Your Heart - Brain

I just attended an awesome seminar called "is your cranial brain the only brain in your body?" by Dr. Badri Rickhi. It was really interesting - all about the neural capacity of your other organs, with special focus on the heart, and how they may have a more prominent role in controlling your body than originally thought. General knowledge tells us that the brain is the control center but recent studies is medical science have revealed that the heart may also be a "control center", possibly with the ability to override the brain. Phenomenon that occurs in many post-heart transplant patients inspires studies investigating the heart's unique ability to store memories, especially emotional ones, and it's interaction with the brain... Sure it may sound far fetched, but intriguing evidence is being collected from EEGs, heart rhythm analysis (analyses micro changes in heart rhythm not shown on EEGs), and brain wave analysis that suggests that science has yet to discover all the mysteries of the human body. The human SYSTEM is much more complex than the parts we study it in, including the individual themselves a part of a much bigger system of people.
Much of the evidence alludes to the idea that eastern and ancient medicine can be backed up with science. Especially when one considers the enormous electromagnetic field of the heart and how it interacts with other people's. Some of the variable heart rhythms and brain wave studies have shown that your heart and brain may interact with those around you. A relatively healthy person can become sick from living with stressed or depressed individual (even when it is not obvious). These cases tend to be women being influenced by the emotions of their husband while they sleep. As well, two people in close proximity may experience a synchronization of their variable heart beat. Quite interesting... In many eastern medicine practices, energy is manipulated and in such practices as reiki, it is worth noting the uncanny resemblance of the energy pathways (alignment of chakras) to the magnetic field of the heart. I have also heard (from a different source) that specific points targeted in some Chinese therapies like acupuncture align nicely with the lymph system.
Another interesting thing this seminar touched on was the relationship between changes in heart rhythm and emotions. It is well known by most people that when you're stressed your heart races (and also becomes irregular) and when you are calm is beats slower and more steadily. A commonly taught technique to relax, calm the heart and nerves, and supposedly heal is progressive relaxation... however, while this technique is effective in relaxing muscles and calming the mind it does not cause significant enough changes to stimulate the healing effects of the parasympathetic nervous system (yes, the PNS is triggered but just to the relax point - not the heal point). What does trigger the heart to begin beating in nice synchronicity and result in enough changes to have a healing effect is the emotion of appreciation and love. When subjects were told to visualize being appreciative, giving thanks, or the feeling of love they generated more alpha brain waves and a steady heart rhythm (beautiful even wave on a graph) and reached healing levels. So isn't this what religion has been preaching all along? Now we have scientific evidence to justify it! Give thanks! Now go pray and be healthy. :-)