Man Able to Control His Heart Voluntarily

Blood pressure and heart rate, both governed by the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system, can be voluntarily controlled, scientists at the Harvard Medical School have discovered.

Gary E. Schwartz, a graduate student at the Medical School, reported last Friday that achievement of such control over the nervous system is possible if a man is sufficiently aware of his heart activities and is rewarded for his efforts.

Schwartz's research, which consisted of two series of experiments, was carried out with Dr. David S. Shapiro, associate professor of Psychology at the Med School, and Dr. Bernard Tursky, lecturer on Social Relations at the Med School.

The researchers divided ten men into two groups and rewarded one group for blood-pressure and heart-rate increases and the other one for decreases.

"In working with normal males we have found that a potpourri of rewards provides the most interest and incentive." Schwartz said. The incentives included landscapes, pictures of attractive female nudes, and monetary bonuses.

A single session of experiments indicated significant control over both blood pressure and heart rate.

"If it were possible to directly teach individuals to lower their heart rate and their blood pressure using operant techniques," Schwartz said. "comparable relief might be obtained without drugs or surgery."