The Psychological and Physiological Changes to Heartbeat-listening While in a Resting State

Abstract

This study examined the influence of listening to one's heartbeat on one's psychological and physiological changes during a resting state. It consisted of two experiments. In Experiment 1, the heartbeat-listening condition, in which participants closed their eyes and listened to their heartbeat, was compared to a control condition, in which participants closed their eyes but did not listen to any particular sound. In Experiment 2, the metronome-listening condition, which involved closing the eyes and listening to a metronome, was compared to the same control condition as in Experiment 1. POMS (Profile of Mood States) Brief Japanese Version and introspective reports were the psychological indices. The electrocardiogram R-R interval and skin potential level were the physiological indices. Moreover, a Lorenz plot was calculated from the electrocardiogram R-R interval. Effects of the heartbeat-listening condition appeared in the physiological indices in Experiment 1: the CSI values of the Lorenz plot and the skin potential levels. For the heartbeat-listening condition, the CSI values of the Lorenz plot indicated that there was a reduction in heart sympathetic nerve activity during the post-experimental resting state. Furthermore, the skin potential level during the heartbeat-listening condition experiment showed a positive test result compared to the control condition. Therefore, it is apparent that listening to one's heartbeat while in a resting state reduces sympathetic nerve activity more than being in a resting state with eyes closed.