Heart Matters

Recently I came across articles about the 'Heart'.

* In 1980s, Harvard psychologist Dr David McClelland conducted an experiment whereby he showed a group of students a video about Mother Teresa (an embodiment of care and compassion). He compared the students' immune system before and after watching the video by measuring their IgA, or secretory immunoglobulin A levels (IgA is an important measurement of immune system). He discovered that the students' IgA levels increased after watching the video. Other researchers went on to conduct similar experiments using self-induced care and anger. They discovered that generating the feeling of care and compassion greatly increased the test subjects' IgA levels while experiencing the feeling of anger greatly reduced the IgA levels (IgA levels still not back to normal even after six hours!)

Reference link : http://www.heartmath.com/solutions-immune-system-2/ ( Take note of the words which say : Key findings: Heart-focused, sincere, positive feeling states boost the immune system, while negative emotions... )

* Other facts discovered and researched at HeartMath Institute show that the Heart generates the strongest electromagnetic field in the body, influencing the brain and the rest of the body. It sends more signal to the brain then the brain sends to it. Moreover, the Heart is also the strongest biological oscillator in the human body. The other physical organs are also oscillators. (Using the example of a pendulum clock which is also an oscillator with its rhythmic tick-tocks. If you have a room with many pendulum clocks, the biggest oscillator is going to synchronize the other tick-tocks in the room to its own tick-tock rhythm). As a result, the Heart is constantly affecting the rest of the body system with is rhythms. Scientists realized that if you influence the Heart, the while body is automatically influenced. Positive Emotions such as appreciation, compassion, love and other good qualities of the Heart translates to better brain function and immunity.

Reference Links :

http://www.heartmath.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=49
http://www.heartmath.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=51&limit=1&limitstart=2

Other Reference : The Healing Power of The Heart by Tan Hwee Meng, Lapis News 4th Issue October - December 2008 ( http://www.lapislazulilight.com/Inner_Work/Index_Lapis_News_Inner_Work_Article_11.html )