The HeartMath system refers to various methods, tools and techniques developed by the HeartMath Institute, a global research and educational organization. Working from an interdisciplinary, scientific foundation, the institute has adopted a coherence model to promote its vision and mission of education and health. This model is based on empirical, predominantly natural scientific foundations. Although many, rigorous studies have provided a substantial evidence base of the science and praxis of personal, social and global coherence, the actual coherence experience has not yet been investigated. To address this gap in the HeartMath research evidence, this heuristic phenomenological investigation was organized into three phases, with the goal of eliciting the essential structure of the coherence experience. The first phase consisted of a quantitatively orientated review of the author’s personal HeartMath practice records, with special focus on examples of highest coherence levels and achievement scores, as measured on HeartMath instruments, and as available on Heart Cloud records. In the second qualitatively orientated phase, ten selected descriptions, perceived to be good examples of coherence experiences, were synthesized into an essential review summary. The third, pilot study, phase explored the actual coherence experience of ten consecutive HeartMath sessions, varying with regard to context, duration, time, place and manner of practice. Essential summary findings of the coherence experience are discussed with regard to personal, social and global implications for research, education and health promotion.

This study reports on the development of an Ubuntu type HeartMath Workshop for the purpose of facilitating social coherence and spirit at work. The study employed a pre- and post-test, mixed methods, within subjects, outcome evaluative design. Data were collected in three workshops with a total sample of 10 women and 7 men, with mean age 38.23, and range 24 to 58 years. Pretesting and post-testing consisted of psychophysiological coherence, social coherence and spirit at work measures. The Ubuntu HeartMath Workshop procedure included HeartMath heart focused breathing and cultivating positive Ubuntu feelings, followed by instruction and group discussion of ways in which Ubuntu could promote social coherence with special reference to work spirit. Afterwards participants provided written experiential and evaluative descriptions of the workshops. Significant and meaningful quantitative and qualitative findings provided consistent evidence as to the efficacy of the workshops in improving psychophysiological coherence, social coherence and work spirit. Implications for the development and evaluation of further research with other participant samples in other contexts are discussed.

s and full articles are sought for a special edition of the Journal of Psychology in Africa on the theme of the HeartMath for Psychology (in general and Africa in particular) with special r...

This study is motivated by many problems confronting planet Earth. Its goal is to promote local and global coherence, research and health. An integral theoretical, positive psychological paradigm is used to introduce HeartMath and Global Coherence Initiatives as evidence based interventions for promoting coherence, research, health and well-being. Interventions are essentially scientific advances on cardiorespiratory based methods which have been used for millennia in various wisdom, knowledge and spiritual traditions such as ancestral consciousness and reverence, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and Islam. The article reviews research evidence in relation to psychophysiological coherence, which is characterised by a heart rhythm pattern of elevated amplitude in low frequency heart rate variability of around 0.1 Hz. This is associated with synchronisation between various physiological systems, positive emotions, athletes’ “zone” experience, enhanced spirituality, effective prayer, personal, social and global coherence and health. For example, research evidence is provided for the effectiveness of an African heart breath healing method, specifically developed around the concept Shiso, an ancient isiZulu respectful (hlonipha) term for a human being, which became an acronym for Spirit (umoya), Heart (inhlizyo), Image (umcabango), Soul (umphefumulo) and Oneness (ubunye). Subsequent independent and collaborative South African research, validating various HeartMath techniques, is described. This includes an African Global Coherence Initiative Site, established on a private game reserve in Kwa-Zulu Natal, providing valuable research data, applicable to all academic fields and scientific disciplines, which is freely available for use. It is concluded that many more integral healing approaches are needed, as is collaboration between all caring stakeholder individuals, communities and countries in the world.

This article describes some projects in KwaZulu-Natal, which adopted a community psychological, multi-cultural counselling approach in promoting family resilience. Following definition of relevant concepts, the article describes the training of community psychologists and multicultural counsellors with special reference to the specialized doctoral programme, and the results of three specific family resilience projects.

