Heart intelligence: heuristic

phenomenological investigation into the

coherence experience using HeartMath
methods
SteveEdwards1✉Emailsdedward@telkomsa.net
1Psychology DepartmentUniversity of ZululandKwadlangezwaSouth Africa
Received: 23 September 2017 / Accepted: 11 October 2017
Abstract
The HeartMath system refers to various methods, tools and techniques developed by the
HeartMath Institute, a global research and educational organization. Working from an
interdisciplinary, scientific foundation, the institute has adopted a coherence model to
promote its vision and mission of education and health. This model is based on
empirical, predominantly natural scientific foundations. Although many, rigorous studies
have provided a substantial evidence base of the science and praxis of personal, social
and global coherence, the actual coherence experience has not yet been investigated. To
address this gap in the HeartMath research evidence, this heuristic phenomenological
investigation was organized into three phases, with the goal of eliciting the essential
structure of the coherence experience. The first phase consisted of a quantitatively
orientated review of the author’s personal HeartMath practice records, with special focus
on examples of highest coherence levels and achievement scores, as measured on
HeartMath instruments, and as available on Heart Cloud records. In the second
qualitatively orientated phase, ten selected descriptions, perceived to be good examples
of coherence experiences, were synthesized into an essential review summary. The third,
pilot study, phase explored the actual coherence experience of ten consecutive
HeartMath sessions, varying with regard to context, duration, time, place and manner of
practice. Essential summary findings of the coherence experience are discussed with
regard to personal, social and global implications for research, education and health
promotion.
Keywords
Heuristic phenomenology
Coherence experience
Pilot study
Case study
HeartMath
Psychophysiology
1.
Introduction
Definitions of key terms in titles are helpful as guides for researchers and readers.
Heuristic phenomenology is a method popularized by Moustakas (1990). In addition to
its personal roots in Moustakas’ experience in making a decision on his daughter’s need
for a heart operation, the concept also conveys transpersonal, lived experience as
reflected in the Greek roots “heuriskein”—“to discover or find” and phenomenology as
“logos”, or method of facilitating “phenomena”—that which appears—to reveal
themselves. As reflected in many articles in this and other journals, phenomenology was
pioneered by Husserl (1929) into a movement, approach and method of scientific
investigation into human experience, lived world awareness, consciousness and reality.
In this instance, the inquiry into the coherence experience stems from a coherence model
developed by the HeartMath system of methods, tools and techniques developed by the
HeartMath Institute. This Institute was created in 1991 in Boulder Creek, California, by
Doc Childre and a small group of professionals, to develop heart focused intelligence,
health and wellbeing. The HeartMath system is now global in application. Since its
inception it has pioneered integral, heart focussed research in neuroscience, cardiology,
physiology, biochemistry, bioelectricity, physics and psychology. A central vision and
mission is of scientific research to facilitate personal, social and global coherence
(Childre et al. 2016).
AQ1
AQ2
Coherence is a key concept in HeartMath research. In addition to its usual linguistic
usage as in a consistent, intelligible argument, or entity whose parts are related in a
logical, orderly way, the term “coherence” has specific meanings in physical science.
These include: global coherence, where the emergent whole is more than and
qualitatively different from the sum of its parts: auto-coherence, as an interior, uniform
pattern of cyclical behavior; and cross-coherence as, for example, when oscillatory
systems in the body, such as respiration and heart rhythms become entrained and
oscillate or resonate at the same frequency. From a physiological perspective, the brain,
heart and intestines contain biological oscillators, and/or pacemaker cells, whose
rhythms can be altered through conscious intentionality (McCraty et al. 2009). The
umbrella concept of coherence refers to a psychophysiological mode that encompasses
entrainment, resonance, and synchronization—distinct but related phenomena, all of
which emerge from the harmonious activity and interactions of the body’s subsystems.
The coherent mode is reflected by a smooth, sine wave-like pattern in the heart rhythms
and a narrow-band, high-amplitude peak in the low frequency range of the heart rate
variability power spectrum, at a frequency of about 0.1 Hz, which is equivalent to the
resonant frequency of the planet. In practical, healing terms, HeartMath research has
suggested that psychophysiological coherence, which can be facilitated by positive
emotions and/or heart focussed breathing at about 5–7 breath cycles per minute, can, in
turn, facilitate social coherence, and, ultimately, vast global interconnectivity (Childre et
al. 2016).
AQ3
In 2008, the Global Coherence Initiative (GCI) was launched to promote global health
and well-being through heart-focused care. In pursuit of this mission a global network of
ultrasensitive magnetic field detectors were installed strategically around the planet to
provide data on relationships involving physical, animal, human, planetary and cosmic
ecologies. At present five sites are operational. Conceptual and practical implications of
this initiative with special reference to global healing can be found on the
