All those years of medical school I have always thought of all those phrases relating love to our hearts. Well to be honest, I used to think that these are mere mythical quotes and these functions are performed by amygdala and there is no correlation between heart and all these emotions.
A few days ago I went across this topic of neuro cardiology which was quite engrossing. I did a little work on it and wanted to share this knowledge
It is about the relation of brain and heart and how the heart is one step ahead from the brain in these processes of thinking, memories and feelings. There had been studies supporting this idea.
Starting from memory, there is this surgical procedure called ‘the heart transplant’ which involves moving a functional heart for a dead or a dying donor to a recepient with non/low functional heart to improve latter’s survival. Studies have shown that the recepient’s life changed drastically starting from hobbies, interests, creativity to the memories, memories of any sport the donor used to play even the memory of donor’s murderer were also perceived by the recepient.
Moving onto feelings and understanding, the heart is a generator of electromagnetic waves which constantly surrounds our bodies like a magnetic field and this magnetic energy is 4000 times more powerful than the magnetic energy of our brain. It is through this field, we develop some bond with the people of similar natute and interests around us, even without talking to them.
Heart also has quicker response to external stimuli than our brain does. All these attributes develop over time in the neurons our hearts possess, over the course of time through a feedback mechanism. After a certain age the neurons are adapted to one’s lifestyle, fears,emotions and memories (muscle memory and mental memory) which are felt by the recepient afterwards as if two persons are lying in one body. Quite amazing it is!
Heart’s integrated nervous system allows it to learn, remember and make functional decisions independent of brain’s cerebral cortex. Infact recent studies suggest that heart continuously sends signals to our brain to influence its function on emotions, cognition and perception these connections are via neurons, hormones, electromagnetic field and pressure waves.
Heart can even mingle with other person’s brain through an exchange of electromagnetic signals this is known as ‘energy exchange concept’.
If we gather this knowledge and apply it to our lives, we will be able to correlate it to our life events and it will certainly make sense as well.
Healthful talk by Dr. Uzair 