Heartbeat could hold the secret to ‘mind-reading’, say researchers

LISTENING TO your heart really could be the key to communicating on an emotional level, research suggests.

Being able to perceive one’s own heartbeat is linked to success in understanding other people’s emotions, scientists have discovered.

Psychologist Punit Shah, from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, was involved in the study.

He said: “Our study shows the psychological processes involved in mind-reading, while also highlighting that internal sensations may be linked to a range of psychological abilities and difficulties.”

Mr Shah explained that the research suggests it might be possible to train people to become better mindreaders by improving their heartbeat perception, improving social interactions and the “overall quality of life”.

In tests, volunteers were asked to count their heartbeats without feeling a pulse to see how aware they were of internal bodily sensations. Participants were then shown video clips of social interactions which assessed their ability to “read the minds” of the characters.

During the clips they were asked what the characters were feeling and thinking, as well as non-social questions such as ‘what was the weather like?’

Those who had counted their heartbeats most accurately were better at answering questions relating to characters emotions.

But there was no association between their “interoceptive ability” to perceive internal sensations and correct answers to non-social questions.

The study is reported in the journal Cortex.