Your heart has a brain of its own, recent studies say

The heart has its own “brain.” Now, scientists have mapped out a detailed map of this little brain, called the intracardiac nervous system.

The heart’s big boss is the brain, but nerve cells in the heart also have a say. These neurons are thought to play a crucial role in heart health, helping to fine-tune the heart’s rhythm and possibly protecting people against certain types of heart disease.

But until now, this local control system has not been mapped in detail.

Until recently, modern science perceived the heart as simply a pump that regulates the flow of blood in our bodies. But long before that, many cultures believed that the heart had a much more important function that corresponded to our thoughts, emotions, and spirit.

When we speak or share deep feelings, we say that we “speak from the heart.” This is no longer just an archaic maxim, but one with factual support.

Now even science realizes that the two organs have more of an interactive relationship, a relationship that has consequences for our bodies and even for humanity as a whole.

The brain has traditionally been thought of as the body’s control center, sending commands through the nervous system to various organs. But in reality, the heart sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to it, influencing emotions, memories, problem-solving, and higher-level cognitive functions.

The heart’s network of neurons is so sensitive that its rhythm becomes extremely orderly when we experience positive emotions, love, and joy.

Conversely, negative emotions cause an irregular and jerky rhythm, leading to a lack of energy and poor judgment.

Mapping the brain from the heart

To map this local control system, biologist James Schwaber of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and his colleagues scanned rat hearts using a technique called knife-edge scanning microscopy. This created detailed images of the heart’s anatomy.

These images could then be integrated into a 3D model of the heart. The scientists also extracted individual neurons and measured the activity in each cell.

The nerve cells (yellow) that make up the heart’s “brain” cluster around the top of the reconstructed heart, near where blood vessels enter and exit the organ. Other colors show the outlines of distinct cardiac areas, such as the left atrium (green), right atrium (turquoise), left ventricle (blue), and right ventricle (purple).

The measurements helped sort the heart’s neurons into distinct groups. Most of these groups of neurons dot the top of the heart, where blood vessels enter and exit.

With this new view of the individual groups, scientists can begin to study whether these groups have distinct tasks.

The study authors say that a complete, 3-D map of the heart’s little brain could eventually lead to targeted therapies that could treat or prevent heart disease.

How to maintain coherence between the two organs

The goal of developing and maintaining heart-brain coherence is to regulate these two organs at the appropriate frequency, thus creating a harmony that allows for optimal functioning.

The ideal frequency is 0.1 Hz. At this frequency, it is scientifically proven that the body activates enzymes that work to delay aging, improve cognitive function, stimulate our immune system and stimulate the production of DHEA, the precursor to all hormones.

So, how is a frequency of 0.1 Hz achieved?

Eating healthy, organic foods should be the first step in this process, but it’s not enough. Since soil quality is often lacking to provide optimal nutrients, supplements can help provide the boost needed to implement your own diet and achieve consistency.

Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Magnesium, and Calcium are nutrients we need all the time, as well as the enzyme CoQ10, which is an antioxidant that promotes cardiovascular health.

Along with this healthy diet, the main method for activating heart-brain coherence is a 10-second breathing technique. Using a breathing rate of five seconds-in and five seconds-out, consciously experiencing positive thought and emotion, heart-brain coherence can be activated.

This coherence can be fully activated through the “heart prayer”: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God” – inhale, “have mercy on me a sinner!” – exhale.

The method of lowering the mind to the heart is the most interesting part of practicing the prayer of the heart. The believer says the prayer with his head bowed to his chest. By inhaling, the attention first follows the movement of the exhaled air to the top of the heart. In this way, one can maintain concentration without the mind wandering, remaining with the heart or even entering it.

This method does not refer to a physical view of the heart, but to the feelings that pass through it and the mental images that approach it from outside.

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Source: sciencenews.org, heartmath.org, gaia.com.

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