websites: http://www.Heartmath.org and http://www.glcoherence.org. Although heart-
based practices to advance global healing have existed for millennia, and feature in most
major spiritual and wisdom traditions such as ancestral consciousness, Judaism,
Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and Islam, it could be argued that never
before have these been as scientifically grounded as is the case in the GCI.
Contemporary integral scientific views resonate with the phenomenological insights of
the ancient sages. For example, holistic, integral theory includes a dynamic systemic
approach, embracing interlinking concepts, such as holons, autonomous whole/parts or
wholes that are part of other wholes, all defined by the logic of coherence in the patterns
displayed, forming a coherent context for a creatively evolving universe (Varela et
al. 1991; Wilber 2000, 2007).
Phenomenology has been described as movement, approach, method, technique and
intervention, typically representing interior, subjective perspectives (Edwards 2001;
Wilber 2016). It originally developed as critical theory in Husserl’s mission to establish
philosophy as a rigorous science akin to mathematics, his earlier field of study and
specialization (Husserl 1929). In this context, critical evaluation and investigation of the
HeartMath system is appropriate. At this stage of its development, perhaps it is also fair
to say that HeartMath research is generally more natural scientific than human and social
scientific, more pragmatic and practical than academic and theoretical, more quantitative
than qualitative in approach, more secular than theological in orientation, and more
philosophically dualistic than non-dual, for example, in more emphasis on
positivity/negativity than equanimity and acceptance of feelings in applied research.
Such consideration provided initial motivation for this qualitative, heuristic
phenomenological study into the coherence experience. Additional motivation was to
provide an instructive case study for HeartMath practitioners, coaches and mentors.
There is now substantial and rigorous evidence base on the science and praxis of
personal, social and global coherence. The HeartMath library houses an extensive
collection freely downloadable from http://www.Heartmath.org. Google Scholar research
citations exceed 6000 by HeartMath researchers and 280 by independent researchers.
There are various qualitative studies and numerous anecdotal accounts and testimonials
as its effectiveness and value. However, extensive literature research as well as
communication with HeartMath Research Director, Rollin McCraty, indicated no
phenomenological study has yet investigated the essential structure of the coherence
experience. Consequently the present heuristic investigation is intended as an initial pilot
study into the author’s personal coherence experience as derived from HeartMath
practice, which would amplify reflexivity as well as provide direction for further studies
with various research designs. For example, further studies could elicit naïve, fresh,
original, experiential, coherence descriptions in small sample of persons skilled in
introspection and/or include experimental conditions, randomization, blinding,
control and other conventional scientific procedures.
2.
Methods
The investigation included a case study type review of the author’s personal HeartMath
practice over the past 3 years, 8 months, followed by a pilot study that was heuristic and
phenomenological in research methodology and practical investigation, with the author
functioning as both researcher and participant (Moustakas 1994). Autobiographical
approaches are subject to qualitative research criteria such as authenticity, faithfulness,
integrity, credibility, dependability and transferability (Terre Blanche et al. 2006). They
are transparent and scientific to the extent to which they convey authentic reflexivity and
are exposed to proper critical scrutiny. The availability of detailed HeartMath records
enhanced systematic, scientific objectivity with reference to HeartMath theory, practice,
measurement and evaluation. The study is integrative in its integral concern with both
quantitative HeartMath measurements and qualitative, heuristic, phenomenological
descriptions of coherence experiences associated with the author’s personal HeartMath
praxis.
There were three phases to the actual methodological procedure. The first phase
consisted of a review of recorded data from the author’s personal history of 7568
sessions of HeartMath practice. All records were available in quantitative and qualitative
form, with each session containing coherence data, recorded by HeartMath technology,
complemented by journal entries containing experiential descriptions. This first, course
sieve type, phase was predominantly quantitatively orientated, with the intention to
examine entries with highest coherence and achievement scores. However, qualitative
data consisted of typically short journal entries. The second phase, which was more
qualitatively depth and detail orientated, consisted of a thorough review of journal
records over the past year. Ten sessions with journal descriptions, perceived to be good,
qualitative examples of coherence experiences, were selected and synthesized into an
essential coherence experience summary. Sessions were selected for their length, detailed
description and implicit pre-reflexivity in the sense that their intention had not been to
explore, gain insight into and/or explicate the coherence experience per se. The research
rationale was that these would serve as a baseline control, representative of typical,
personal biases and assumptions, for possible suspension in the subsequent pilot study.
