Welcome
to the userguide for Heart Coherence team's Cardiac Synthesizer v.1.0.
The
Cardiac Synthesizer is in the first place a learning and teaching
tool to visualise the effect of Heart Rate Variability on the ECG
in general, and in particular on ICC, Internal Cardiac Coherence.
The
Cardiac Synthesizer can be used as a stand-alone application, but
is in particular intended to gain more insight in the therapeutic
use of the Heart Tuner. The
Cardiac Synthesizer can export synthesized ECG and HRV data which
can be played in the Heart Tuner as if it were a normal recording.
The synthesized "ECG" time series of the Cardiac Synthesizer
- not aiming to exactly replicate the natural ECG, but still having
a virtual identical spectrum, perfect for teaching purposes. In
this example, the effect of a single HRV wave can be discerned |
The
Cardiac Synthesizer is itself not a measuring tool.
The
user guide will focus on the newest insights on the homeo-dynamics
of simultaneously optimized HRV and Internal Cardiac Coherence, offering
revolutionary possibilities for psycho-physiological therapy and biofeedback
training. Secondly, it gives a step-by-step technical guide.
Main screen overview of the Cardiac Synthesizer with deafult
settings - click to see full size with explanation |
The
Cardiac Synthesizer is online available. Info and download location:
www.heartcoherence.com/cardiacsynth.
OPTIMIZING HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND INTERNAL CARDIAC
COHERENCE - SOME GUIDE LINES TO THE PHYSICS, PSYCHOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY
OF HARMONIC INCLUSIVENESS
This
part is taken from the preliminary user guide with the new Heart Rate
Variabilty Module of the Heart tuner
The new Heart Tuner may dramatically prove that
high Internal Coherence or ICC (Awareness Focus, Empathy) and high
Heart Rate Variability (Life Force, Vitality) cán exist together -
thus finally dismissing Heart Math's claim that ICC is "entraining
low HRV" - it is definitively NOT.
A universal formula for optimizing HRV, and generally biological sustainability
was already found by Prof. Ary Goldberger to be a fractal. Whereas
traditionally merely "high" HRV was found to be a predictor of (cardiac)
health and longevity, Goldberger claims that actually the HRV should
be fractal.
Now we have found that ONLY a fractal HRV (maximum vitality) enables
high Internal Coherence (maximum self-awareness) at the same time.
Both together may form an alltogether new paradigm of cardiac health,
and general psycho-physiological well-being, and therefore a clue
to optimal diagnosis and biofeedback training.
A rather technical prove of how fractal HRV allows optimised ICC (and
vice versa) can be visualized with the Cardiac Synthesizer, which
can be downloaded here.
Allthough the Cardiac Synthesizer is only intended as a learning and
teaching tool, the ECG data generated can conveniently be exported
and then imported and played by the Heart Tuner as if it were a normal
recording. Screenshots of the Cardiac Synthesizer and a fractal HRV
spectrum on the Heart Tuner are below.
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Simplified
diagram of HRV and ICC in the human psycho-physiology. HRV emerges
as a controlling nucleous , resp. source of life force (vitality);
ICC is the principle of pure self awareness or indiviudation,
usually resulting in psychic energy, that is, emotions.
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The
more advanced diagram shows the precize interactions between
HRV and ICC, that is practically between vitality and emotions.
We call this a subtle, or subjective control. This means that
coherent emotion (the result of self-awareness or individuation)
can facilitate more life force, whereas at the same time coherent
action (the result of life force) can invite more self-awareness.
|
Above
diagrams visualize in a way an "imperfect", but hence all the more
realistic picture of the complex equilibrium of life force and emotion
(in a slightly different context also called "homestasis" or better,
"homeodynamics"). That is, in the normal human condition, each and
every action (and perception) as well as each and every emotion, will
have a certain repercussion on the allover equilibrium. So they always
introduce a (temporary) fluctuation and state of less coherence, a
diversion of the (theoretical) ideal condition. Only this reduction
of coherence causes an energy flow which enables us to act and feel.
Now, the new and emerging paradigm of optimized equilibrium is what
is called "Harmonic Inclusiveness". This means maximum coherent action
and emotion, that is, involvement with maximum vitality and self-awareness.
