Effects of biofeedback training on physiological coherence, health and spirituality perceptions

Abstract

The goal of this study was to evaluate a workshop for promoting personal, social and global coherence. An integral psychological, mixed methods design was employed to assess changes in physiological and psychological variables. Data collected from 14 workshop participants were compared with those from a control group. Significant improvements in physiological coherence, accompanied by significant decreases in breath rate occurred in the workshop participants from pre-test to post-test. Compared to the control group, workshop participants improved significantly in physiological coherence, health and spirituality perceptions. Thirteen of the 14 workshop participants achieved the 80% high coherence optimum performance criterion within a further 5 minute individual coaching period. Participants’ personal experiences centered on the democratically chosen, positive emotion of love with special reference to its personal, familial, communal and general psychotherapeutic implications. Integrative findings attest to the value of this form of biofeedback training for meaningful, rapid health and performance benefits.

Keywords: Biofeedback, workshop, physiological coherence, health, spirituality.