Neurocardiology - The Brain in the Heart - Science and Spirituality

Emergence of Neurocardiology

Functions of Heart

Electromagnetic Field

Spiritual Aspect

Intuition

Heart is very important entity of human being. History shows that Prophets, Philosophers and Poets of all the times considered Heart as the center of Consciousness, Love, Wisdom, Life, Sympathy and also the center of goodness and evil.

As far as we know history, it become evident that first time Egyptian’s considered Heart as the central organ of body which control our emotions and perceptions, then Greeks follow this idea. Islam and Islamic Philosopher’s like Al-Ghazali also ranked Heart higher than Brain.

As Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) said:

“Beware there is a piece of Flesh in the body, if it becomes good, whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt, whole body gets spoilt that is the Heart” (H:52)

Al-Ghazali in his famous book Ihya said about heart that:

“It is elusive, divine and spiritual and it is essence of a man. In man, it is what perceives, knows, is aware to, is spoken to, punishes, blames and is responsible. It has a connection with the corporeal heart. The minds of most men have been baffled in trying to grasp the mode of the connection. Heart is like a King.”

But Science always dominated Brain over Heart and considered Brain “Master Organ” which commands the whole body.

Emergence of Neurocardiology:

Before 1960s, it was a generally accepted notion that heart is just a pumping organ which pumps blood and perform its functions on the commands of brain. But with the emergence of a new field called “Neurocardiology”, it was proved that it is the Heart which is the “Master Organ” not the brain.

John and Beatrice Lacey are considered the founder of Neurocardiology. They experimentally proved that heart and brain’s function is two dimensional. They found that heart has its own brain which is called Intrinsic Cardiac Nervous System. As Brain give commands to heart and body, so does the Heart. Surprisingly, it was realized that heart provides more information to brain than brain provides to heart.

After 1970s, Velden and Wolk’s contributions are very significant. Until now, major work in field of Neurocardiology is done by HeartMath Institute.

Functions of Heart:

Intrinsic Cardiac Nervous System works independent of Brain commands. ICNS transfer information to different body organs and also to higher brain centers like Thalamus, Hypothalamus and Amygdala which are involved in cognitions, perception and emotional processes. It also influence motivation, short-term and long-term memory, attention and cortical functioning; comprehension, communication, planning, imagining, reasoning and mathematical problems.

One way of transmitting information from heart to brain is neurotransmission. Neural Pathways of Heart also influence Brain’s electrical activity. Vagus Nerve is very important in this aspect. Autonomy of Vagus Nerve shows that most fibers, which transmit information between heart and brain, are of ascending nature. It’s a proof that more information is given by heart to brain than from brain to heart. Neuron signals that are being produced by heart influence gut, immune system, thorax and also Central Nervous System.

In the history, no one has idea that Heart can also produce hormones. But researches showed that heart is responsible for production of large number of hormones including a large family of Atrial Natriuretic Harmons which produce very large variety of hormones for many organs including brain. Moreover, heart also produce the same amount of Oxytocin as brain does, Oxytocin is responsible for trust, tolerance, relationship bonds and cognitions in addition to many other functions.

Electromagnetic Field:

Magnetic component of electromagnetic field of heart is 5000 times greater than brain and its Electric field is almost 60 times greater in amplitude than that of brains.

Electromagnetic Field of Heart and Brain

Heart communicates with whole body through its electromagnetic field. Our whole body organs receive encoded information in form of electromagnetic wave. Encoded information depends on type of heart rhythm, which depend on our positive or negative emotions. Through “Spectral Analysis”, it is realized that electromagnetic field of heart change by positive or Negative emotions. Positive emotions include emotions of love, appreciation etc and negative emotions are emotions of hatred, envy etc. As emotions change, the rhythms of heart also changes.

Source: HeartMath Institute

During sustained positive emotions, heart rhythms are like sine-wave and thus electromagnetic field is also well organized. This is called Psychophysiological Coherence. This state improves mental working (comprehension, cognitions); increase emotional stability; improve sensations, immune function and also physical health of person.

Spiritual aspect:

All above is what science told us, a great spiritual and religious leader Al-Ghazali (1111) said that Heart has 6 types of powers:

1. Apprehension
2. Intellect
3. Will
4. Appetite
5. Anger
6. Impulse

It is the Apprehension, Intellect and Will which make a man superior than animals.

It is stated in Holy Book Quran:

“So, have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the chests.” (22:46)

A great Muslim Philosopher Ibn-Qayyim in his book Lagathatul Lahfan Fi Masayid Ashshaytan stated that heart is of 3 types

1. Healthy Heart: One which is satisfactory and certain.

"The Day when there will not benefit (anyone) wealth or children. But only one who comes to Allah with a Sound Heart” (26-88,89) 

2. Dead Heart: Person with this type of heart remains unsatisfactory, uncertain, nonspiritual and slave of his desires..

"And don't obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever (in) neglect” (18:28) 


"They have hearts with which they understand not, they have eyes with which they don't see, and they have ears with which they don't hear. Those are like cattle; rather, they are more astray/ It is they who are the heedless” (7:179) 

3. Sick/Diseased Heart: It is one that lies between the healthy and dead heart.

Intuition:

Al-Ghazali stated in Ihya:

“It is the Heart which enables man to attain to knowledge of God, to draw near Him, to work for Him and labor towards Him. It is the heart which rejoices in proximity to Him and prospers when man has purified it and it is the heart which is disappointed and miserable when man has defiled and corrupted it. The heart is the recipient of knowledge of God, given earlier to the prophets which does not come from revelation, and which is also given to the saints through the process of a direct enlightening of their hearts, who have been purified to receive it.”

Researches also proved Intuition or Revelation. It happens when heart’s field combine with energetic information field out of the limits of space and time. By which out Heart and Brain can be informed with future event, here another interesting thing is that our Heart receives such type of information earlier than brain.

Refrences:

Armour, J. A. (2003). Neurocardiology-Anatomical and Functional Principles. California, United States of America: Institute of HeartMath. Retrieved 06 27, 2020

Haque, A. (Winter, 2004). Psychology from Islamic Perspective: Contributions of Early Muslim Scholars and Challenges to Contemporary Muslim Psychologists. Journal of Religion and Health, 43(4), 357-377. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27512819

Institute, H. (n.d.). Science of the Heart. Retrieved from https://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/heart-brain-communication/

Rollin Mccraty, R. T. (n.d.). Heart-Brain Connection. Quantum Life Source.

Saari, C. Z. (n.d.). Al-Ghazali's Views On The Heart, The Spirit And The Soul: A Comparison Between Ihya' Ulum Al-Din And Al-Risalah Al-Laduniyyah.

Shafi, S. A. (2011, 09 12). Three Types of Hearts. Islam21C. Retrieved 06 28, 2020, from https://www.islam21c.com/spirituality/3333-three-types-of-hearts/

Surel, D. D. (2015, 01 07). Thinking from the Heart – Heart Brain Science. Noetic Systems International.

Images Credit goes to; Trichrome Graphics