CARDIAC COHERENCE DRIVERS

The importance of social connections was highlighted by the sobering work of James Lynch who found that loneliness, itself, is a greater risk for heart disease than lack of exercise, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and obesity combined ( 4).

In fact, when it comes to public health, social coherence and connection may be one of the most important public health priorities. Social incoherence not only affects the way we feel, relate, and communicate with others but also affects physiological processes that disrupt good health. The importance of developing skills and behaviors and being able to successfully connect, cooperate and collaborate with others is of great importance. Terms such as social coherence, social support, social connection, social functioning, loneliness, and social isolation are used to describe various aspects of human social functioning. Some of our most precious moments are those of intimate connection. Indeed, being a member of various groups across one’s lifespan is an inescapable, and often sought after, aspect of our lives. Most people spend a sizeable amount of time communicating, interacting and performing tasks with others. This research also suggests that humans are hard-wired to seek social connections and secure attachments, independent of maturational stage, and culture ( 3).

CARDIAC COHERENCE DRIVERS

Research in evolutionary anthropology suggests that one of the primary drivers of evolution of the human species is our advanced capacities for social interaction and cooperation ( 1, 2). Data supporting each of the hypothesis is discussed. (3) Biomagnetic fields produced by the heart may be a primary mechanism in mediating HRV synchronization among group members. (2) Training in techniques to increase group coherence and heart rhythm synchronization will correlate with increased prosocial behaviors, such as kindness and cooperation among individuals, improved communication, and decreases in social discord and adversarial interactions. Building on the extensive body of research showing that providing feedback of HRV coherence level at the individual level can improve self-regulation, we suggest the following hypotheses: (1) providing feedback of individual and collective HRV coherence and the degree of heart rhythm synchronization will increase group coherence, and heart rhythm synchronization among group members. This article discusses a new application using HRV monitoring in social coherence research and the importance of physiological synchronization in group developmental processes and dynamics. A number of studies are reviewed which have explored various types of synchronization in infants, pairs and groups, indicating that feelings of cooperation, trust, compassion and increased prosocial behaviors depends largely on the establishment of a spontaneous synchronization of various physiological rhythms between individuals. Social coherence requires that group members are attuned and are emotionally connected with each other, and that the group’s emotional energy is organized and regulated by the group as a whole. A high degree of social coherence is reflected by stable and harmonious relationships, which allows for the efficient flow and utilization of energy and communication required for optimal collective cohesion and action. Another type of coherence, social coherence, relates to the harmonious alignment between couples or pairs, family units, small groups, or larger organizations in which a network of relationships exists among individuals who share common interests and objectives. A specific measure derived from heart rate variability (HRV) provides a measure of physiological coherence.

There are different types of coherence, although the term always implies a harmonious relationship, correlations and connections between the various parts of a system.

Research, HeartMath Institute, Boulder Creek, CA, United StatesĬoncepts embraced by the term coherence have been identified as central to fields such as quantum physics, physiology, and social science.

Cardiac coherence