A RESEARCH ON MY HEART

Introduction

New research shows the human heart is much more than an efficient pump that sustains life. Our
research suggests the heart also is an access point to a source of wisdom and intelligence that we can
call upon to live our lives with more balance, greater creativity and enhanced intuitive capacities. All of
these are important for increasing personal effectiveness, improving health and relationships and
achieving greater fulfillment.

This overview will explore intriguing aspects of the science of the heart, much of which is still relatively
not well known outside the fields of psychophysiology and neurocardiology. We will highlight research
that bridges the science of the heart and the highly practical, research-based skill set known as the
HeartMath System.

The heart has been considered the source of emotion, courage and wisdom for centuries. For more than
29 years, the HeartMath Institute Research Center has explored the physiological mechanisms by which
the heart and brain communicate and how the activity of the heart influences our perceptions,
emotions, intuition and health. Early on in our research we asked, among other questions, why people
experience the feeling or sensation of love and other regenerative emotions as well as heartache in the
physical area of the heart. In the early 1990s, we were among the first to conduct research that not only
looked at how stressful emotions affect the activity in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the
hormonal and immune systems, but also at the effects of emotions such as appreciation, compassion
and care. Over the years, we have conducted many studies that have utilized many different
physiological measures such as EEG (brain waves), SCL (skin conductance), ECG (heart), BP (blood
pressure) and hormone levels, etc. Consistently, however, it was heart rate variability, or heart rhythms
that stood out as the most dynamic and reflective indicator of one’s emotional states and, therefore,
current stress and cognitive processes. It became clear that stressful or depleting emotions such as
frustration and overwhelm lead to increased disorder in the higher-level brain centers and autonomic
nervous system and which are reflected in the heart rhythms and adversely affects the functioning of
virtually all bodily systems. This eventually led to a much deeper understanding of the neural and other
communication pathways between the heart and brain. We also observed that the heart acted as
though it had a mind of its own and could significantly influence the way we perceive and respond in our
daily interactions. In essence, it appeared that the heart could affect our awareness, perceptions and
intelligence. Numerous studies have since shown that heart coherence is an optimal physiological state
associated with increased cognitive function, self-regulatory capacity, emotional stability and resilience.

We now have a much deeper scientific understanding of many of our original questions that explains
how and why heart activity affects mental clarity, creativity, emotional balance, intuition and personal
effectiveness. Our and others’ research indicates the heart is far more than a simple pump. The heart is,
in fact, a highly complex information-processing center with its own functional brain, commonly called
the heart brain, that communicates with and influences the cranial brain via the nervous system,
hormonal system and other pathways. These influences affect brain function and most of the body’s
major organs and play an important role in mental and emotional experience and the quality of our
lives.
In recent years, we have conducted a number of research studies that have explored topics such as the
electrophysiology of intuition and the degree to which the heart’s magnetic field, which radiates outside
the body, carries information that affects other people and even our pets, and links people together in
surprising ways. We also launched the Global Coherence Initiative (GCI), which explores the
interconnectivity of humanity with Earth’s magnetic fields.

This overview discusses the main findings of our research and the fascinating and important role the
heart plays in our personal coherence and the positive changes that occur in health, mental functions,
perception, happiness and energy levels as people practice the HeartMath techniques. Practicing the
techniques increases heart coherence and one’s ability to self-regulate emotions from a more intuitive,
intelligent and balanced inner reference. This also explains how coherence is reflected in our physiology
and can be objectively measured.

The discussion then expands from physiological coherence to coherence in the context of families,
workplaces and communities. Science of the Heart concludes with the perspective that being
responsible for and increasing our personal coherence not only improves personal health and happiness,
but also feeds into and influences a global field environment. It is postulated that as increasing numbers
of people add coherent energy to the global field, it helps strengthen and stabilize mutually beneficial
feedback loops between human beings and Earth’s magnetic fields.