frontal cortex during task processing (Kolev, Yordanova, Schurmann, & Basar, 2001).The organization of the many interconnected neural networks within the brain allows formaximal flexibility in adapting to changing demands, such as focus on an external sensory inputor an internal process. However, the degree of coupling, which regulates synchronized activity inthe network, varies depending on the needs of the moment. When the network is eitherexcessively coupled or is too loosely coupled, the system is less able to dynamically recruit theappropriate neural support systems it needs to respond to a particular demand. For example, thealpha rhythm increases in amplitude and distribution when the neural populations in the brain aremore tightly coupled, which occurs when the brain regions involved are not processinginformation. Under these circumstances cognitive performance is reduced, especially thatinvolving the processing of external sensory information. In terms of optimizing performance,this means in general that one should not be too relaxed (increased coupling) or overlystimulated (decreased coupling). Thus, in the light of the results of our studies of cognitiveperformance and heart-brain synchronization discussed above, the psychophysiologicalcoherence mode appears to be a condition under which optimal coupling, and thus improvedperformance, occurs across diverse systems in the body.Relevant to this discussion are the findings from a recent study of long-term Buddhistpractitioners. This study found that while the practitioners generated a state of unconditionalloving-kindness and compassion, increases in gamma band oscillation and long-distance phasesynchrony were observed (Lutz, Greischar, Rawlings, Ricard, & Davidson, 2004). The studysauthors suggest that the large increase in gamma band synchrony reflects a change in the qualityof moment-to-moment awareness. Moreover, because the characteristic patterns of baselineactivity in these long-term meditators were found to be different from those of a control group,the results suggest that an individuals baseline state can also be altered with long-term practice.The authors of this study describe the Buddhist meditation as an objectless meditation inwhich the practitioners do not directly attend to a specific object or the breath, but focus insteadon cultivating a feeling of unconditional loving-kindness and compassion. In many ways, thefocus of this practice is comparable to the focus of the Heart Lock-In technique of the HeartMathsystem. It would therefore be interesting to investigate whether HeartMath practitioners, when ina state of psychophysiological coherence, also produce the increases in gamma-band oscillationThe electroencephalogram (EEG) provides a very large-scale measure of the activity occurring in thedendritic fields of the neurons. These fields reflect the excess of excitatory or inhibitory synaptic actionover a large number of neurons. A single scalp electrode provides estimates of synaptic action averagedover tissue masses containing between 10 million and 1 billion neurons. Synchronizations of oscillatoryneural discharges are thought to play a crucial role in the constitution of transient networks that integratedistributed neural processes into highly ordered cognitive and affective functions that can induce synapticchanges.INTEGRAL REVIEWDecember 2009Vol. 5, No. 2and long-distance phase-synchrony observed in this study. Although this study did not measureheart rhythm coherence, another study of Buddhist monks using the same meditative focus ofloving-kindness and compassion found an increase in heart rhythm coherence during thispractice (Rapgay, n.d.). Because these studies were both conducted with samples of Buddhistmonks who