Measured in the heart, this means maximum HRV PLUS maximum ICC at
the same time. As we will see, and already theoretically demonstrated
with the Cardiac Synthesizer, Harmonic Inclusiveness is gained by
increasing the fractality of the heart rate, which is ultimately the
result of an allround healthy life style.
It
is the goal and purpose of the new Heart Tuner, together with the
Cardiac Synthesizer, to serve as an education, diagnosis and training
tool for Harmonic Inclusiveness in all spheres of life.
This
is the first beta release of the HRV Module, as well as the Cardiac
Synthesizer. In due time we hope to build up supportive real life
data.
In
addition to the general psychology and physiology of increasing
the amount of Harmonic Inclusiveness, it is observed that during
a feeling of open-heartedness and connectedness (empathy) and
thus high internal coherence, the heart often tends to park itself
at a specific frequency (around 1.6 Hz). This is believed hinting
at a "globally scaled" heart rate. Global
Scaling (theory) is based upon the idea that all natural rhythms
(and in fact all measures) in the entire universe are fractally
organised, forming an infinitely connected web of life. Our heart
rate, that is rather, our HRV spectrum, in order to be part of
that cosmological order, is therefore ideally fractal as well.
Precisely this fractal condition appears during high internal
coherence. Global scaling theory may may thus be an explanation
why internal coherence is associated with a feeling of connectedness.
A (momentarily) constant tacho (heart rate), while the HRV
spectrum in the healthy subject is nevertheless high, is the natural
base line of the fractal heart.
The "Global Scaling" fractal, invented / discovered
by Hartmut Muller. More on global scaling e.g. at http://www.info.global-scaling-verein.de/
or http://www.globalscalingtheory.com/ |
STEP-BY-STEP
USER GUIDE FOR THE CARDIAC SYNTHESIZER
This is the technical part which will discuss some basics of
the wave physics of HRV and ECG resp. ICC and how to visualise the
different wave forms and their interactions with the Cardiac Synthesizer.
Understanding of all these technical details may not be needed in
daily practical use of the Heart Tuner, but especially the part about
fractality in the HRV can be quite helpfull as a background for state
of the art, effective therapeutic / bio-feedback practice.
Step-by-step
some theory is discussed, and then some instructions how to visualise
it with the Cardiac Synthesizer (ACTION).
It's best to follow below instructions and avoid playing with other
buttons to get the maximum out of it.
All the steps can also be seen in the 2/3rd. scale step-by-step movie
(gifmation).
1- Synthesizing an ECG look-alike
A natural and more or less coherent ECG spectrum typically looks
like this:
Internal
Cardiac Coherence (ICC) in the ECG spectrum is ideally defined as
the perfect regular (arithmetic) spacing among all contained ECG frequencies.
Practically, ICC as measured directly with the Heart Tuner, will in
some cases also reward a spectrum which may look less coherent by
inspection alone. But even if coherent, the natural ECG spectrum may
vary considerably from person to person, and from moment to moment.
In the Cardiac Synthesiser, the starting point is the creation of
the "ideal" ECG spectrum, which looks like this:
The
synthesized spectrum in this example is composed of 7 frequencies
with a proportionally decreasing amplitude, giving the best result
for an ECG look-alike (spikes). The
basic frequency was choosen just off-integer (1.01Hz) to avoid a too
ideal digital effect.
ACTION:
Create a synthesized ECG with different heart-rates
and a different number of composing frequencies. First click RESET
and reduce the HRV effect to zero:
Heart Rate section - click reset (affects ALL settings), use
the "Nominal Heart Rate" slider bar to set the heart rate,
"Spectral Count" to change the nr. of composing frequencies.
See how this affects the ECG and Spectrum graphs. Also
see how integer values (e.g. exactly 1Hz) usually produce an
overly digital
image. In the tachogram, the beat-to-beat interval
graph is straigth (no HRV) and
moving up/down with the
nominal heart rate setting. The "0.1Hz" button can be used
to
reset the heart rate.
Heart
Rate Variability section - in this test, after
resetting all values, first set the "HRV power" to zero
(to the left).
