Tapping Into Our Mysterious Hearts
“Alison’s Heart” by Patrice Vecchione. Collage, 2021.
This week, I gathered some fascinating information about the human heart in anticipation of our upcoming Quest for Eternal Sunshine “Write Your Heart Open” workshop. I learned that our hearts beat 100,000 times per day, pumping approximately 2,000 gallons of blood through our circulatory system. Combined, our arteries, veins and capillaries stretch for 60,000-miles—more than twice the circumference of the earth. By the time we turn eighty, our hearts will have beat three billion times. What an incredible feat!
But the heart is much more than just a pump. HeartMath Institute cites studies showing that our hearts continuously communicate with our brains in a dynamic, two-way dialogue, with each organ influencing the other’s function. According to their website, “Research has shown that the heart communicates to the brain in four major ways: neurologically (through the transmission of nerve impulses), biochemically (via hormones and neurotransmitters), biophysically (through pressure waves) and energetically (through electromagnetic field interactions).” HearthMath’s techniques to harness the power of our hearts to manage our thoughts and emotions are being used by corporations such as Hewlett-Packard and Motorola, as well as in the U.S. Military to reduce stress and help with PTSD.
I also found fascinating information that challenges the conventional view that memory is solely a function of the brain. A scientific paper written by Mitch Liester in 2019 documents changes experienced by people following heart transplants, including alterations in preferences and temperament, as well as feelings of connection to donors, and verifiable memories from donor’s lives.
One of the amazing stories Liester shared is of a woman who received the heart of a vegetarian donor. She reported: “I hate meat now. I can’t stand it. I was McDonald’s biggest money maker, and now meat makes me throw up. When I even smell it, my heart starts to race.” Liester also wrote about a woman who suddenly developed cravings for chicken nuggets after her transplant even though she’d never liked them before. Later, she met her donor’s family and discovered that when her donor was killed in a motorcycle accident, a container of chicken nuggets was removed from beneath his jacket. They were one of his favorite foods.
Liester cited numerous examples of recipients who can feel the presence of their donors, see their images, even know their names—despite complete anonymity. His hypothesis is that memories from the donor’s life are stored in the cells of the donated heart and are then “remembered” by the recipient following transplant surgery. “Possible mechanisms by which memories may be stored are discussed including epigenetic memory, DNA memory, RNA memory, protein memory, intracardiac neurological memory, and energetic memory.”
WRITING AND THE HEART
“Heart in Bloom” by Patrice Vecchione. Collage, 2021.
I was happy to discover copious amounts of research demonstrating that expressive writing benefits both our heart and our overall health. A 2005 Cambridge University study found that people who write for fifteen to twenty minutes, three to five times a week, demonstrated reduced blood pressure, improvements in immune system function, and greater psychological well-being—all without any additional medications or changes in their diet or exercise routines. The theory is that writing helps us unearth and process repressed emotions that cause stress and a slew of stress-related maladies by helping us get in touch with, and make sense of, our subconscious thoughts and feelings.
Patrice Vecchione, the accomplished author, poet and artist who will be leading our free, two-hour “Write Your Heart Open Workshop” on July 24, says, “Although we are part of a culture that places utmost reliance on linear and rational thought, our greatest wisdom doesn’t reside there. By tapping into our imagination, emotion, memory, intuition, bodily knowledge, dreams, and the relationships we have the earth, we can gain access to our deepest knowing and discover what we’ve been storing in our hearts for years.”
If you’d like to explore the power of writing, please join Patrice and me as we harness the healing power of writing the words we most need to say. Patrice encourages us to give our heart the reign of our pen. “Our hearts can tell us what our heads never can. Writing from the heart gives us access to the nuanced, and possibly contradictory, truths that help make us who we are, allowing us to go beyond what we thought defined us.”
Myra
Our Quest for Eternal Sunshine “Write Your Heart Open” workshop is for writers of every level—beginners to professionals—who are looking for community, encouragement and motivation. Patrice will inspire us with readings, guide us in a visualization deep into our hearts, and provide expert tips on how to get our words flowing during two writing periods.
We hope to see you there!