These selected review sessions all occurred in the early morning, in bed, with eyes
closed, in corpse position (yogic savasana) and reflected the authors’ usual meditations,
which typically begin with an idiosyncratic, Christian, ancestral, extended family
orientated, love prayer. In all these sessions, the Inner Balance tool was simply used for
recording sessions without any biofeedback. All were recorded within the last 12 months
and typically reflect a predominant coherence theme, which may be simply described as
“being with God.” An example and essential summary of these review session
experiences appears in the results section.
As “being with God” may not be the main coherence theme or preoccupation for many
meditators, and thus required some phenomenological bracketing, it was decided to
collect the pilot study data on the coherence experience by randomly varying all
conditions. In other words, this third, pilot study, phase was intended as a fresh
exploration of the actual, lived, coherence experience, varying with regard to context,
duration, time, place and manner of HeartMath practice sessions, with and without
biofeedback. A parsimonious way to do this was to simply record ten consecutive
sessions, with specific focus on coherence per se. It was considered that this would to
some extent assist in suspending the author’s typical assumptions, approach and praxis
reasons, and also approximate phenomenological imaginative variation. It was decided
not to use some system of tape recording experiences, articulations and immediate “felt
sense descriptions” during actual sessions, as this latter methodology seemed artificial,
cumbersome and would have precluded any comparison with the author’s typical method
of journaling experiential descriptions.
2.1.
Participant
The author is a 67-year-old, retired, Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Research
fellow. He is happily married with two children and two grandchildren.
2.2.
Ethics
The research was approved by the University to which the author is attached. As certified
HeartMath Coach/Mentor, researcher and participant, he was thoroughly informed on
HeartMath research and practice. From a reflexive, phenomenological perspective, he
was aware of personal, positive bias towards the HeartMath system, knowledge and
experience of phenomenology as student, lecturer, researcher, thesis supervisor and
external examiner.
2.3.
Instrument and measures
The HeartMath biofeedback tool, inner balance was used in this study. This instrument
gives readings as to HeartMath practice with regard to date, time, session duration, heart
rate variability, average heart rate, achievement score, coherence score, challenge level,
which ranges from 1 to 4; coherence ratio; in terms of percentage of time spent in low,
medium or high coherence, time elapsed and graphic display of practice activity spent in
a demarcated, coherent, zone of optimal, autonomic nervous system functioning.
Physiological coherence biofeedback consists of an adjustable breath pacer, and red, blue
and green coloured bars, with percentage indications and accompanying tones for low,
medium and high coherence levels, respectively, as well as coherence points
accumulated. Session measurements for all tools are continuously monitored and
recorded on a Heart Cloud. The Institute of HeartMath Coherence Score Guide has the
following categories: 0.5 = basic—good beginner level; 1 = good; 2 = very good;
3 + = excellent. Most regular practitioner scores fall in the 3–6.5 range (McCraty,
personal communication, 31 May, 2015). The coherence score threshold is increased at
successive challenge levels. The author currently practices on the highest challenge level
of 4, at which level all the following experiential sessions are reported.
2.4.
Data analysis
The author’s personal, Heart Cloud quantitative records indicated personal practice
frequency distribution with a mean coherence score of 7.64 from a cluster of the five
highest scores, 4.8 from a median cluster of five scores and 0.9 from a cluster of lowest
five score. Corresponding achievement score clusters, respectively, indicated an
achievement mean of 5434 for a cluster of the highest five scores, a mean of 449 for a
median cluster of five scores, and a mean of 0 for a cluster of the lowest five scores,
respectively. Scores also show a clear learning/training effect in the author’s personal
practice over time. Heart Cloud qualitative data in the form of journal entries are
reported in the next section. In both review and pilot study phases, journal entries took
place immediately after sessions and were already actually reflections on experiences,
thus no artificial boundaries were created to distinguish felt sense from reflective
material. Similarly it was considered artificial to analyze each experiential description
into natural meaning units as sensation, perception, insight, intuition and reflection were
naturally interwoven. The review phase data simply reflect the predominant experiential
focus on ‘being with God” and/or in meditation employed for numerous, varying
reasons, such as heart based connection, prayer, contemplation, healing, teaching and
writing. The pilot study data were concerned with the coherence experience per se.
3.
Results
3.1.
Phase 1: Quantitative review results
The cluster of five highest coherence scores evident in the review of Heart Cloud record
data appear in Table 1, which also indicates their duration, pulse rate in number of heart
beats per minute, and derived achievement and coherence scores. This is followed by the
verbatim journal entry notes, with their typically short experiential descriptions, for this
cluster of highest scores.
 Table 1