The Global Coherence Initiative (GCI) conducts pioneering research into interconnectedness in order to promote global coherence, consciousness and health through heart-focused care (Institute of HeartMath, 2013). A global network of ultrasensitive magnetic field detectors are being installed strategically around the planet, one of which is established on a private game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, which provides various local research opportunities. Southern African indigenous knowledge themes on interconnectedness are discussed in order to provide a relevant, local and conceptual grounding for the initiative. As this knowledge is invested with human spirituality, communality, mutuality and other local meaning, the presentation speaks of relationships. Although certain themes have been singled out for instructional purposes in this presentation, as local indigenous knowledge represents a coherent whole that is continuously changing. These themes should be considered from an integrative and transformational perspective.

The goal of this article was to explore the phenomenon of respect as experienced by South African psychologists with special reference to Zulu culture. The narrative experiences of six isiZulu speaking psychologists with regard to the isiZulu concept of respect (Ukuhlonipha) were thematically analysed and synthesized by two independent English speaking psychologists. Five main interrelated themes respectively emerged of Ukuhlonipha as: pillar of African humanity (Ubuntu); including ancestors, marriage, family, parents and children; special language, narrative, story and/or textual reality; harmony, order and discipline; and gratitude and appreciation. These findings reiterated the manner in which African people have always recognized respect, as a concept, experience and practice with spiritual and cultural dimensions of great breadth, depth and height. Such practice is recognized as crucial for the promotion of local, international and global health and wellbeing.

This study explored subjective and objective perspectives on uMoya, Spirit consciousness and/or spirituality, from a heuristic phenomenological and neurophysiologic perspective. Contemplative reflective data on uMoya and its neurophysiologic correlates were gathered from a culturally diverse group of eight researcher-participants aged 32 to 63 years. The data were analyzed using exploratory, integrative, thematic and small sample statistical approaches. Thematic analysis revealed evidence for uMoya contemplation descriptions encompassing spiritual traditions, human spirituality and ancestral consciousness. The neurophysiologic correlates indicated significant decreases in respiration, delta activity and beta activity as well as associated patterns of a coherent, relaxed and alert state of waking consciousness, suggesting direct experiencing after contemplation. Findings supported an integral contemplative approach to uMoya with the potential for psychotherapeutic applications.

Book Review Holistic Counselling: Through the Shadow to Compassion Patricia Sherwood (2012). Bunbury, Australia: Sophia Publications. ISBN: 978-0-9804044-2-5This is not a conventional counseling book detailing ICD or DSM diagnostic schemas and cognitive behavioural therapeutic techniques. Instead, it clearly articulates its own original and descriptive, conceptual and diagnostic, expressive and therapeutic language. For example, light figure resources and/or archetypes such as Buddha, Christ, St Teresa or Mandela may be chosen by a client for use in vibrant energetic therapeutic sequences to transform pathologies existing in past life and/or cellular memories in the form of imprints, implants and discamates (having no material body or form). Although such terms may be new for many conventional counselors, they may find them more descriptive, valuable, relevant and universally applicable than any others they have encountered to date.The author, Dr Sherwood, is a well-known Australian academic who was one of the founders of the IndoPacific Journal of Phenomenology. In addition to supervising doctoral students at Edith Cowan University, Western Australia, Trish, as she is affectionately known, is also Director of Sophia College, supervising over 20 free community counselling services run by students and graduates of Sophia College's holistic counselling programmes in various regions in Australia and internationally. She has hosted many South African academics, professionals and students over the past fifteen years as well as having visited South Africa on National Research Foundation International Science and other Grants hosted by Zululand and Rhodes Universities in 2004, 2007 and 2012.This second book on holistic counselling, a more indepth sequel to Holistic Counselling: A New Vision for Mental Health (Sherwood, 2007a), is a culminating point in Dr Sherwood's training and counselling practice over the past twenty years. She is also the author of such literary gems as The Buddha is in the Street (2003), The Healing Art of Clay Therapy (2004), Search for your Self: Pathways to Personal Growth (2010), Infertility to Fertility: the Journey of the Psyche (2007b), Emotional Literacy: The Heart of the Classroom (2008) and Clay Therapy Healing Rwandan Genocide (2012). These books are typically based on over 20 000 personal or supervised student client cases that Dr Sherwood's has worked with as Sophia College Director or in her own busy clinical practice as a Mental Health accredited Social Worker specializing in trauma and abuse recovery, anxiety disorders and stress management.In simple terms, the shadow is our other side. It has appeared in various guises, forms, states and stages throughout documented history. For example, as demons from Hades for Homer and Virgil, as a devil that tempted Buddha and Jesus Christ, as Dante's Inferno, and as Freud's destructive sexual and aggressive drives, culminating in human violence, appropriately recognized as basic cause of all illness. The shadow is called by its proper name by Jung, Wilber and other authors. Moreover, it has many other names, such as evil, sorcery and witchcraft, all of which are manifestations of intentionality, a core notion of Buddhism, which is deeply understood by Dr Sherwood and forms one of the underlying frameworks for this book.In Hindu philosophy, the distinction is made between guru and pandit, or counselor and teacher, and this distinction may be invoked to describe the relatively distinct approaches of Carl Jung and Ken Wilber with regard to the phenomenology and function of the shadow. Encouraged by her ongoing research, teaching and community counselling commitments, Sherwood's text manages to combine many of the oceans and streams, wetness and water molecules of the theoretical and practical approaches of both the guru and the pandit, which makes this book unique indeed. Hopefully, this brief review will provide some taste of this for the reader. …

