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lheartHEARtlheartHEARTHeART

RE-IMAGININGTHEHEART:
APATHFORMUSIC-THANATOLOGISTS
DonnaMadej
TheChaliceofReposeProject
Missoula,Mt
August20,2002
Copyright©2002DonnaMadej
AllRightsReserved

INTRODUCTION
Inmyfirstsemester attheChaliceofReposeProjectinMissoula,MT,oneof
ourprofessors,Dr.KenThorp,madeastatementthatcaptivatedmycuriosityand
interest. Hereferredtothefactthatscientistshaddiscoveredcellsintheheartthat
gaveittheabilitytoperceiveindependentlyofthebrain(Thorp,Nov.2000).I
beganwondering howthiscouldbeand,ifitweretrue,whatimplicationssuchan
awarenessmighthavefortheworkofmusic-thanatologists,particularlyinworking
withpatientswhowereincapableofmentalprocessing. Beinganinheritorof
Westernbrain-dominatedapproaches,Icouldnotimaginethattheheartcould
perceiveinformationinthebody.Forthousandsofyears,ancienttraditionin
metaphoricallanguagehadgivenprimacy totheheartbutIhadalwaysconsidered
suchlanguagetobeonlyaboutthespiritualheart. Inpursuingthisnewbitof
knowledgefromDr.Thorp’s lecture, Idiscoveredthatscienceisshowingin
technicalterwhatancienttraditionhasalwaysknown:thatthephysical heart
doesindeed”know”andisthecentralorganofprocessinginthebody.Inthis
paper,Iwillattempttoelucidatenewdiscoveriesontheheartthroughneuro-
cardiology, EnergyCardiology, andCardio-energetics. Iwillshowhowthese
discoveriesrelatetoideasinancientmythologiesandlookathowscienceand
mythologyareblendedinnewimaginingsoftheheartbiologicallyandspirituallyin
thewritingsofauthorslikeRobertSardelloandJamesHillman.Finally,Iwill
exploretheimplicationsoftheseinsightsforthefieldofMusic-Thanatology
(Schroeder-Sheker, J.ofHolisticNursing83).
1

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Iinvitethereadertoenterintothisexplorationintheformofameditation
andsoIhaveinfusedthetextwithsomereflectivequotes,whichIhaveputin
Italics,aswellassomepotentvisualimages.Itismyhopethatthese
reflectionswillengagethereaderataheartlevel, forthetemptationinreadinga
paperwrittenasascholarlyendeavoristorelinquishittothebrain, andthat
wouldundermineitsintent. Thisisapaperwrittenbytheheart,abouttheheart,
andfortheheart.Itspurposeistoinformandinspire.
Ilearnedaboutscholasticpursuitsthatengagetheheartfromthespiritual
energyofsomeofmymentors:JoanKing, alife-longguideontheearofthe
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.~ heart;NancyFierro, apianoinstructor whofirsttaughtmeaboutspiritual
passioninmusic;myfriendsandtheeducational comunityatSt.John’s
UniversityinCollegeville, Minnesota; andmostrecently,myteachersand
classmatesattheChalice ofReposeProjectinMissoula, MT.Theyhave
modeledheartsongatthebedsideoftheterminallyillandopenednewworlds
andspiritualdimensionsintheclassroo.Iwouldliketoexpressappreciation
toDr.KenThorpwhoplantedtheseedforthispapernotonlybyhiswordsbut
byhisheartenergy. Hehasalsogivengenerouslyofhistimeandcreativityin
helpingmetodevelopsomeofthethemesinthistext. Iwanttoacknowledge
themanypeopleinmylifewhohavelovedmeandnurturedmyownheart.I
addlastlythatsharinglifewithBettyforthelast27yearshasletmeunderstand
whatitmeanstoliveintheheart.
2

AVESSELOFBEAUTY-THEPHYSICALHEART
Thehearthasitsreasons,ofwhichreasonknowsnothing.
BlaisePascal(Godwin121)
FIG. 1.3.Spiral musculature oftheventricular walls. Thesehelical muscle bundles have been’ .
.classified asbulbospiral andsinuspiralmuscles. . .
From: Phvsiologv oftheHeartbyArnoldM.Katz, MO
Theheartthatprovidesthecomforting, regularbeatthatletsusknow
thatwearealiveisawondrousorgan.Itweighslittlelessthanapoundand
beatsover100thousandtimesaday,pumpingabout1800gallonsofblood
daily. Theheartisthefirstorganformedintheembryoandthelasttocease
functioningatdeath.ThemusclesoftheheartopenandcloselikeaChinese
fan,allowing forthepowerfulcontractionswithoutdisplacing theheartitself.
Thelayersofthesemusclesarearrangedinavortexandthecourseof
circulationforacontinuousfigure-8 pattern, akindoflemniscate, between
theheart’s chambersandthejourneytothelungs(Hassett11-14). Inthe
courseofalifetime,theheartwillbeatanaverageof2.5billiontimesandpump
46billiongallonsoflife-giving bloodtothehumanbody(Hassett12).Strong
andgivinginitsphysiology, theheartmakeslifepossibleforeachmanand
woman.
3

