- A new study by HeartMath provides evidence that the heart
responds to future events and indicates women may be naturally more attuned
to their intuition
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- The phone rings and the person calling is an old high
school friend who you were just thinking about the day before. You spontaneously
decide to take a different route home and later find out that your usual
route was closed due to a big rig accident. What a coincidence! Or is it?
Were those happenings coincidences or were you, unknowingly, exercising
intuition?
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- Intuition has often been thought of as a mysterious sixth
sense. However, a new research study conducted by the Institute of HeartMath
(http://www.heartmath.org) helps to solve some of the mysteries that surround
intuition, revealing the role the heart plays in processing and decoding
intuitive information.
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- Weíve all heard of a mother who feels the need
to check on her young son, only to find that he has left the yard and wandered
into the street. Many of us have had our own intuitive experiences, yet
there has been a longstanding dilemma in the scientific community over
whether intuition is based on memory of a past experience, or whether it
involves an actual perception of something that lies ahead.
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- Dr. Rollin McCraty, Director of Research for the Institute
of HeartMath in Boulder Creek, California, directed a recent scientific
study that examined physiological indicators of intuitive perception. The
study sought to test whether we somehow receive information about a future
event before it happens, and, if so, to determine where and when in the
brain and body the intuitive information is processed.
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- HeartMathís new research is discussed in two parts
in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. The first part
(published 2/2004; paper posted at: http://www.liebertpub.com/ACM/default1.asp
) focuses on the surprising role of the heart in intuitive information
processing. The second part, to be released in April 2004, focuses on where
and when in the brain intuitive information is processed, and on how the
heart and brain appear to interact in intuitive perception.
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- HeartMath researchers found that we can actually be aware
of an event five to seven seconds before it happens. In the recent study,
subjects were shown a series of images. Most of the images were peaceful
and calming, such as landscapes, trees and cute animals. Other photos,
randomly dispersed in the succession, included violent, disturbing and
emotionally stimulating images such as car crash, a bloody knife or a snake
about to strike. The subjects were monitored during the viewing for changes
in respiration, skin conductance, EEG (brain waves), ECG (electrocardiogram)
and heart rate variability. Participantsí physiological indicators
registered an emotional response five to seven seconds before an emotionally
disturbing image would appear on the viewing screen.
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- The main findings show that the heart receives and responds
to intuitive information. Significant changes in heart rate variability
occurred prior to disturbing and emotionally stimulating images appearing
on the screen, compared to calm and serene images appearing. The fact that
the heart is involved in the perception of future external events is an
astounding result. The classical perspective assigns the brain an exclusive
role in information processing. This study opens the door to new understandings
about intuition and suggests that intuition is a system-wide process involving
at least both the heart and the brain working together to decode intuitive
information.
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- Another noteworthy finding of the study was the fact
that there were significant gender differences. Women appeared to have
a greater sensitivity to future emotional stimuli. Female participants
demonstrated a significant heart rate variability pre-stimulus response,
whereas the malesí pre-stimulus response was smaller. McCraty says,
ìBased on our study and other research findings, we believe that
the greater the emotional significance of a future event to the individual,
the larger the intuitive response will be prior to the actual experience
of that event.î
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- The heart has been regarded as a conduit for wisdom beyond
our normal awareness by virtually all human cultures, ancient and modern.
HeartMath believes the greatest significance of this study lies in the
finding that the heart is directly involved in the processing of intuitive
information.
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- McCraty says, ìTo our knowledge, this is the first
study to measure the heartís connection with intuitive perception,
and this implies that the brain does not act alone in this regard. This
is an important finding that may open the door to larger scientific studies
and greater understanding of the heartís role in human perception
and behavior.î
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- Intuitive perception plays an important role in everyday
decision-making in areas such as business, medical diagnosis, law enforcement,
playing sports, choosing relationships, driving defensively, mothering
a child and teaching students. If the heart is playing such an important
role in intuitive perception, then learning to attune ourselves more to
how we feel -- or acknowledging our heart promptings -- could help to increase
our ability to draw on our intuitive awareness.
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- The Institute of HeartMath was founded by Doc Childre
in 1991. For over a decade, the Institute of HeartMath has conducted leading-edge
research on the relationship between the heart and brain and the ways in
which this relationship affects physical, mental and emotional health and
human performance.
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- Based on this research, the Institute of HeartMath has
developed a system of scientifically validated tools and technology to
help people reduce stress and improve health, learning, performance and
quality of life. HeartMathís research has been published in numerous
peer-reviewed journals and is regularly presented at psychological and
biomedical research conferences both nationally and internationally.
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- To learn more about the Institute of HeartMathís
research go to http://www.heartmath.org.
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- Media Contact:
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- Gabriella 'Gaby' Boehmer
- 831 338-8710
- gboehmer@heartmath.org
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