This is not a conventional counseling book detailing ICD or DSM diagnostic schemas and cognitive behavioural therapeutic techniques. Instead, it clearly articulates its own original and descriptive, conceptual and diagnostic, expressive and therapeutic language. For example, light figure resources and/or archetypes such as Buddha, Christ, St Teresa or Mandela may be chosen by a client for use in vibrant energetic therapeutic sequences to transform pathologies existing in past life and/or cellular memories in the form of imprints, implants and discarnates (having no material body or form). Although such terms may be new for many conventional counselors, they may find them more descriptive, valuable, relevant and universally applicable than any others they have encountered to date.

Occasioned by an international meeting involving an Australian shaman and Zulu divine healer, this article explores some universal themes in divine healing as revealed in traditional Zulu and classical Greek culture. Themes include indigenous knowledge, ancestral and divine consciousness, truth, harmony, ecology, transformation of the psyche and energy healing. The article calls for further research into divine healing with special reference to perennial healing components such as empathy, intuition and transpersonal spirituality.

The aim of this investigation was to record a small group of participants' experiences of a single session of an alpha theta meditation with special reference to its influence on perceptions of mindfulness and mood. An integral approach, with mixed qualitative and quantitative methodology was adopted. Qualitative research technology involved qualitative phenomenological descriptions of meditation derived experiences. Quantitative techniques included Infiniti neurofeedback instrumentation for EEG data recorded, and psychometric measures of mindfulness and mood states. There were 10 participants, 5 men and 5 women with mean age of 49 years and age range of 31 to 63 years. Participants experienced various consciousness transformation themes. These included adjustment, relaxation, absorption, imagery, being in the zone and transcendence. There were no significant changes were observed with regard to mindfulness and mood perceptions of anger, energy or fatigue. Contrary to expectations, the single alpha theta meditation was associated with elevated alpha and theta activity, as well as decrease in negative mood perceptions, especially with regard to anxiety, sadness and confusion scores. Comparisons with other meditation sessions indicated that the alpha theta meditation session was significantly associated with more alpha and beta activity. Integrated findings are in line with other studies which support the psychological value of alpha theta training.

Psychology is originally and essentially concerned with the breath, energy, consciousness, soul or spirit of life that leaves a person at death and continues in some other form. The aim of this article is to explicate a psychology of various methods of breathing for life, health, exercise and sport. Given the abundant evidence for their value and power in various forms and contexts, breathing skills may be regarded as the original method of survival, energy control, illness prevention, health promotion and improving quality of living.