2-
Applying basic Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
The Heart Rate Variability was sometimes though to be but a lower
frequency in the ECG spectrum, but this is not correct. The HRV functions
as a frequency modulator for the EGC signal, (that is, proportionally
for ALL the frequencies in the ECG), just like music is modulating
a carrier wave in FM radio. So, it is a different system in the heart's
electro-physiology. Biologically, one could think of it as how life
force (vitality) is modulating emotional momentum. First, we apply
a single HRV wave of 0.1 Hz.
In real life such one single peak in the HRV spectrum could be the
result of what is called monotonic breathing. The breathing has a
direct effect on the heart rate (in - slower, out - faster). Heart
Math Institute uses this as an actual technique even, but regular
breathing is unnatural (allthough it may be opportune for some purposes)
and is in fact the best possible way to distort and replace both the
natural HRV complex (surely the fractal one) and natural ICC.
ACTION:
First click "Reset".
The HRV Power is then at 175 ms., which means that the heart beat
interval has a plus or minus 175 millisecond variation on top of the
nominal heart rate. Set the "HRV freq's." (nr. of HRV freq's.
in the HRV spectrum) to 1 (left) and the "HRV max. freq."
to 0.1 Hz (click 0.1Hz button). See the 0.1 Hz peak in the HRV spectrum,
and the slow wave in the tachogram. See also parallel to the tacho,
where the beat-to-beat interval is lower, the ECG spectrum is more
compressed, and vice versa. This is the heart rate modulation in the
ECG.
ACTION:
Now,
while leaving the "HRV freq's." to one single frequency,
play with the other buttons to see the results. See how the HRV settings
are directly visible in the HRV spectrum window, and how they affect
the ECG spectrum. Also check this out for various nominal heart rates.
A nice feature of the Cardiac Synth is showing how the HRV appears
as sidebands in the ECG spectrum. This is the result of the frequency
modulation.
ACTION:
For
example, make the following settings precisely:
Nominal
heart rate: 1.0 Hz (exactly now)
Spectral count: 8
HRV frequency: 0.19 Hz
HRV Power: 15 ms.
HRV freq's: 1
ACTION:
Gently
play with the HRV frequency
and power to see the sidebands floating in the ECG spectrum.
|
Now,
the slow HRV wave is clearly visible as sidebands in the ECG
spectrum. This is in essence how HRV
distorts the spectrum.
|
3
- The ICC - Internal Cardiac Coherence screen
The ICC
function shows how perfectly arithmetic the ECG spectrum is. It reflects
in one single graph (which is also called "cepstrum") how
regular the heart beat is over a certain period, and this directly
relates to our capacity for pure awareness focus. The general idea
is that we consciously perceive that which is neither changing too
fast, nor too slow. The faster the contained change, the more extrovert
(matter for the brain, or emotion for the heart) is our mental flow.
Coherent emotion is measured as the most regular pace, but this should
not go on the account of vitality and involvement. So, a high ICC
graph is a measure of the pure, unqualified flow of the heart's intelligence,
which translates into a feeling of connectedness, empathy and compassion.
Changing arithmetics, on the contrary, is the motor of externalized
emotion. So clearly, the psychological and physiological difference
in HRV dynamics and ICC dynamics lies in their playfull interrelation,
creating the real life situation of fluctuating vitality and emotion
as described in above introduction, rather than in any fundamental
difference.
Technically, the ICC analysis is a subsequent ECG spectrum. The horizontal
scale is essentially a time scale, but preferrably measured as 1/Hz
as it does not indicate an actual time progression. The vertical scale
is the amount of internal coherence, normalized to 100%.
ACTION:
Repeat
above tests
while looking at: A) how the heart rate moves the ICC peak horizontally
and B) how HRV can suppress the ICC peak.
4-
Applying multiple HRV frequencies
The natural
HRV spectrum shows many peaks, that is, many frequencies which together
affect the heart rate. First, the "magnitude" bar at the
right side of the HRV spectrum window is explained:
 |
The
"magnitude" bar in the HRV spectrum. It serves but as
a rule of thumb to estimate the totally contained magnitude of
all the HRV frequencies together, to easily compare different
settings. The reference value (100%) is the magnitude of a single
100mv HRV wave. Except for the HRV power settings, the software
automatically keeps the contained magnitude on a more or less
constant level.
