly be seen asn a rupt re uction in amp itu e an a correspon ingncrease in frequency in the waveform patterns showing

the movement from Psychophysiological Coherence tothe Emotional Quiescence, a positive hyper-state (Figure5) and also in the movement from Psychophysiologicalncoherence to Extreme Negative Emotion, a negative

hyper-state (Figure 6).

wo dimensions common to the phenomenon ofpsychophysiological interaction provide the basis for

ifferentiating varieties of emotional experience in thetypology. As evident in the term psychophysiological,there is a psychological element and a physiological

lement.x

For purposes of simplication, we have su-perimposed the relevant psychological and physiologicalvariables on the axis representing each dimension in

the gure. v

One imension is t e egree f emotiona arousal (high to low), which is known to be covariantwith ANS balance. Thus, during short-term emotional

xperiences, the relative balance between the activityf the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the

ANS is driven by the degree of emotional arousal. Ac-ordingly, we have mapped emotional arousal and ANS

balance together on the vertical axis in Figure 7.

he second dimension is the valence (positiver negative) of the emotion, which is represented by

the horizontal axis in Figure 7. Again for purposes ofimplication, the valence is assumed to be covariant

with the degree of activation of the hypothalamic-pitu-tary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls the release ofortiso . For s ort-term emotiona experiences, t eres an increase in cortiso uring negative emotionatates an a ecrease in cortiso re ease uring positive

motional states.RV patterns can be distinguished on the basis of

mplitude, frequency, and degree of coherence. Empiri-al ndings show that the two elements of the psycho-ogica imension in our sc eme p ay a pre ominant ro en determining the characteristics of the HRV pattern.he amplitude of the HRV waveform is modulated by

both the degree of emotional arousal (which correspondsto ANS activation) and emotional valence. In general,greater degrees of arousal within normal heart rate rang-

s produce waveforms of greater amplitude. However,

s heart rate increases, the amplitude of the HRV wave-form decreases in linear relationship to heart rate untilt reaches a point beyond which the amplitude of theRV waveform is compressed. This is due to a biologicalonstraint known as the cycle-length dependence effect.n terms of emotional valence, the amplitude of the HRV

waveform increases during positive emotions, while itecreases during negative emotions. The frequency of

the HRV waveform is inuenced by the pattern of ANSctivation; increased parasympathetic activity leads to

higher-frequency (faster) changes in the heart rhythm,

while increased sympathetic activity is associated withlower-frequency, higher-amplitude (slower) changes.

x t oug t e psyc o ogica component invo ves at east t ree actors or a given emotiona experienceemotiona arousa , emotiona va ence, an t eegree of cognitive engagementwe have excluded cognitive engagement to avoid the enormous complexity introduced when all three factors are consideredimultaneously.

x v n rea ity t e re ations ip is muc more comp icate . i e t ere is a c ose intra-re ations ip etween eac pair o varia es on t e axis, t ere are many i eircumstances that give rise to a more complex interaction between the emotional and physiological levels.

xv A secondary modulator of the HRV amplitude is the degree of cognitive engagement. High cognitive engagement tends to reduce HRV, while lowognitive engagement increases . s note , or purposes o simp i cation t is actor is not consi ere in t is mo e .


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Figure 7. Graphic depiction of everyday states and hyper-states of psychophysiological interaction distinguished by the

typology. Two qualitatively different categories of psychophysiological interaction are depictedthe area within the innerircle represents the range of emotional experience of normal, everyday life; the area beyond the outer circle represents

psyc op ysio ogica yper-states o extreme emotiona experience. T e psyc op ysio ogica transition rom one region tonother involves an abrupt phase transition, which is depicted graphically by the white space between the two circles. Two

dimensions differentiate the varieties of emotional experience shown; for simplication, the relevant psychological andphysiological variables are superimposed on the axis for each dimension. One dimension is the degree f motional arousal(vertical axis, high to low)known to be covariant with ANS balance. The second dimension is the valence of the emotion(horizontal axis, positive or negative)assumed covariant with the degree of activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis. Different patterns of HRV are predicted from the particular combination of arousal and valence values on the twodimensions. Within the inner circle are six segments, each of which demarcates a range of emotion experienced in everydayife. Typical HRV patterns associated with each emotion are shown. The area beyond the outer circle depicts six hyper-states,n which intense emotional experience drives the activity of physiological

The Coherent Heart

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