The Science of Heart Consciousness

Ancient philosophers such as Aristotle believed that the heart was the human body’s center of intelligence. Today, we dismiss this interpretation because modern science now understands that the brain is our central processor. However, we should not completely disregard the wisdom of ancient thinkers. The heart is not simply an organ that pumps blood across our entire body, and is in fact far more interconnected with our brain than we may think.

The entire body is one enormous system of cells that both interacts with the outside world, and themselves, to achieve homeostatic balance. The actions of cells are not only determined at the cell-to-cell level but are also managed by the central communication center of the brain. To think the brain is the only organ that performs complex analysis however would be to vastly over simply the beauty of the human body. Not only does the heart have its own system of neurons that allows it to beat on its own, it is also a sophisticated information processing center (Armour, 2003). This system of neurons within the heart allow it to process stimuli, both electrical and hormonal, and react to them in a complex manner to do what is best for the balance of the body (Armour, 1994). It is not hard to imagine then, that the interaction and communication between the heart and the brain play a monumental role in deciding bodily health. In fact, the network of neurons that send information from the heart to the brain is the most extensive compared to any other organ in the body (Cameron, 2002).

The extent at which our heart influences our body and mind are extremely complex, and it does so in many ways. It can do so by manipulating our heart rate and blood pressure, by sending neuronal signals to the brain, and even through the release of hormones (Mccraty et al., 2009). One such hormone is atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). ANP has been shown to have many effects such as the decrease of sympathetic outflow and the inhibition of stress related hormones (Butler et al., 1994; Ströhle et al., 1998). Meaning it has the direct ability to create a calmer state of being. ANP also plays a possible role in our immune system (Vollmar et al., 1990). The heart is also a location of oxytocin synthesis. Oxytocin plays a role in reducing heart rate, regulating vascular tone and is the key hormone in promoting breast milk release while feeding a baby (Gutkowska et al., 2000). 

Clearly the heart plays several important roles regarding bodily health, but how does this help our practice? The heart can often be an indicator to what is occurring within our consciousness. When we are in a state of panic, we often notice that our heart is beating quickly. When we are calm and at peace, so is this pace of our heart. The heart is not only a reflection of our emotional state of mind but can also determine it. Studies have found that the heart has direct neuronal input into many emotion regulating compartments of the brain and can greatly influence the activity of these areas. For example, studies have shown that unrecognized cardiac arrhythmias are detectable before the onset of panic attacks (Mccraty et al., 2009). This type of study is evidence that the heart can know the status of our body even before our conscious mind is aware of any changes. Therefore, being aware of the status of our heart can give us in depth insight into ourselves. Studies have shown that when individuals give conscious attention to their hearts, their heart rhythm will soon synchronize with the electrical signals of their brains (Montoya et al., 1993). Suggesting that listening to our heart will not only give us a greater understanding of our bodies, but the ability to help keep it calm and at peace. Therefore, in our daily practices, it is important to give attention to the heart, as it will provide us with an extremely informative and powerful tool that will allow us to bring balance to our body and mind.

For more information please see Science of the Heart and The Heart-Brain Connection: The Neuroscience of Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning (Video below).

References

Armour JA (1994). The role of peripheral autonomic neurons in cardiac regulation. Neurocardiology219–244.

Armour JA (2003). Neurocardiology Anatomical and Functional Principles. Available at: www.heartmath.org. [Accessed August 13, 2020].

Butler GC, Senn BL & Floras JS (1994). Influence of atrial natriuretic factor on heart rate variability in normal men. Am J Physiol – Hear Circ Physiol; DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.1994.267.2.h500.

Cameron OG (2002). Visceral Sensory Neuroscience: Interoception. Oxford University Press, New York, NY.

Gutkowska J, Jankowski M, Mukaddam-Daher S & McCann SM (2000). Oxytocin is a cardiovascular hormone. Brazilian J Med Biol Res 33,625–633.

Mccraty R, Atkinson M, Tomasino D & Bradley RT (2009). The Coherent Heart Heart-Brain Interactions, Psychophysiological Coherence, and the Emergence of System-Wide Order.

Montoya P, Schandry R & Miiller A (1993). Heartbeat evoked potentials (HEP) : topography and influence of cardiac awareness and focus of attention.

Ströhle A, Kellner M, Holsboer F & Wiedemann K (1998). Atrial natriuretic hormone decreases endocrine response to a combined dexamethasone-corticotropin-releasing hormone test. Biol Psychiatry 43, 371–375.

Vollmar AM, Lang RE, Hanze J & Schulz R (1990). A possible linkage of atrial natriuretic peptide to the immune system. Am J Hypertens 3, 408–411.

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