Highest coherence scores

Cluster Duration Pulse rate

A1 6 77

A2 7 54

A3 6 66

A4 4 66

A5 6 71

AQ4
3.1.1.
Journal entries for highest coherence scores
All scores were derived after heart prayer. Additional experiential descriptions for these
highest coherence scores were as follows: A1, After weights and 4 km run, sustained
Trinity meditation with hope and expectations positively cultivated from heart; A2, After
chi gung, etc., while breathing deeply in relaxed savasana; A3, After 5 km run; A4, After
great sleep, 30 min core exercises, 3 km run core, and heart prayer focusing on right
heart area; A5, No extra journal experiential descriptions given.
Table 2 refers to the cluster of five highest achievement scores evident in the review of
Heart Cloud record data, their duration, pulse rate in number of heart beats per minute,
and derived achievement and coherence scores. Verbatim journal entry notes, with their
experiential descriptions, for the cluster of achievement scores indicated in
Table 2 follow:

Table 2

Highest achievement scores

Cluster Duration Pulse rate

B1 124 50
 Table 2

Highest achievement scores

Cluster Duration Pulse rate

B2 105 50

B3 81 49

B4 98 52

B5 72 51

3.1.2.
Journal entries for highest achievement scores
All scores were derived after heart prayer. Additional notes were as follows: B1, Long
meditation on positive psychology as science of finding the best way, after a Trinity
meditation focusing on love and family: B2, The spiral of holism and evolution with
Christ consciousness type, omega point a la Teilhard de Chardin; Wordsworth’s poetic
writings from Tintern Abbey, with specific mention of section related to “motion and
spirit” and all polarities; good and evil, sleeping and waking states, men and women, yin
and yang, etc. Polarities included creative evolution, spontaneous emergence, matter and
spirit, integral love, heart breath and all the rest; B3, Long meditation on Christ
consciousness paper, ethics, motivation, participants, methodology, argument, etc.; B4,
Oneness, integrity, love, peace; B5, No journal experiential descriptions given.
3.1.3.
Phase 2 Qualitative review results
These follow in the form of one selected example of an individual journal entry on a
coherence experience, and the essential summary of the ten qualitatively selected journal
entry descriptions of coherence experiences.
3.1.4.
Example of individual experiential description from qualitative review
The experience of HeartMath practice is one of tuning into the resonant frequency of the
planet, universe and/or God, if you are a believer. This frequency or band width has a
10 s rhythm equivalent to about 5 to 7 breath cycles per minute for a relaxed person. It is
also the average frequency of ocean waves as they successively roll on to the sea shore.
Tuning in to this rhythm is easily achieved through synchronizing heart and breath cycles
so as to achieve an even number of heartbeats, for example five, for each in and out
breath. Once this rhythm is established the experience is one of increasing resonance of
the physiology of the body. First established is an even regular heart rhythm which with
the diaphragm acting as a second heart massaging all internal organs. The heartbeat then
takes over driving the breath as it becomes increasingly fine, subtle and sensitized to the
psyche, soul and spirit. The empirical research then indicates various cross-coherences.
Positive emotions independently drive the system towards increasing coherence, so
focused cultivation of feelings such as love or peace accentuates the process. There is an
increasing production of oxytocin as the experience becomes increasingly loving,
blissful, often ecstatic. This may be associated with the kicking in of the immune system
as well as various other physiological rhythmic processes, as in psychoneuroimmunology
where molecules of emotion successively massage the internal organ system and
neurochemicals such as dopamine and serotonin are released. As in other meditation
systems, HeartMath practice is also enhanced by repetition of a mantra, prayer or
visualization of some scene, person, setting or context that is anchored or treasured in
memory. Rhythm is key. Echoing McCraty et al. (2009), the heart may be likened to a
maestro symphony conductor or lead drummer in the band establishing cross rhythms
with other musicians, dancers, athletes, etc., depending upon the context, e.g., san
healing dance, waltz, tai chi, etc. (Duration: 55 min; pulse 48; achievement score 2837;
coherence score 4.4).
3.2.
Essential summary of qualitative review descriptions of coherence
experiences
The central theme of all sessions was of some essential spiritual perspective, and/or
presence, variously referred to as God, Godhead, Love, Source, Resonating Presence,
Consciousness, Holy Spirit, Brahman, Land of limitless light, love and life, Spirit
vibrating from the heart, Christ, Jesus. This spiritual heart perception was described in
relation to various perspectives, for example, religion, science, physiology, art,
consciousness, contemplation, prayer, health, psychology, physical activity, exercise,
sport, HeartMath system. HeartMath praxis and coherence experience were described in
relation to heart-breath-energetic practices, processes and techniques, 10 s rhythm,
resonance, interconnectivity, humanity, society, coherence levels, corresponding rhythms
in nature. Coherence descriptors included supreme synthesis, self-realization, social
coherence, bandwidths, cycles, dance, and various feelings, including stress, anxiety,
depression, anger, passion, desire, peace, bliss.
3.3.
Pilot study results
Table 3 provides objective Heart Cloud record data for the ten pilot study coherence
sessions (A1–A10), with reference to duration in minutes, pulse in heart beats per
minutes, achievement score and coherence score. The table is sufficiently instructive in
itself and is not analyzed in depth as the focus of the present phenomenological
investigation is on the associated qualitative data in the form of experiential descriptions,
on meaning rather than measurement as evident in the individual and collective review
and coherence experiences.

