How The Heart Influences Consciousness

The heart is an intelligent system, an emitting field of energy and information. It has 50,000 neurons that give it the ability to process information and make decisions, as well as show learning and memory.

It is the body’s master oscillator, beating more than 100,000 times a day and pumping more than 400 liters of blood per hour over a vascular network of thousands of kilometers. Its electrical force is 60 times more powerful than that of the brain, and its magnetic power, 5,000 times greater, can be measured at more than 5 meters.

Cardiac coherence facilitates the function of consciousness

The “cardiac coherence” technique allows regulating the pattern of information generated by the heart and transmitting the harmonic message to the entire system, influencing the brain stem and the vital cerebral automatisms of the rest of the organs.

This is how the heart governs the flow of energy and information throughout the body. We invite you to put that capacity into practice.

The heart as a guide

A rhythmic breathing harmonizes the autonomic nervous system (ANS), neurophysiological substrate emotional and affective states. The genesis of pleasant thoughts and emotions leads to a balance between its two branches – the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems – which promotes harmonious cardiac function.

The physiological coherence, to promote synchrony between the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and parasympathetic (SNPS), increases the level of energy efficiency of the system and emotional stability and improves cognitive function.

When we focus our attention on the physical structure of the body, especially the heart or the thoracic area, the cardiac function becomes more orderly and coherent . On the contrary, the disconnection of the corporal conscience alters that harmonic balance and generates a dissociation of the physiological state between heart and brain.

This causes a drop in energy power, emotional instability and poor mental clarity, by shifting its effect on the brain stem, the emotional brain and the cerebral cortex. That effect continues in a cascade through hormones and neurotransmitters on every organ and tissue in the body.

The consistency heart facilitates the function of consciousness. Numerous studies show how the heart rate not only brings efficiency and harmony to all organs, but also reduces internal dialogue and the perception of stress, and increases emotional control and intuitive discernment.

The positive emotions held produce psychophysiological coherence and synchronization between heart and brain. They are associated with greater emotional stability, greater creativity and ability to solve problems, internal harmony and a sense of connection with other people and the entire Universe. They are moments of lucidity and insight, permeated with feelings of love, gratitude, compassion, tolerance and forgiveness, which are the keys to spirituality and awareness.

The interval between beats

In a healthy heart, the interval between two heartbeats does not always last the same. As in the musical notes, it is the silence between them that marks the rhythm of his song.

The differences between successive beats produce the rhythm changes that constitute repetition patterns, the hallmark of each heart, which we know as heart rate variability (HRV). It is given by the SNA, through the SNS, which acts as a frequency accelerator, and the SNPS, which acts as a brake.

HRV is an indicator of fitness. It reflects the ability to adapt and flexibility to environmental stimuli, and is an excellent predictor of health and disease.

There is a higher HRV in impulsive individuals, and lower when doing mental care work. With aging or cardiovascular disease, among others, the structure becomes rigid and monotonous and loses its ability to adapt.

Under the influence of emotions

Through HRV it is possible to monitor the different cardiac rhythmic patterns. These correspond to the physiological correlates of the different emotional and mental states.

The dynamics of cardiac variability is particularly sensitive to changes in emotional state, so negative and positive emotions can be recognized through your particular HRV pattern.

• Anger, frustration, or anxiety. They are accompanied by disordered heart rhythms, indicating poor synchronization in the SNS / SNPS balance.
• Gratitude, love, or compassion. They are associated with highly ordered coherent patterns.

Most people are surprised to see on a monitor that they have the ability to modify the pattern of their heart and therefore its degree of cardiac coherence. From that biofeedback emerges a strong transformative stimulus and the motivating impulse of the practice.

Exercise to breathe with the heart

Doc Childre, founder of the HeartMath Institute, has designed the exercise described below. We recommend practicing it before continuing with the article. It serves to work the “inner calm”:

1. First, get in touch with your body. Direct attention inward. Feel your feet, the touch of the chair, or clothing on your skin.
2. Next, pay attention to the emotional state and acknowledge what your feelings are at this moment.
3. Pay attention to the chest area over the heart area. Imagine that you can breathe directly through it.
4. Do heart-centered breathing. Each time you inhale, attract feelings of inner calm. And with each exhalation, from the heart, bring balance and self-care to your emotions and thoughts.
5. After a few minutes, reaffirm with a vital commitment the state of calm in which you are at this time.

The pillars of technique

This exercise proposed by Childre brings together these three components:

1) Breathing

This should be a diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing, the type of breathing capable of triggering a response of relaxation and peace, in contrast to a predominantly thoracic, more shallow and emotional breathing. Is required:

• A long, gentle inspiration
• A passive exhalation, very soft and slow, with a pause between the two.

2) Body awareness

Awakening to the bodily sensation and connecting with it increases the degree of cardiac coherence, especially if the chosen area is the heart or the thoracic area.

3) A positive emotion

It can be a pleasant memory, an emotion of joy, affection or serenity, or perhaps gratitude or love. The heart is absolutely receptive to emotions: negative emotions instantly alter its functioning pattern, while positive emotions are capable of ipso facto increasing the degree of cardiac coherence.

Medical applications

A low degree of cardiac coherence produces numerous changes in the body, including impaired cognitive ability and increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

There is a link between affective disorders such as anxiety or depression and cardiovascular disease. And social isolation not only induces changes in behavior, but also cardiac and autonomic nervous system.

Brain function, attention, perception, memory, and even problem-solving ability vary hand in hand with the degree of cardiac coherence. Different patterns of heart activity have effects on emotional and cognitive brain function.

When stress and negative emotions prevail , the heart rhythm pattern becomes disordered and with it the degree of coherence is lost. Then its signal on the brain inhibits cognitive function: it limits the ability to think clearly, remember, learn, reason or decide, while at the same time favoring impulsive and reckless acts that are taken under the effect of stress, anxiety or anxiety. aggressiveness.

These and other functions have led to the clinical application of the technique in a multitude of situations and pathologies. From dysautonomies such as high blood pressure, migraine, fibromyalgia, chronic pain or depression, to its learning by executives and elite athletes.

From defusing domestic violence or reducing stress to increasing reading ability or math solving at school age. From improving interpersonal skills to their role in treating diabetes or autoimmune diseases.

The spiritual connection

In these and many other situations, stable and consistent heart patterns facilitate cognitive function and reinforce positive feelings and emotional stability.

The heart rhythm pattern thus affects perception, thinking, feeling and heightened mental function. It therefore constitutes a link bridge towards consciousness and spirituality.