Does the sixth sense really exist?

Research conducted by Sydney neuropsychotherapist Trisha Stratford sheds new light on a phenomenon known as the "sixth sense." A five-year project that monitored brain activity during therapy sessions revealed that two people can synchronize their nervous systems, even without physical contact. The research suggests that a deep connection between people can influence their physiology, opening up new possibilities in therapy and interpersonal communication. Experts emphasize that understanding this phenomenon can improve relationships in a variety of contexts, from therapy to everyday interactions.

According to a Sydney neurologist, the mystery behind the term "sixth sense" - how people interact with each other on a physiological level - is getting closer to being explained.

A five-year study monitoring brain activity during therapy sessions has shown that two people can become physiologically aligned—that is, parts of their nervous systems begin to work in harmony—even without physical contact.

Trisha Stratford, a neuropsychotherapist who conducted the study at the University of Technology Sydney, said her research has provided a deeper understanding of what happens when people interact with each other, including when a couple falls in love.

Ms Stratford said her study also provided clues on how best to communicate or "pick up" a potential partner using this sixth sense, which has been suggested many times but never scientifically identified extensively.

Using an electrocardiogram and a finger-mounted sensor, the researcher observed thirty volunteers, measuring their skin conductance resonance to determine the moment at which alignment or "alignment" occurred during the volunteers' individual visit with a therapist.

Dr. Carl Marci, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, found a connection or "physiological compatibility" between two people - but his study, conducted three years ago, was limited, so he suggested further research.

“It’s interesting that I just started my doctoral thesis, looking for the same thing as Dr. Marci,” said Ms. Stratford, who has published one article so far and is awaiting publication of three more, submitted to international journals.

"I repeated his study, but this time I was at the point where two people become one, and I was watching what was happening in the brain. It was very exciting. When we are in that moment of oneness or altered state, the most exciting thing is that a part of the brain called the parietal lobe starts to activate. When this happens, we can read each other's minds and bodies on a deeper level—so we're using a sixth sense," Ms. Stratford said.

Sara Lal, senior lecturer in the department of biomedical and biomolecular sciences, explained that direct audio-visual communication between the therapist and the patient volunteers gave us insight into their so-called autonomic nervous systems (the autonomic nervous system is the part of the nervous system whose nerves innervate internal organs - note by Ivellios).

"It's truly amazing to see on screen how these pathways start to align so that they become aligned," said Dr. Lal. "We now believe that physiological alignment is essential for successful therapy."

Video recordings of therapy sessions showed that patients' body language changed as this alignment occurred—their eyes shifted in focus, and they became oblivious to their surroundings. Patients who were recommended therapy for various reasons had lower anxiety levels at the end of the session, and their hearts also slowed. All reported benefiting from the therapy.

Ms. Stratford believes that achieving this state can be used to improve the relationship between teacher and student and between doctor and patient.

Psychotherapist Dr Alan Meara, chairman of Gestalt Australia & New Zealand, who oversaw the study, said: "This sixth sense isn't something magical. It's something the human brain is wired for. The research shows we have the ability to understand people on a deeper level than we normally do in casual conversation."

Ms. Stratford, who has a master's degree in psychotherapy, specializing in neuroscience, said: "It seems that when we connect deeply with someone, using our sixth sense [and other senses], we use our creative imagination to read the other person."

And if you want tips on how to best woo a potential partner? "You have to give him your complete, undivided attention. Listening is better than talking about yourself, and the state of oneness becomes stronger after two or three meetings," Ms. Stratford said.