Table 3

Pilot study quantitative data from Heart Cloud records

Group Duration Pulse

A1 25 51

A2 26 51

A3 4 69

A4 25 48

A5 17 52

A6 6 54

A7 80 51

A8 2 59

A9 10 54

A10 17 53

3.3.1.
Pilot study qualitative data on individual coherence experiences
Heart Cloud journal entry notes, with their consecutive descriptions of coherence
experiences follow:
3.3.1.1.
A1. First coherence experience
Dropping usual Christian orientated, extended family prayer mantra of heart breath
synchronization. Relaxing completely, putting mind in heart, breathing fully and slowly
and fine tuning heart beat rhythm into synchrony of fine feeling awareness, and, as
required by phenomenological method, dropping all thoughts as they arise so as to listen
to heart music, trying not to get caught into symphony of love, bliss and ecstasy, but
simply staying present to each heart sensation as it arose. This was not easy as it requires
a dual consciousness to remember the experiences as they pass to describe them later as
clearly and authentically as possible. The process was of sensing and fine feeling and
listening to the heart, not getting caught up in deeper messages but simply staying in the
moment of being. This moment could be described as eternal, passing and present all at
the same time.
3.3.1.2.
A2. Second coherence experience
Focus on heart breath, coherence experience, extending to vast spaciousness and sense of
profound peace and wholeness, then healing radiance to world. Thoughts of design of
this pilot study research also including high coherence and achievement data as well as
coherence at other times of day. Felt sense was of interconnectedness of oneness and
need to include all usual experiences of bliss, joy, etc. to fully represent coherence.
Thoughts of how impossible it is to separate the researcher from the researched as there
are no real boundaries in awareness, consciousness and/or reality, just as these
descriptions will inevitably reflect reflections as well as pure phenomenological felt
sense, embodiment. Awareness included gentle, soft rainfall, welcome after days of
intense heat.
3.3.1.3.
A3. Third coherence experience
Insight that HeartMath is direct route to unity and/or non-dual consciousness through
progressive synchronization of physical, mental, spiritual, social and global coherence
with the accompanying relentless implication of making the world a better place through
ongoing contemplation and whole making or healing action, for example, ideally
connecting and synchronizing the activities of relevant national and international social,
political and other organizations. This is precisely the vision and mission of the
HeartMath Institute and Global Coherence Initiative. The day had been spent in putting
together this phenomenology paper. It provides evidence of the ongoing transformative
nature of contemplation and/or HeartMath practice, as well as evidence that time spent
out of meditation or contemplation is at least as valuable as that in sessions, in fact, even
more valuable, as this is where the real spinoffs occur due, to ongoing neuroplastic and
other changes, which continually create new baselines in everyday behavior. This session
insight also occurred during a rainy day, related to cyclonic weather conditions, after I
had seized an opportunity to have a 5 km run during a lull in the rain. The cyclonic
weather and related thunder activity brought back memories of a 6 km run while
pursuing postdoctoral study and research at the University of Georgia in Athens, USA.
That run occurred during a lightning storm and was also accompanied by synchrony with
greater Being and acceptance of “Thy will be done.” The higher coherence score is
typical of shorter afternoon sessions.
3.3.1.4.
A4. Fourth coherence experience
Woke with my wife in pain, so main feeling and action was of compassion as
interpersonal coherence. The subsequent focus on radiating love changed the atmosphere
to a much lighter one with a higher, finer vibration. Compassion feelings extended to a
client to be seen later in the morning as well as to radiating healing for so many suffering
humanity, with suffering an inevitable life event. This welcoming of pain and suffering
brought peace and homecoming to greater Being and/or God. I need to get sleep now so
to care for client and wife and personally live optimally. Feelings included gratefulness
for the homecoming and opportunity to share such feeling that will hopefully be
beneficial as reflective of my life calling of healing and teaching. There was also the
realization that it is impossible to bracket Spirit as this is really all I am. What a relief to
feel full homecoming again. There are infinite coherence descriptors, including: unity,
oneness, integrity, love, harmony, way, being, synchrony, peace, wholeness, joy, heart
perception, heaven. I suppose that from a philosophical perspective one cannot say
anything about so called non-dual consciousness, except that it is not one, not two, not
one and not two, etc., in infinite regress. Also as soon as one says anything, the question
arises: “why this and not that.” However, one can sense, feel and live it in and from the
heart.
3.3.1.5.
A5. Fifth coherence experience
The session began after waking in night with time before the planned watching of an
overseas, international cricket match on television, relaxing and sensing the feeling of
sinking into greater being. In background consciousness was the working through of
ambivalent feelings with regard to the purchase of an expensive new laptop to replace
the old one that had “crashed”. I had worked through these feelings in greater humanity,
care and love for the IT specialist and friend, who had recommended the laptop, ordered
and purchased it for us. He had also spent time trying to repair the emWave pro format
for greater reading of coherence information. We come together, relate and connect
amongst things, people and ecology. Levels and degrees of coherence illustrate all this.
Low coherence was not only closely related to feelings in relation to the new computer
but also, reflexively, the deep working through, at a feeling level, of unconscious,
ambiguously lived consciousness, so as to get closure and acceptance. This Freudian
type working through of feelings was accompanied by coherence praxis of making the
most out of things, encouraging movement towards connectedness, and relatedness,
