From our heads . . . ?
Yes, that's what I used to think. But I've been fascinated to learn that the heart has been grossly under-valued.
Considerably more than a mere pump, it appears that the heart has its own intricate brain and nervous system. The brain in the head isn't paramount, it's the heart that holds the more powerful intelligence.
Where did I learn this? From the work of an American scientific body known as The Institute of HeartMath. After years of study, the Institute has established conclusively that there's a heart domain and a mind domain. The heart, they've concluded, is an information-processing body, sending important information to the brain.
This means that there are two domains in our energy system, two domains which, if we are to maximise our potential, need to work together.
As a general rule, wouldn't you agree that we, in the western world, ascribe the brain superiority over the heart . . . opting to put our trust in study, knowledge and proven facts? We're inclined too mistrust a heart-based or intuitive response. How interesting that it should have been scientifically proved that, in reality, the heart is dominant.
All of this came to mind the other day as I watched a deeply-moving film entitled, 'Honesty'.
"Honesty," says the poet David Whyte, who wrote the script, "is reached through the doorway of grief and loss . . . " His commentary on this theme conveys its own powerful message, and forms an eloquent background to a succession of poignant faces.
Each face looks directly into the camera and registers a level of distress, but none of them speak.
What made me think of HeartMath's discoveries was the way in which, despite knowing nothing of their individual stories, I found myself resonating, at an emotional level, with each silent face.
The reasoning brain in the head had little to offer this succession of strangers. The heart, however, made instant contact.
In a moment I'll give you a link to the film, which was conceived by its director, Mark Pellington. I hope you can watch it. If you do, you'll find that the people you see will vary greatly. Some will be of a different age-group to your own, some of the opposite sex or a different colour . . . but I'm confident that you'll find that none of this distracts from an immediate sense of total understanding.
Have you eight minutes to spare? Then please click here and share this very moving experience.
In our troubled, media-obssessed world, mightn't it be a good idea to cut back on words and spend more time in silent, heart-based understanding?
It's just an idea . . . and perhaps it's my cue to stop speaking!