This study investigated indigenous meanings attributed lathe use of an animal skin wristband (isiphandla) in persons in KwaZulu-Natal. The study was motivated by the need for indigenous psychological knowledge in the South African context where western-based treatment approaches, ideologies and attitudes have tended to dominate formal health services. Participants were a convenience sample of 50 persons (male = 25; female = 25; mean age of 45 years; age range of 11 to 91). Main findings revealed that participants experienced the wristband as connecting them with ancestors, their family and custom. In addition the wristband was experienced as a source of hope, security, respect and pride.

The main objective of this research was to explore neurophysiologic, phenomenological, cultural and social correlates of recipients’ experiences of empathy within the context of Wilber’s Integral approach and Person Centered theory and practice. Thirteen psychologists participated as co-researchers in a triangulated, within subjects’ post-test experimental design in which empathy data were compared with data from control conditions of factual information processing and rest. A consistent pattern emerged from data gathered. Empathy experiences were associated with an unexpected, statistically significant increase in alpha activity, with some associated increasing trends in theta and beta activity. Expected findings were significant decreases in delta activity accompanied by decreasing trends in gamma wave activity, muscle tension, heart and respiration rate. Individual experiences generally reflected an affective, interpersonal, cultural, social and spiritual state of normal waking consciousness. Participant consensus was that the neurophysiologic and other correlates corresponded truthfully with typical empathic moments, insights and/or peak experiences, which are associated with effective therapeutic change in traditional and contemporary healing contexts.

The approach of this article is on energy healing as holistic, contextual and essentially psychological. In order to explicate common themes, various indigenous patterns of energy healing in Africa, India and China are examined. Core themes that emerge include views of the universe as an interrelated whole, of illness as a disruption or stagnation of energy patterns, which need continual harmonisation for optimal health, and of a universal energy to which everyone has access, particularly via breathing and meditation techniques. Other themes include universal healing patterns such as dialogue, spirituality, shared worldview, communal context, cultural compatibility, common expectations, emotional arousal, information exchange, various healing approaches, resources, methods and techniques, individual, familial and social learning and change.

Training of psychologists in general and sport psychologists in particular takes place within a global village called planet earth, with all its multifaceted problems. Relevant integral healing approaches are needed in both general and sport psychological contexts. Healing through multicultural counselling workshops were conducted at universities in South Africa and the United Kingdom respectively with a total sample of 52 participants; 18 women and 27 men, with a mean age of 27.9 years and an age range of 20 to 51 years. The sample was culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse. The sample consisted of 9 fully qualified psychologists, 10 professionally registered student psychologists and 32 third year sport psychology students. Quantitative evaluation indicating a mean perceived effectiveness rating of 8 out of 10 was supported by qualitative evaluation, which indicated a satisfactory degree of credibility, dependability and transferability with regard to students‟ most valuable learning experience and their suggestions on workshop improvement and the promotion of multicultural counselling globally. Sport psychology implications include training in multicultural, human movement counselling with regard to both general, integral healing as well as specific human movement, exercise and sport psychological skills, relevant for individuals and groups from different cultural backgrounds in diverse physical activity, exercise, sport and recreational contexts. Keywords: Evaluation, workshop, healing, multicultural counselling, sport psychology.

This article discusses concepts from traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits as therapeutic behavior change agents. Specifically, it examines ancestral consciousness in relation to attachment theory and its application in conventional counselling. A case illustration is discussed to show the potential incremental value of addressing ancestral consciousness in counselling people of African ancestry.

This chapter describes the role of African spirituality in advancing education and well-being, with special reference to indigenous Zulu beliefs and practices. Special focus is given to ancient patterns, ancestral healing, divine mediation, faith healing, communal spirituality and meaningful human relationships, characterized by dignity and respect. Implications for health, community development and education are discussed.

This article explores beliefs and practices with regard to the role of the ancestors in healing in relation to communal, human spirituality in general and Southern African Nguni people in particular. Special focus is on the psychosocial dynamics of healing as revealed through divine mediation and continuous communication with the ancestors.