Heart-Brain Coherence: What It Is & How to Achieve It

This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Becoming Supernatural" by Joe Dispenza. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.

Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here.

What is heart-brain coherence? How is your heart connected to the brain?

When we experience heart-brain coherence, our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations are in harmony, which can lead to a number of positive effects. For example, we may feel more centered, focused, and alert, with a greater sense of clarity and purpose.

Keep reading to learn about heart-brain coherence and how to achieve it through meditation.

Heart-Brain Coherence

Your heart is in constant communication with your brain and central nervous system. This means that, like your brain, your heart is also a source of knowledge and emotion, so it’s important that it’s in a coherent state

Like our brain waves, our heartbeat can also be either inconsistent or coherent, Dispenza explains. A coherent heartbeat is more conducive to peaceful and positive emotions and raises your electromagnetic vibration. So your negative thought-feeling patterns are reflected in your heart as well. This means it’s important to activate your “heart center,” which means resting your attention on your heart in meditation in order to bring positive energy to it.

Dispenza illustrates the importance of the heart by describing some case studies of heart transplant patients who experienced subtle changes in their personalities after receiving a transplant. In one case, a woman who received a heart transplant from a young man developed cravings for specific foods that she had never craved before, and she later found out they were the favorite foods of the heart donor. According to Dispenza, this means there is knowledge stored in our hearts as well as our brains. 

The Benefits of Heart-Brain Coherence

The Heartmath Institute has been leading research related to heart-brain coherence. According to Dr. Rollin McCraty, “Coherence is the state when the heart, mind, and emotions are in energetic alignment and cooperation.In this state, there is a harmonious flow of energy and communication between these different aspects of ourselves, leading to a sense of wholeness and well-being.

The Heartmath Institute offers resources for helping you attain better heart-brain coherence, including a video with a brief guided meditation, as well as a downloadable e-book with 12 different techniques you can learn.
Heart-Brain Coherence: What It Is & How to Achieve It

———End of Preview———

Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Joe Dispenza's "Becoming Supernatural" at Shortform.

Here's what you'll find in our full Becoming Supernatural summary:

  • How to use the power of your thoughts to transform your physical reality
  • Why you may be trapped in a vicious cycle of negativity
  • A unique meditation method you can use to reprogram your subconscious

Darya Sinusoid

Darya’s love for reading started with fantasy novels (The LOTR trilogy is still her all-time-favorite). Growing up, however, she found herself transitioning to non-fiction, psychological, and self-help books. She has a degree in Psychology and a deep passion for the subject. She likes reading research-informed books that distill the workings of the human brain/mind/consciousness and thinking of ways to apply the insights to her own life. Some of her favorites include Thinking, Fast and Slow, How We Decide, and The Wisdom of the Enneagram.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *