The Coherent Heart - e-Booklet

The Coherent Heart: Heart-Brain Interactions, Psychophysiological Coherence, and the Emergence of System-Wide Order
By Rollin McCraty, Ph.D., Mike Atkinson, Dana Tomasino, B.A., and Raymond Trevor Bradley, Ph.D.

Heart-Brain Interactions
The Coherent Heart is IHM's most comprehensive scientific monograph to date. It provides an in-depth understanding of the role of the heart role in the emergence of systemwide coherence and new research findings on how heart-brain interactions affect various aspects of cognitive performance. The Coherent Heart explores communication within and among the body's systems through the generation and transmission of rhythms and patterns in the nervous and hormonal systems. Using the pattern of the heart's rhythmic activity as the primary physiological marker, six different modes of psychophysiological function are identified, distinguished by their physiological, mental, and emotional correlates. Building on these empirical findings, IHM's research on the psychophysiology of emotions is synthesized for the first time in a typology—a conceptual "map"—of psychophysiological interaction, which is presented graphically. Explored in depth are the characteristics and benefits of the psychophysiological coherence mode, associated with sustained positive emotions and a global shift to increased synchronization and harmony in psychophysiological processes.

Topics Covered
How coherence aids in pain reduction, the interactions between heart rhythms and respiration, and how heart coherence affects emotional experience and hormones such as cortisol and oxytocin. Of particular interest is the thorough discussion of how coherence improves cognitive performance, which highlights how the heart and brain interact to affect cognitive processes. This section provides a review of past research on heart-brain interactions, presents new research data on heart coherence, and introduces a new hypothesis regarding the influence of "macro-scale" patterns of heart activity on cognition.

This monograph is intended primarily for the researchers, medical professionals, students of psychophysiology and related fields, and laypeople who desire a deeper understanding of heart-brain interactions and the benefits of heart coherence.

The Coherent Heart: Heart-Brain Interactions, Psychophysiological Coherence, and the Emergence of System-Wide Order:

• 64 pages
• Numerous diagrams, charts, and graphs
• 4-color cover and many graphics
• References

Content includes: Theoretical Considerations, Psychophysiological Network, Psychophysiological Coherence, Modes of Everyday Psychophysiological Function, Hyper-States, A Typology of Psychophysiological Interaction Heart Coherence and Psychophysiological Function, Vagal Afferent Traffic, Pain Perception, Respiration, Emotional Processing, Cognitive Performance, System Dynamics: Centrality of the Heart in the Psychophysiological Network, Biophysical Interactions and Conclusion.