Emotional Experience and its Biological Underpinnings: Improving Emotional Well-Being Through Vagal Tone

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to present knowledge on the biological underpinnings of emotional experience and on the possibility of improving emotional well-being by increasing vagal tone. Vagal tone is considered an indicator of emotional experience. An emotional experience is conceived as a dynamic process in which an emotional reaction and the ability to regulate the emotional reaction interact. Through heart rate variability biofeedback interventions focusing on breathing and through transauricular vagus nerve stimulation, it is possible to increase the vagal tone in a way that improves the emotional state.