The psychophysiological basis of creativity and intuition: accessing 'the zone' of entrepreneurship

Abstract

Entrepreneurial behaviour is informed by high degree of creativity and intuition, yet these capacities have remained a scientific enigma. Recent research has identified a distinct bodily state psychophysiological coherence that appears to facilitate creativity and receptivity to intuitive insight. This article describes how psychophysiological coherence is activated by sustained positive emotions, which cause a global shift toward increased synchronisation and harmony in an individual's physiological and psychological processes. Learning how to self-activate the coherence state facilitates the processes underlying creativity and intuition. Creativity and intuition are viewed as whole-body functions emerging from important interactions between the heart and brain. Also described is a scientific system of coherence-building techniques which enable individuals to systematically increase intuitive receptivity and creativity at will. These techniques facilitate a body-wide shift to an optimal psychophysiological 'zone' for enhancing creativity and intuition. Coherence-building techniques and technologies have important applications in both entrepreneurial research and practice.