Becoming Supernatural: How Common People are Doing the Uncommon

Epigenetics is an emerging field of scientific study that explores how external factors affect the expression of genes. Dispenza discusses the role that emotions play in gene expression and how the chemical changes produced by emotions can either up-regulate (produce an increased expression) or down-regulate (produce a decreased expression) certain genes.

Heart coherence is a state of alignment between the heart’s rhythm and other bodily systems. Becoming Supernatural presents studies conducted by the HeartMath Institute, which support the idea that achieving heart coherence through practices such as breathing and meditation has significant benefits for physical, mental, and emotional health and wellbeing. Sustaining heart coherence creates a measurable magnetic field that projects beyond the body; this frequency carries information that can influence the heart of another person.

The HeartMath Institute is a non-profit research organization that conducts research into the connections between the heart, brain, emotions, and other bodily systems. Founded in 1991, they develop techniques and technology to help people reduce stress and enhance their overall quality of life through “heart-focused care.” HMI aims to advance understanding of the mind-body connection and provide practical tools for enhancing well-being.

Since 2013, Dispenza and his team of researchers have been partnered with HMI to conduct studies on heart rate variability in his seven-day advanced workshops and to teach participants how to sustain elevated, “heart-centered” emotions that positively impact their well-being. Becoming Supernatural references the data gathered as a result of this partnership.

Heart intelligence is defined by the HeartMath Institute as “[t]he flow of awareness and insight we experience once the mind and emotions are brought into balance and coherence through a self-initiated process” (157). Dispenza explores the heart and its connections to human emotion, wisdom, and bodily functions in Chapter 7: “Heart Intelligence.” He posits that, by achieving heart coherence through meditation, people can access deeper wisdom and higher levels of intuition that lead to a better understanding of oneself and the world.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a measurement of the variation in time between heartbeats. HRV can vary based on a variety of external factors, including age and environmental or psychological stressors, and is a strong predictor of health outcomes. As Becoming Supernatural highlights, HRV is also linked to emotional states, with elevated, positive emotions causing steady and coherent rhythms and stressful emotions causing incoherent, irregular rhythms. Maintaining coherent heart rate variability promotes greater harmony and healing throughout the body.

The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves and coordinates actions and sensory information. It has two main parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The autonomic nervous system is a component of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary bodily processes, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. Within this are the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation and digestion processes, and the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s stress (“fight or flight”) responses.

Dispenza refers to the autonomic nervous system as a “subconscious system” that automatically takes care of bodily functions. A core part of his teachings regarding the mind-body connection is the idea that humans can tap into this system through meditation and mindfulness practices in order to bring it into balance and promote self-healing in the body.

The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland located in the middle of the brain. It produces the hormone melatonin, which helps regulate the body’s sleep patterns. It has commonly been referred to as the “third eye” and, in many spiritual traditions, is believed to be a gateway between the physical and spiritual realms.

Becoming Supernatural dedicates an entire chapter to the function of the pineal gland's role in regulating the body’s circadian rhythm and its ability to transmute melatonin into neurotransmitters that can induce profound, mystical experiences.