where there had been minimal connection before. In relationships, this movement
towards centre is experienced as a tensile pull towards reconciliation, where there was
disconnection. Is this holographic resonance? I must have dozed off, as suddenly there
was a dream or vision of hugging a young boy child of about 6 months old, with a
beatific smile, who was holding his arms out to me. Was this a Christ child, a future
grandchild, an early self, all of these and/or more?
3.3.1.6.
A6. Sixth coherence experience
Felt sense of equanimity and tiredness after missing sleep, watching cricket match, a
great sporting game with a great culture of humility, coherent synergy of team spirit and
philosophy that the “game is always bigger than the players.”
3.3.1.7.
A7. Seventh coherence experience
Felt like long session after good sleep. Felt sense of just being coherent and empty.
Towards session end, reflection brought various hypotheses related to: (a) centering type
meditation; (b) HeartMath omega point emptiness correlating with delta waves, (c)
cataphatic versus apophatic, via negative type meditation and prayer, (d) my dropping
usual personally meaningful, heart prayer type mantra for this study, etc. Is this an
indication of the value of positive emotion, meaning and/or faith complementing and
elevating coherence? Does this have implications for the long term survival and
flourishing of humanity?
3.3.1.8.
A8. Eighth coherence experience
This session was after a long 6 km walk along a promenade near the beach and sea, a
2 km walk through a beautiful forest, guiding people who asked for direction, a 2 km
beach run and 20 min swim in the sea and a pool. While at the beach, there was a long
discussion with a friend and his dog on his spiritual experiences and on this coherence
research. This recording was shortened as hunger called for breakfast offered by my wife
and love of my life.
3.3.1.9.
A9 Ninth coherence experience
Felt sense of love in early morning stillness, birds singing in the fresh air. Feeling of
freedom, planning day to fix door, attend celebration party this evening. Concern over
brother in hospital, daughter not well and her husband’s father’s struggle with cancer.
Sending love and care to families. Amazing reality of greater presence connecting and
creating. Soft west wind blowing after rain. Thought of fisherman, met yesterday
coincidently in both forest and on beach, who said today would be the day for fishing.
3.3.1.10.
A10. Tenth coherence experience
The coherence experience is of being tuned to intimate personal as well as transpersonal
reality. One is aware of greater Being and Presence of Infinite potential in a vast open
land where one mostly encounters light and love and infinite creativity. This source of all
creation is simultaneously co-created by us, as is all reality into one seamless
interconnectedness. Meditation and prayer facilitate centeredness and safe harbour from
which to voyage, explore and come home again, as per Elliott’s theme of “returning to
where one began and knowing the place for the first time” This place is both eternal and
infinite as well as ever new and growing. This research needs both pre-reflective and
reflexive praxis to balance personal bias, as well as other studies with participants of
varying age, sex, culture, etc.
3.4.
Essential summary of pilot study descriptions of coherence
experience
Although the review and pilot study coherence sessions are remarkably similar, there is
relatively less spiritual and/or religious content in these pilot study coherence sessions,
which contain more actual sensation, are more embodied, social and lived world in
concern. Beyond the unique nature of each event, with their individual integrity and
superficial differences, the essential structure of the coherence experience initially
appears as some variation on the conscious practise of the cardiorespiratory, rhythmic
process of breath connecting heart beats, warming and softening the heart, heralding a
sense of stillness, alignment, harmony and peace, as scattered energy is felt to collect in
the heart area, bringing deepening heart awareness and, typically, at some point a sense
of “lift off” to unlimited self or space. This gathering energy seems to be distributed
throughout the body and beyond, resonating with increasing subtlety and/or refinement
into a higher, vibrational level typically experienced as love, accompanied by finer
feelings of centeredness, wholeness, oneness and interconnectedness. Unique, individual
experiences vary. They may be concrete, abstract, diffuse, definite, ordinary, mixed,
mystical and/or paradoxical, of, for example, homecoming, unboundedness,
spaciousness, timelessness, emptiness, freedom, happiness, bliss, joy and infinite
creativity. Experiences typically have local, social or global action implications, insights,
intuitions and moral directions, as, for example, for “making the world a better place”
through writing, healing and teaching.
4.
Discussion
The generally warm feeling tone of the individual, experiential descriptions and
particular references to “compassion” “lighter atmosphere” “finer vibrations” and “finer
feelings” (A4) convey a felt sense of the intimate, personal, interpersonal, social,
transpersonal and spiritual connection facilitated by HeartMath, meditation, prayer
and/or contemplation sessions, when heart, head and wider world are coherently aligned.
These subtle, telling, affective messages, the real contemplation fruits of higher guidance
intuited by the discerning intellect, cry out to be transmitted in this study, and enacted in
healing and teaching. Due to the design of recording ten consecutive sessions, the
intensely lived research event itself seemed to cohere into an experiential whole,
reflecting some gestalt and/or holograph into which the various dimensions; the
individual sessions, the researcher/participant, and information transmitted; fitted
seamlessly.
Retrospection generates conviction. The author has regularly practised various forms of
meditation, contemplation and/prayer, with increased frequency, duration and depth,
since the age of about forty. He has also extensively researched and counselled clients
with regard to meditation, prayer and contemplation. He can sincerely declare no conflict
of interest perceptions in view of his certification as HeartMath coach/mentor. He can
vouch for the additional structure, depth, breadth, height and meaning that HeartMath
