A simple handshake may say more than you think New research demonstrates an energetic communication between people.

Have you ever found yourself feeling agitated, insecure or maybe a little awkward? You don’t really want to expose yourself to others, so you put on a happy smile? Just then someone walks up to you and asks, "Hi, how are you doing?" "Fine," you answer, immediately followed by a tight smile. Then the inner dialogue starts. "I wonder why they asked that? Could they tell I'm feeling awkward and insecure? Does it show?" This scenario might sound like a scene from Ally McBeal, but in fact, most of us, if not all of us, have experienced this at one time or another. Are we transparent? Can others pick up on our "vibes?"

The Institute of HeartMath (IHM) in Boulder Creek, California is a nonprofit research organisation that has been studying emotions and the electromagnetic energy generated by emotions and the body—specifically the heart—for over a decade. A recent study conducted by IHM represents one of the first successful attempts to directly measure an energy exchange between people, and provides a testable theory to help explain why we can sense what other people are feeling and why we tend to know when someone is behind us without hearing or seeing them.

A connection is being made When we care for someone, we often express our feelings quite naturally through touch. We hug our friends, we pat co-workers on the back, and when we're being introduced or greeting someone ,we shake that person's hand. These are all moments of a connection being made or an energy being exchanged.

Researchers at IHM have discovered that this energy connection is quite profound, particularly when you look at how the heart does, or does not, influence our surroundings and those around us. The heart generates the strongest rhythmic electromagnetic field generated in the body. Measured with modern magnetic field meters, the heart's electromagnetic field is approximately five thousand times greater in strength than the field produced by the brain. The heart's field permeates every cell in the body and radiates up to eight feet outside the body, but theoretically it travels even further, although its field strength is too low to measure.

Previous studies at IHM's Research Center have found that our emotions are reflected in the patterns of our heart rhythms. These changing rhythms appear to be modulating the field produced by the heart, similar to how a radio wave is modulated so that the music we hear can be broadcast. This led IHM researchers to look at the possibility that people may be exchanging electromagnetic energy that is carrying emotional information like radio transmitters and receivers carry music.

IHM researchers seated subject pairs four feet apart and instructed them to just sit quietly and not think of anything, or do anything specific. Researchers simultaneously monitored one subject's heart signal waves (ECG) while the other subject’s brain waves (EEG) were being monitored. There was no indication in either subject showing an energy exchange. However, in the second part of the experiment the subject pairs were asked to hold hands. The data showed that when people touch or are in close proximity, one person's heartbeat signal is registered in the other person's brain waves. More refined techniques have since been developed by IHM that indicate there is an energy exchange that occurs up to five feet away from the body even without touching, but when people do touch—even a simple handshake—there is a surprisingly large exchange of subtle electromagnetic information being transferred.

A boy and his dog In an informal experiment, a boy named Josh and his dog Mabel demonstrate how one heart field can calm another heart down. IHM researchers monitored the heart rhythms of both the dog and the boy. Researchers had Mabel enter a room by herself. Her heart rhythms were very jagged and erratic. Then Josh entered the room and greeted Mabel—petting her and emotionally bonding with her. At this point Mabel's heart rhythms made a significant shift, synchronising with Josh's heart rhythms. Mabel's rhythms stayed very close to Josh's rhythms throughout their visit. When Josh got up and left the room, Mabel's heart rhythms clearly shifted again, becoming very spiked and jagged (see graphic page 4). Although the experiment was not a formal study, it appears that Josh's calm heart field connected with Mabel's heart, helping her to feel secure and relaxed.

Everyday interactions, moods and attitudes Whether we realize it or not, our hearts not only affect our own experience, but they can also influence those around us. This poses questions about our everyday interactions, such as if a parent comes home feeling edgy and stressed from the day's events, does this transfer to their children, creating stress in them? Or perhaps we're influencing our colleagues more than we know. If we're feeling uncertain and anxious about a business plan being accepted, might we be transferring this uncertainty in a meeting via a handshake, or if we feel insecure about a relationship, could we be sabotaging it by emanating our insecurities?

IHM research director Dr. Rollin McCraty says, "Although more research in this area is still to be done, I do feel that we can affect our immediate environment. It appears that there is a type of communication occurring between people above and beyond body language or verbal communication. I believe we'll see in future research studies that we are affecting each other’s moods and attitudes, both positively and negatively by the electromagnetic fields we radiate. In our work with pets and their owners we're seeing that a pet owner can create what we call a heart-filled environment when practicing heart-focused techniques. The pets respond by becoming more affectionate, more animated and more connected with the pet owner."

Likewise, Dr. Deborah Rozman, a psychologist at HeartMath, believes parents can create a loving and supportive environment for their children by using exercises like Freeze-Frame® (a simple five-step technique created by HeartMath to minimise stress and promote emotional balance.) Dr. Rozman says, "Teachers report that their students are more focused and cooperative in a classroom environment that is using heart-focused exercises. A heart-filled environment helps to promote wholeness learning."

Over 20,000 people each year are learning HeartMath exercises and learning to create healthier vibes. HeartMath recently released an interactive software program called the emWave™. As it teaches you to do the five steps of Freeze-Frame, you also get to see your heart rhythms shift—in real time. Health care organisations like Delnor Community Hospital in Geneva, Illinois provide this program for their staff to help create a stressless environment for employees. They've also incorporated it into the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Education program. Dr. Rozman adds, "If we know at some level that an energy exchange is happening between people, it makes sense to help create healthier environments by more consciously tending to what we're feeling and putting out." Learn more about HeartMath at www.freezeframer.com or call (800) 450-9111.

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