Change Your Thoughts and Change Your Heart

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Los Angeles, California, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) February 26, 2012 -- We know from scientific study that our natural heart is a muscle. Its physiological function is to pump blood through blood vessels. As the result of its pumping action, our heart creates a blood pressure that helps deliver blood to the different areas of the body. This blood contains the nutrients that are needed for our tissues and cells to survive. This is one of our natural heart's functions. It is a pump.

This heart pump typically works in a rhythmic fashion. There are specialized cells within our heart that help regulate the beat or pumping rhythm of our heart. These specialized cells can work on their own to set the rhythm of the heart, but these cells can also be influenced by signals from our brain, chemicals that are released in the body, and even other parts of the body.

The relationship between our heart and brain is an interesting one. Our heart and brain interact with each other through neuronal circuits or groups of nerves. Our brain contains an area called the cardioregulatory center, which is located in the lowest part of our brain. This center receives information from higher areas of the brain, large blood vessels in our body, and chemicals in our blood. The higher areas of the brain will supply thought messages to the cardioregulatory center. The large vessels in our body provide blood pressure messages. The blood provides chemical messages which include the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our blood.

The cardioregulatory center controls two groups of neuronal circuits. One group of neurons is part of the parasympathetic system. These neurons extend to the heart and influence the heart by decreasing the heart rate. The other group of neurons is part of the sympathetic nervous system. These neurons extend to the heart and influence the heart by increasing the heart rate and pumping action of the heart. The parasympathetic and sympathetic neurons have a modulating effect on the heart. The parasympathetic neurons have more of a modulating effect on the heart when we are in a relaxed state.
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During stress and exercise, the parasympathetic tone withdraws and the sympathetic neurons have more of a modulating effect. Both of these groups of neurons also have a direct influence on what is known as heart rate variability, which is the time interval between heart beats. There is great interest in heart rate variability in the field of psychophysiology. Research has shown that heart rate variability is reduced during periods of chronic stress and anxiety. This suggests that the heart is experiencing the psychological stress. Heart rate variability and its role in heart disease has now become a major area of research.

The research strongly suggests that our brain, which is considered the source of our thoughts, has a direct influence on our heart. The most accepted view with regards to the communication flow of information between our brain and heart is more of a top to bottom pattern. That is, impulses that originate in the brain influence the heart's function. However, research also suggests that the heart has an influence on the brain's neurological activity and may even play a role in cognitive function and behavior (McCraty et al., 2009).

This research suggests that information exchanged between the brain and the heart does not only occur in one direction, from brain to heart. The exchange of information can occur in a two directions, back and forth between the brain and the heart. There is also a growing area of research that is now implying that the heart has its own internal nervous system (Pearsall, 1998; Song et al., 1998). This has led to theories that suggest the heart could be the origin of information such as thoughts, memories, and feelings.

Neuroscientists have strongly suggested that the physiological origin of our thoughts or feelings is from the brain. There is an ongoing debate on whether these thoughts are simply the result of electrical and chemical events or whether they are generated from a source outside the brain. Those who feel that our thoughts are generated from a source outside the brain suggest that a higher consciousness may be the origin of many thoughts.

What types of thoughts are detrimental to the heart? Scientific research suggests that thoughts that create feelings such as anxiety, fear, rage, hostility, and prolonged sadness cause disturbances to the natural rhythm and pumping action of our heart. These feelings are now considered by the medical establishment to be detrimental to our heart and to our overall health (Chida & Steptoe, 2009; McCraty et al., 1995; Shibeshi et al., 2007).

What types of thoughts are beneficial to the heart? Research suggests that thoughts of compassion, forgiveness, faith, hope, gratitude and love are beneficial to our heart and our overall health (McCraty et al., 1995; , Beauregard et al., 2009; Emmons & McCullough, 2003; Friedberg et al., 2009). As previously mentioned, I believe these thoughts come from God and that we need to cultivate them in thought and with action. In many religious and spiritual traditions, these beneficial thoughts are integral part of their theology.

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