ACTION:
Play
with the HRV power
to see the effect of the magnitude.
note: "magnitude" is not the same as
power. The spectrum shows the power (hence is called "power
spectrum"). The power of a specific frequency is simply its
manitude squared. |
At
this point we are getting to the key purpose of the Cardiac Synthesizer,
that is to demonstrate how a natural HRV spectrum affects internal
coherence. The effect of monotonic breathing which was already discussed
earlier, and falls outside this category. The natural HRV spectrum
can be completely chaotic ("random" is a better term) or
"ideally", perfectly fractal. Both forms can be tested with
the Cardiac Synthesizer.
 |
The
term "fractal" means "self-similar", which
means that a shape or a pattern is built-up of smaller, similarly
looking but not identical, copies (fractional parts) of itself.
This is a real life (not merely mathematical) principle which
means that any physical or etc. system has a higher internal organisation
and symmetry than can be explained with normal natural laws (thermodynamics)
alone. "Perfect" symmetry gets close to litteral recursion,
whereas the opposite is complete chaos. Life (organic, atomic,
cosmic..) exists right at the edge of order and chaos, of symmetry
and a-symmetry, and that is where fractal patterns emerge. |
The
fractal HRV spectrum in the Cardiac Synthesizer is created
by first taking the harmonic (symmetry) composite of a perfectly
recursive (repeatedly scaling-up) series of frequencies, and
then taking a normal linear (thermodynamic) spectrum of it.
The result is a fractal. This fractal is further optimized
if the original recursive ratio is precisely Golden Mean ("Phi"
= 1.618). This way above spectrum is created with "Harmonic
Explorer" (another program of Heart Coherence team).
|
ACTION:
Click
reset.
The number of HRV freqencies
is greater (10) after reset, and the "HRV style" selection
box appears:
The default
style is "fractal". Now first select the "random"
fractal style. The "randomize" button appears. Then, play
gently with the HRV Power bar and see the effects in all the screens.
Also click to get a few randomized HRV spectra. Note: the software
automatically takes care of a reasonable distribution of the HRV freqencies,
arranges their amplitudes within limits and keeps the total power
(resp. magnitude) as preset.
See that if the HRV spectrum is random, the more HRV power is
present, the more it will distort and take down the internal coherence.
Advise: in order to properly interpret the effect of a specific
setting, it is good to also play a bit with the other settings so
that a more general picture emerges.
ACTION:
Click
reset, while leaving the HRV-style "fractal", then test
the effects with the various HRV power settings.
All settings
are the same, only this time the random HRV spectrum is replaced with
a real fractal spectrum. Note that looking at the HRV spectrum screen
alone, the difference may not at all be obvious. But the difference
in Internal Coherence is very great.
Note:
the number of HRV frequencies is disproportional with the actual slider
bar setting, this is the result of the way the fractal is created.
The same frequency numbers are actually used for the "random"
mode, for easy comparison.
See
that if the HRV spectrum is fractal, no matter how much HRV power
is present, it will not considerably influence the Internal Cardiac
Coherence. This proves that high HRV and high ICC, that is, high life
force / vitality plus high self-awareness can exist at the same time.
5
- Some expert functions
ACTION:
With
the HRV-style in "fractal" mode, very gently move the "non-linear
dyamics" slider bar left and right. This will move the harmonic
ratio on which the fractal HRV spectrum is based, off Golden Mean
ratio. See how generally this will take down the effectiveness of
the fractally and affect the amount of internal coherence.
Conclusively, the Cardiac Synthesizer demonstrates that a Golden
Mean centered fractal HRV spectrum allows high Internal Coherence
at the same time, while it becomes obvious that a random HRV spectrum
generally will take down Internal Coherence. The Cardiac Synthesizer
may thus serve a theoretical basis for groundbreaking therapeutic
and biofeedback practice - aiming at a higher and higher integration
of Vitality and Emotion, that is verily, Harmonic Coherence.
ACTION:
Export
a synthesized
ECG / HRV recording which can be imported as a normal recording by
the Heart Tuner PRO-04 (and higher) Professional Edition. Select the
duration, then click the "Save" button.
© All rights reserved, Heart Coherence team, 2006
