Let Your Heart Talk to Your Brain

Did you know that the heart contains a brain in its own right? What do researchers mean when they talk about heart-brain interactions? Why is it important to you?

Researchers at the Institute of HeartMath and other organizations have shown that the human heart, in addition to its other functions, actually possesses the equivalent of its own brain, called the heart brain, which interacts and communicates with the head brain.

When I first heard about this, it intuitively made sense. Then as I delved into the research, it really confirmed what I have felt for a long time: that the heart has its own way of knowing.

Until recently, scientists assumed and most of us were taught that it was only the brain that sent information and issued commands to the heart, but now we know that it works both ways. The heart and head communicate via a number of pathways. Between them they continually exchange critical information that influences how the body functions.

Dr. J. Andrew Armour first introduced the term heart brain in 1991. Armour showed that the heart’s complex intrinsic nervous system qualified as a “little brain.” This heart brain, explains Science of the Heart, published by Institute of HeartMath, “is an intricate network of several types of neurons, neurotransmitters, proteins and support cells, like those found in the brain proper. Research has shown that the heart communicates to the brain in four major ways: neurologically (through the transmission of nerve impulses), biochemically (via hormones and neurotransmitters), biophysically (through pressure waves) and energetically (through electromagnetic field interactions).” Its elaborate circuitry enables it to act independently of the cranial brain – to learn, remember, and even feel and sense.

Next – Heart-Brain Communication Pathways

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Eternal G.

8:44PM PST on Jan 28, 2012

And vice versa!

send a green star

Jane B.

2:01PM PST on Jan 26, 2012

What's the "Holy Spirit" got to do with this? What a convoluted bunch of blabbering about imaginary "spirits". There ARE no imaginary "gods", there is only US. All these dreams and
imaginations and "feelings" are between crazy peoples' ears and that's IT. There are no fairy spirits out there that are going to "save" us. "Love" feels like it coming from the heart but it's not, it originates in the BRAIN. It's a proven fact. This is "snake oil" selling itself as "science".

Nicole A.

10:15PM PST on Jan 25, 2012

it works!

Donna H.

7:42PM PST on Jan 25, 2012

Fascinating - thanks for posting.

rene d.

7:32PM PST on Jan 25, 2012

thank you

Kathy P.

6:24PM PST on Jan 25, 2012

amazing.. the human body is so very interesting

Allelyah A.

4:48PM PST on Jan 25, 2012

This is useful communication and it is good to know that the only life that can use it is life that can tell itself something and not all life does (there are two areas). Once an existence understands about the unity of the circulatory circumstance with the central nervous system, the heart no longer communicates out of it's area to the area of the brain and the two use themselves seeing and knowing instantaneously and doing and saying when it is caused interesting. What is being described here is the functioning of what some area refer to as the Holy Spirit when it is purposeful toward good counsel and transformation into perfect unity with your whole existence (which includes the life of activity one goes around with which must be set to a communication of infatuation in order for it not to be caused as integrations with aware nervous system communication).

Terry S.

10:42AM PST on Jan 25, 2012

I enticed a friend, who's the senior US medical editor for a major international trades publisher, to review this sales pitch and the linked marketing site. She agrees with me that it's junk pseudo-science, deserving rejection as fraud and not promotion as if science to low hanging fruit too lazy or illiterate to inspect for facts indicating that. Care2 has severely degraded itself by fostering an atmosphere of mutual mental masturbation over frauds like this.

Jon H.

5:52AM PST on Jan 25, 2012

Isn't our subconsious mind our heart when it's always right.

Danuta W.

2:21AM PST on Jan 25, 2012

Thanks for the article