praxis has brought to his personal, interpersonal and transpersonal meditation practice.
He can attest to the value of the system’s tools and technology in his research, clinical,
educational and sport psychological practice, as well as their great value in promoting
local community development and global education and health.
Perhaps it is fair to say that in gearing its research towards a wider audience and more
immediate practical objectives, the HeartMath institute has often operated outside
conventional academic and scientific boxes with resultant delay in deserved recognition
from traditional institutions. However, this situation is gradually being remedied by
various independent lines of scientific evidence from academic religious and other
research studies, using robust methodologies and verification protocols, which support
the accumulated body of HeartMath research. Certainly, from a psychophysiological
perspective, the HeartMath heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) based coherence
model is supported and/or complemented by resonance theory (Lehrer and
Gevirtz 2014), polyvagal theory (Porges 2011) and the neurovisceral integration model
(Thayer et al. 2012; Thayer and Lane 2000, 2009). From a cosmological perspective, the
global coherence initiative resonates with findings from the Global Consciousness
Project (Nelson 2011) and other emerging interdisciplinary fields, for example, linking
life science, neuroscience and cosmology (Caswell et al. 2016). As indicated in the
introduction and session A10, this phenomenological pilot study establishes an initial
baseline and constitutes a recommendation for further, corresponding, human scientific,
theoretical and applied, critical evaluative, qualitative, quantitative, mixed and
integrative studies into the HeartMath system as well as the coherence experience and all
its implications.
Although it has established linkages with various academic, educational, religious and
other conventional, traditional institutions, the interdisciplinary originality and
operational autonomy of the HeartMath Institute has facilitated its freedom to pursue
ground-breaking research without excess bureaucratic procedures that so easily hamper
operational activity in most institutions. An outstanding achievement has been the
facility with which its pioneering research has been able to elucidate plausible
mechanisms for experiential phenomena such as intuition, telepathy and non-local
perception as well as include related interdisciplinary fields such as biofield physiology,
vibroengineering, psychoneuroimmunology and “subtle energy”, which indigenous
knowledge systems have traditionally known as umoya prana, chi, etc. In such vast,
multifaceted fields, it is a prerequisite that pioneering, integrative and interdisciplinary
studies establish a sound empirical, scientific grounding, at least in the initial phases of
research growth. This is to satisfy acceptable scientific processes such as hypothesis
formulation, generation and testing, and for research designs to facilitate replication and
validation studies. Fortunately, the momentum of a rapidly growing body of applied
research attesting to the practical effectiveness of its system of tools and techniques is
adding great value to humanity in general in promoting individual, social and global
health and wellbeing. There is trust that the findings of the present study will contribute
further momentum, balance and harmony.
From a wisdom perspective, the experiential descriptions in the present study generally
resonate with states of both focused and objectless awareness as mentioned in various
spiritual and religious traditions, which have long recognized the heart as focal center of
physical, psychic and spiritual life, as traditionally exemplified in an array of practices
ranging from San dances, through Hindu kundalini to Christian and Sufi prayer of the
heart (Louchakova 2007a, b). Contemporary integral, holistic intuitions will extrapolate
this dynamic, energetic activity to various realms of personal, ancestral, transpersonal
and non-dual consciousness, including the collective and personal unconscious
(Assagioli 2007, 2012; Wilber 2000, 2007). HeartMath research provides a robust,
scientific foundation for the intuitive, intellectual role of aligned, coherent, heart brain
transmission and reception of patterns of electromagnetic, neurochemical, biophysical
and hormonal information (Childre et al. 2016). For Bourgeault (2016, p. 5), the
tripartite physical, emotional and spiritual organ of the human heart ultimately functions
as “homing magnetic center” for a vital neurological shift in the mechanics of perception
from the ordinary binary modes of dualistic consciousness to that nondual, holographic,
resonant heart capacity whereby one senses a single unified field, and is enabled to “see
from wholeness”. This finding is thoroughly endorsed in the author’s personal coherence
experiences.
Looking to the future, it needs mentioning that various studies have indicated that
collective meditation, prayer and contemplation focused on positive outcomes may have
measurable beneficial effects (Orme Johnson 2000). There is converging scientific
evidence for vast, energetic, interconnectivity at human, planetary and solar systemic
levels. At present there are many thousands of HeartMath practitioners and GCI
ambassadors from over 150 countries practicing heart focussed care, compassion and
love towards improving global coherence (Childre et al. 2016). Despite planetary threats
of nuclear war, international terrorism, global warming, overpopulation, unemployment,
poverty, illness, injustice, corruption, crime and endemic violence, such initiatives
provide hope for the long term future of humanity and other inhabitants of planet earth
and beyond. Many more such worthy initiatives are needed to help the planet and all its
inhabitants survive and ultimately flourish.
Acknowledgements
This work is based on research supported by the South African National Research
Foundation (NRF). Any opinion, finding and conclusion or recommendation expressed in
this material is that of the author(s) and the NRF does not accept any liability in regard
thereto. Special thanks to Dr. Rollin McCraty for research collaboration.
References
Assagioli R (2007) Transpersonal development. The dimension beyond psychosynthesis.
Smiling Wisdom, Forres

