Psychophysiology
Psychophysiology studies the relationships between mental processes and the body's physiological responses.
Definition
Psychophysiology analyzes how emotions, attention, stress and cognition are related to the activity of the nervous system, heart, breathing, muscles and skin. It helps to understand why a mental state can have somatic signals and body regulation influences the experience of emotions. This does not mean, however, that every physical ailment has only a psychological cause.
Key ideas
- The relationship between mind and body
- Measurement of physiological reactions
- Regulation by the body and attention
Practice and life
For a week, note your body tension, breathing and emotions at three times of the day. Look for dependencies, not immediate conclusions.
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to psychologize every body reaction. The second mistake is ignoring physiological signals when working on emotions.
> The body is not the background of the psyche but its first communicator.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- How does my body signal my tension?
- Have I checked for possible medical causes?
- What regulatory effect does it have on my nervous system?