Perception: How Are You Responding to the World You Perceive?
Perception in simple terms is the understanding or awareness of something by means of one or more of the physiological senses – sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. You might, for example, perceive another person’s presence in a room because you witnessed it with your own eyes, heard footsteps or a door opening, or sensed the vibration of someone walking across the floor. These are all basic perceptions of our physical world.
Beyond this traditional meaning, people generally agree on some level that there is much more to perception than meets the senses. Who among us hasn’t at some time felt the hair on the back of their neck stand up? Perhaps you’ve looked behind you knowing someone was looking your way?
Ever thought, I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a good day?
Our days are filled with perceptions. They govern how we conduct our lives.
Think of all the perceptions you might have while standing in an elevator as it takes you from the lobby to the seventh floor: It’s stuffy in here. I feel good today. That man with the briefcase and the umbrella sure seems stressed. What am I doing with my life? I wish … I think … I feel … I wonder … . And that could all happen before you reach the third floor!
Until very recently, it was generally accepted that our perceptions were limited to data collected by the five senses and processed by the conscious brain, but many researchers today, including those at the Institute of HeartMath, believe our entire psychophysiological systems are engaged in the formation of our perceptions. Studies related to intuitive processes are expanding around the world as scientists seek to learn more about the human ability to know, feel and understand certain things with no detectable prior knowledge.
IHM researchers believe the human heart, which we now understand possess a sophisticated level of intelligence not previously recognized, is central to this nonbrain perception. Evidence of this has been measured through a range of emotions and physiological changes exhibited or detected throughout the body, according to the study Electrophysiological Evidence of Intuition – McCraty, Atkinson and Bradley, 2004.
Did you know, for instance, that when you calmly watch the patterns of your heart rhythms on a heart monitor, the wave running across the screen can suddenly turn erratic if you simply focus on something that makes you angry or recall some incident that affected adversely.
This discovery and subsequent findings are proving highly beneficial to people in a multitude of ways. Whereas it has been widely believed that our perception of events and situations in our lives could cause stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue and a range of debilitating conditions, HeartMath researchers have learned it is not perception alone. After conducting many controlled studies involving hundreds of subjects, they have shown that in fact, it is our response to these perceptions that is the overriding factor.
Think of it in terms of spotting storm clouds on the near horizon as you prepare to head off for a day at the beach. You can respond to your perception of an impending storm in several ways: You may choose to be agitated because your plans have been upset, in which case there would be a negative effect on your disposition and your body. Contrast that with choosing to view it as an opportunity – to read a book, go to the movies or engage in some other pleasing activity.
For more than 19 years the Institute of HeartMath has explored stress and human emotions. IHM’s findings about perception, heart intelligence and much more have led to the development of easy-to-learn tools and technology that today are teaching thousands of people worldwide to live healthier, happier lives by reducing stress and self-managing their emotions.
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