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The Conscious Heart

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Saidin

Saidin

Sun Dragon
Senior Member
Senior member
Found this article out there and found it very interesting. We have had lots of discussions about consciousness, and it appears even more mysterious than ever, and possibly not an epiphenomenon solely of the brain...




The Conscious Heart
Science of the Mind — POSTED BY Cosmo on September 29, 2009 at 3:30 pm

Rollin McCraty reveals the discovery that neural activity within the heart appears to influence our conscious perception, cognition, and emotional processing, which suggests that the traditional role attributed to the heart as the seat of our deepest emotions may be true after all.

THE BODY’S HEART FIELD

Many believe that conscious awareness originates in the brain alone. Recent scientific research suggests that consciousness actually emerges from the brain and body acting together. A growing body of evidence suggests that the heart plays a particularly significant role in this process.

Far more than a simple pump, as was once believed, the heart is now recognized by scientists as a highly complex system with its own functional “brain.” Research in the new discipline of neurocardiology shows that the heart is a sensory organ and a sophisticated center for receiving and processing information. The nervous system within the heart (or “heart brain”) enables it to learn, remember, and make functional decisions independent of the brain’s cerebral cortex. Moreover, numerous experiments have demonstrated that the signals the heart continuously sends to the brain influence the function of higher brain centers involved in perception, cognition, and emotional processing.
 
Saidin..you know what I am going to say :)

The good old institute of heartmath..

They make lots of claims. But they present little data. Worse they use scientific concepts and completely twist it around to make claims that products they sell are useful. The EMwave stress reliever for only $199? Highly dubious.

No one is going to dispute that heart rate is tied to stress and emotional levels. No one is going to deny that the brain and heart are interacting with each other. They have too. The brain needs oxygen all the time. ALL the time.

But these people are making stuff up to sell people stuff. Its obvious. They all are advertising products if you look at heartmath institute and other so called institutes linked by them. If you look at their basic research section you will most of those articles are not published articles. If you look at pubmed database you'll find 10 articles by institute of heart math. All published by R McCraty. Most are published in these kind of alternative medicine journals too. I am not going to read them all though.

The only articles published in real peer reviewed journals are the ones with just heart rate measurements and things like this. How they change with emotion etc. Nothing about heart brains. These are doable studies by anyone. But you'll see that they have tons of articles on their website with links to similar organizations that are all advertising products to reduce stress. Doesn't that say something to you? Doesn't is also say something when the vast majority of their "research" is not peer reviewed?

All the claims they make about heart rate being involved in emotional states is true. Everyone knows that. They can publish stuff about that. But all the stuff they claim about enhancing consciousness (which is a term with no meaning in this context) and psychophysiological coherence and optimal health (again a terms with no meaning) and other spiritual energy fields is all nonsense designed to sell products. Anything that relieves stress would have the same effects.

Here are some articles revealing the dubious nature of research conducted by this group:

HeartMath - Cabrillo College

HeartMath learning tools and techniques are devices and procedures intended to enhance student performance. The Institute of HeartMath has marketed a TestEdge® classroom program that includes lessons about a “Freeze-Frame®” technique and test-taking strategies.
www.cabrillo.edu www.cabrillo.edu


Here is a compilation of questionable organizations. Realize there is an entire INDUSTRY designed to promote these kinds of questionable medical products:

 
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