The Human Heart

1
The Human Heart

• Towards a Holistic View

2
Two Views of the Heart

• Biological/Mechanical

Metaphorical/Emotional
3
The Heart as a Machine

• The heart is a pump.
• The heart can be regulated and replaced by
  machines.

4
The Heart as Spiritual Center

• The heart is traditionally seen as the seat of
  loving power, and as a source of connection with
  the divine.

5
Emotional Heart
6
What is the biological model?

• Electrical impulses trigger the beating of the
  heart, which pumps blood to the lungs and then to
  the entire body.

7
BUT

• Heart is more dynamic than pump suggests.
• Muscle fibers spiral, vortex at bottom (apex) of
  heart.
• Spiral form of muscle fibers brings blood into
  vortices, clockwise on one side, counterclockwise
  on other, spiraling out into blood vessels in
  twin streams.
• Heart is dynamic center, in communication with
  periphery of body.

8
Heart as a Perceptive Center

• Heart responds to blood-based information,
  altering flow, secreting hormones that affect
  brain and body.
• Heart also is a specialized brain, in direct
  communication with head brain.

9
Heart Brain Connection

• Heart is in direct communication with parts of
  the brain associated with
• Emotions and memory
• Sensory experience
• Meaning of sensory input
• Reasoning and learning

10
Electromagnetic Field

• Heartbeats are triggered by and generate
  electrical impulses and electromagnetic field.
• Electromagnetic signals are carried by the blood,
  and a large field is generated around the body,
  centered on the heart.

11
Electromagnetic Fields and Information

• Humans use electromagnetic fields for information
  radios, televisions, cell phones, wireless
  devices

12
Heart-to-Heart

• EM heart fields interact, entrain, exchange
  information.
• Heart is responsive to sensory information,
  producing different state from thinking.
• Focus on heart field produces changes in brain
  function

13
Heart Transplants

• Heart transplants are almost commonplace now.
  Pearsall et al have been recording instances of
  personality change.

14
Marital Spats

• U of Utah study of married couples interactions.
  
• Womens hearts hurt by hostile interactions.
• Mens hearts hurt by issues of control

15
Putting it Together

• Frontier scientists extend our understanding of
  the heart.
• New knowledge meets old for a more holistic view
  based in science as well as our own direct
  experience.