Assagioli R (2012) Psychosynthesis. A collection of basic writings. Amherst, MA: the

Synthesis Centre. Analysis 18:81–102

Bourgeault C (2016) The heart of centering prayer. Nondual Christianity in theory and
practice. Shambala, Boulder

Caswell JM, Singh M, Persinger MA (2016) Simulated sudden increase in geomagnetic

activity and its effect on heart rate variability: experimental verification of correlation
studies. Life Sci Space Res 10:47–52

Childre DL, Martin H, Rozman D, McCraty R (2016) Heart intelligence. Connecting

with the intuitive guidance of the heart. Waterfront Press, HeartMath

Edwards SD (2001) Phenomenology as intervention. Indo-Pac J Phenomenol 2:1–10

Husserl E (1929) Phenomenology. Encyclopaedia Br Co 17:699–702

Lehrer P, Gevirtz R (2014) Heart rate variability biofeedback: how and why does it
work? Front Psychol 5:756

Louchakova O (2007a) Spiritual heart and direct knowing in the prayer of the heart.
Existent Anal 18:81–102

Louchakova O (2007b) The prayer of the heart, ego-transcendence and adult

development. Existent Anal 18:261–287

McCraty R, Atkinson M, Tomasino D, Bradley RJ (2009) The coherent heart. Heart–

brain interaction, psychophysiological coherence and the emergence of a system wide
order. Integral Rev 2:10–115

Moustakas CE (1994) Phenomenological research methods. Sage, Thousand Oaks

Nelson R (2011) Detecting mass consciousness: effects of globally shared attention and
emotion. J Cosmol 14:1

Porges SW (2011) The polyvagal theory: neurophysiological foundations of emotions,

attachment, communication and self-regulation. WW Norton & Co, New York

Terre Blanche M, Durrheim K, Painter D (2006) Research in practice; applied methods

for the social sciences. University of Cape Town Press, Cape Town

Thayer JF, Lane RD (2000) A model of neurovisceral integration in emotion regulation

and dysregulation. J Affect Disord 61:201–206

Thayer JF, Lane RD (2009) Claude Bernard and the heart-brain connection: further
elaboration of neurovisceral integration. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 33:81–88
Thayer JF, Ahs F, Fredrikson M, Sollers JJ, Wagner TD (2012) A meta-analysis of heart
rate variability and neuroimaging studies: implications for heart rate variability as a
marker of stress and health. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 36:747–756

Varela FJ, Thompson ET, Rosch E (1991) The embodied mind: Cognitive science and
human experience. MIT Press, Cambridge

Wilber K (2000) Integral psychology. Shambhala, Boston

Wilber K (2007) Integral spirituality. Shambhala, Boston

Wilber K (2016) Integral meditation. Shambhala, Boston

Proof Review

 No Correction