The Man and the Method Behind a Surprising Meditation Study

"A scientifically controlled study conducted by German researchers at the University of Kassel has shown that while the chest area of an average person emits only 20 photons of light per second, someone who meditates on their heart center and sends love and light to others emits an amazing 100,000 photons per second. That is 5000 times more than the average human being. Numerous studies have also shown that when these photons are infused with a loving and healing intent, their frequency and vibration increases to the point where they can literally change matter, heal disease, and transform negative events." —From The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by The Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu

The meditator described in the above study was Puran Bair, Co-Founder of iamHeart, lifelong meditator and, along with his partner Susanna Bair, formulator of Heart Rhythm Meditation, based on practices described by Hazrat Inayat Khan and taught to him by his meditation teacher and spiritual guide, Pir Vilayat Khan. Pir Vilayat asked Puran and Susanna to pursue the science of the spiritual modality he taught, which was based on Sufi meditations. In doing so, Puran and Susanna formulated Heart Rhythm Meditation as an approachable, step-by-step process, and began working with researchers in the USA and Europe.

The study, titled "Visible Light Radiated from the Heart with Heart Rhythm Meditation," which can be found here, has been widely reproduced around the internet in the past year, and those of us at iamHeart are surprised and heartened to see it! We all devote our lives to the promotion and expansion of this method and the ways it can help many of the pervasive problems the world is facing. Our work is to understand the powerful effects of breath-with-heartbeat on the energy and consciousness of the human being. Our research and research by HeartMath and others shows breath-with-heartbeat creates strong improvements over time in heart rate variability and vagal tone.

When Puran completed the study of the light emission of the heart years ago, he was sure it would gain lots of attention and serious inquiry. Instead, people didn’t know what to make of it. It seemed impossible, and remained a footnote. Throughout that time, Puran focused on building The Institute for Applied Meditation on the Heart, which we call iamHeart for short. Through this organization, he has focused on the method described in his first book Living From the Heart, which described the practice he used in this study.

What his study shows in tangible terms is that the heart literally "lights up." It's not just a metaphor, it's reality. When we practice Heart Rhythm Meditation to bring love and positivity into our hearts, our hearts light up. The light within, when fanned by breath, can burn bright enough to be visible, and the skill is transferable. It can be learned by anyone, starting with control of your breath and heartbeat.

Though meditation can have miraculous effects on one's physical state, it is the deeper truth of one's self that it reveals which has been the driving force for Bair. For Puran, Heart Rhythm Meditation has been his connection to the divine, mystical experience of unity. He and his partner Susanna continue to write books on the power of the heart to "literally change matter, heal disease, and transform negative events."

A Practice for Connecting With Heart

Sit upright, with your feet on the floor in a comfortable chair.

Notice your everyday breath.

Do you notice any differences between the inhale and the exhale? How does your breath feel in your body? Where do you feel your breath?

Notice your physical sensations, and feel your emotions.

Put your hand on your heart, getting a sense of the rhythm at your body’s core.

Even if you can't feel a pulse or your heartbeat, you can be absolutely certain your heart is throbbing in your chest. It's there, always.

Be patient. Sit, feel, and connect with yourself. It is the emotion we are looking for. How does your heart feel in your body?

Continue to breathe full, conscious breaths.

Once you have contact with your pulse or heartbeat, you can begin to count six heartbeats on the inhale and six heartbeats on the exhale... six heartbeats inhale and six heartbeats exhale.

Find the warmth here. Continue to breathe rhythmically in and out, deeply and fully.

When your thoughts wander, gently invite them back to your breath, heartbeat, and body.

You can repeat this 10 times or as many as you feel good with.