of its physiological and psychologicalcorrelates. It is proposed that the global synchronization and harmony generated in the coherencestate may explain many of the reported psychological and physiological health benefitsassociated with positive emotions.Our discussion of the major pathways by which the heart communicates with the brain andbody shows how signals generated by the heart continually inform emotional experience andinfluence cognitive function. This account includes a review of previous research on heartbraininteractions and theories regarding how the activity of the heart affects brain function andINTEGRAL REVIEWDecember 2009Vol. 5, No. 2cognitive performance. We then present research conducted in our laboratory, which brings anew perspective, focusing on the pattern of the rhythm of heart activity and its relationship toemotional experience. From this vantage point, we derive a new hypothesisthat sustained, self-induced positive emotions generate a shift to a state of system-wide coherence in bodilyprocesses, in which the coherent pattern of the hearts rhythm plays a key role in facilitatinghigher cognitive functions.In short, the science reviewed in this article shows that through regular heart-based practice, itis possible to use positive emotions to shift ones whole psychophysiological system into a stateof global coherence. When sustained, the harmonious order of coherence generates vital benefitson all levels and can even transform an individuals life, as we saw in the prologue describingChriss story.Theoretical ConsiderationsWe begin by introducing the basic concepts and theoretical ideas that inform the materialpresented in this article.Integral to the understanding of psychophysiological interaction developed in this work arethe concepts of information and communication. As we will see next, coherence is a particularquality that emerges from the relations among the parts of a system or from the relations amongmultiple systems. And since relations are constitutive of systems, the communication ofinformation plays a fundamental constructive role in the generation and emergence of coherence.Although the communication of information is largely implicit in the interactional basis of thethree basic concepts of coherence we begin with in this conceptual framework, we go ontodevelop a detailed account of the nature, substance, and dynamics of the psychophysiologicalinteractions between the heart, the brain, and the body as a whole.Information and CommunicationThe most basic definition of information is data which in-form, or give shape to, action orbehavior, such as a message that conveys meaning to the recipient of a signal (Bradley &Pribram, 1998). In human language, abstract symbols like words, numbers, graphical figures, andeven gestures and vocal intonations are used to encode the meaning conveyed in a message. Inphysiological systems, changes in chemical concentrations, the amount of biological activity, orthe pattern of rhythmic activity are common means by which information is encoded in themovement of energy to inform system behavior.But in order to be used to shape or regulate system behavior, the information must bedistributed to and understood by the system elements involved. Thus, by communication wemean a process by which meaning is encoded as a message and transmitted in a signal to bereceived, processed, and comprehended by the various elements of a system.INTEGRAL REVIEWDecember 2009Vol. 5, No. 2In this article we describe the relationship between different patterns of psychophysiologicalactivity and physiological, emotional and cognitive functions by