Humanbeingshavebeenfascinatedwiththeinnerworkingoftheheart
sincethebeginningofrecordedhistory.TheEgyptiansmayhavebeenthefirst
peopletoactuallyhandlethehumanheartwhentheywrappeditfor
mumification(Hassett4).TheGreeksexploreditsanatomy.Hippocrates
(460-377BC)describedthemovementofthebloodliketheebbandflowofthe
ocean.Inthe4thcenturyBC,Herophuuswasthefirsttodissecttheheartand
realizedtheimportanceofpulse.Erasistratus, acontemporary,showedthat
thearteriescontainedblood(Boyadjian118).Aristotle(384-377BC)wrote
extensivelyabouttheheart,deducingfromanatomicalstudythat”thesource
bothofthesensitiveandofthenutritivesoulmustbeintheheart”(Hutchins,
714). InthethirdcenturyBC,theChinesepulsetreatisecalledMoChingwas
writtenandformedthebasisofChinesepulsemedicine (Hassett5).In131AD,
thephysicianGalen concludedthatbloodwasformedintheliverandpasses
intotheheart. Healsobelievedthatairpassedintotheheartwhereitmixed
withbloodtoformthevitalspirit(Boyadjian120). Moreimportantly,”Galen
taughtthatthehearthadan’attractive’forcethatactivelydrewbloodbackinto
it’schambers”(Thorp,April, 2002).
Notmuchmorewasunderstoodaboutheartphysiologyuntilthe
RenaissancewhenLeonardodaVinci(1452-1519)wasabletocreatepictures
ofhumananatomythroughhissecretworkofdissectionandWilliamHarvey
(1578-1657)discoveredthecirculationofthebloodwhichhedescribedinhis
famousDeMortuCordisin1628(Boyadjian122). In1661,thecapillarieswere
discoveredbyMalpighi, lendinganunderstandingofthewayairactually
enteredtheblood.Inthe19thcentury,theheartbecameaudiblethroughthe
4

developmentofthestethoscopebyLaennec. JosephSkoda(1805-1881) was
thefirsttodescribecardiacsound andheartmurmurs. Bloodpressurecouldbe
measured intheearly19thcenturyandelectrocardiograwereintroducedin
theearly1900’s (Boyadjian131).
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Asonecanseefromthisbriefhistory,scientificunderstanding ofthe
heartwasveryelementaryuntilourowncentury, whentechnologymadeit
possiblenotonlytoobservethemostintricatecomponentsoftheheartona
cellularlevel, buttounderstandthecomplexfunction oftheheartinrelationto
thewholebody.Modern scienceunderstands wellthephysicalcompositionof
theheart.Itspractitionerscaneven transplant heartsandcreateartificialones.
Whatscienceisonlybeginningtoexploreistheheart’s centralplaceinthe
body’sintelligence,perceptiveability,andvitalenergy. Theancestorsknew
thisunderstandingoftheheartwell.
5

THEANCESTORS’ VIEWOFTHEHEART
Itisinteresting tonotethattheveryfirstreferencetotheheartfoundin
literature isamusical reference. “Singjoyfulmelodiestohertocalmherheart”
waswritten inSumerianpoetryinthe”EpicofIshtar”inreferencetotheir
queen’s decent totheRealoftheDead(Boyadjian14).Sincethatfirst
writtenreference,descriptionsoftheheartaffirmthatithasbeenreveredinall
religiousandculturaltraditions.
There arethreerecurringimagesintheancestralviewoftheheartwhich
carrygreatsignificance. Thefirstoftheseistheheartasanorganof
perception,balance,andintelligence.
Theheart istheperfection ofthewhole
organism. Therefore theprinciple
ofthepower ofperception andthe
soul’s ability tonourish mustlieintheheart.
. Aristotle (384-322Be)
(qtd.inGodwin 76)
Ancientcivilizations -Chinese, Sumerian,Hindu,Egyptian,Hebraic,
Greek,andRoman-alldescribetheheartasthecenterofintellect, courage,
andlove(Boyadjian14).”Thebrain,”remindsAristotle, “iscoldandcannot
givelife.Theheartisthecenterofmanandistheinnerfirethatgiveswarmth
andlight”(qtd.inBoyadjian20).Thisviewliesinstarkcontrasttothepost-
Descartianpreeminencegiventothebrain.Theancientsgavetothehearta
6

centralposition,usinqtheword “intellect” torefertoknowledgeoftheheart.
Theoriginal meaning oftheword”intellect” camedirectlyfromtheLatin
intel/ectus meaning discernmentorunderstanding. Theuseof”intellect” to
refertothemindwasnotuseduntil1599. Theuseoftheword”intelligence” to
refertopursuitsthatexercise themindwasnotfounduntil1819inByron’s Don
Juan. (Barnhart 535). Intelligence, initsearliestusagemeantunderstanding,
perception,anddiscernment-qualitiesoftheheart.
Anexample illustrating theunderstanding oftheheartasanintellectual
organinthisoriginal senseisfoundinancient Chinese medicine..Practitioners
ofthisartbelieved thattheheartwastheseatofintelligenceandwasprovided
withfiveorsixopenings called”eyes.” Becauseoftheseeyestheheartwas
abletoperceiverealityandgiveoutcurrents.Chinesepractitioners believed
thatwhenapersonwasingoodhealth,theopenings andcurrentswouldbe
clear(Boyadjian 15).Thusitwastheheartthatprovidedclarityandbalanceto
thewhole body.
TheSufisalsounderstoodthehearttobeanorganofperceptionorthe
“eye”whichseestheformofGod.(Gerber61).”Perception”meanstakingin
orgrasping. Theheartbecomesthe”gatherer”ofallthatenters thebody.The
heart isalsotheorganofdiscernmentortheorganthatseparatesthelightfrom
thedarkinthatwhichisgathered. TheSufissawtheheartasthecenterofa
human, theseatofthesoul, andthegatekeeper oflightanddarkness.
(Versluis 67-72). Forthissamereason,religioustraditionshavecomissioned
theirfollowerstolearntheholytexts”byheart”sothatthewordsofLifeare
readily availablewithintheheartforguidance.(Godwin88).
7

Theheart’spowerfulphysicalactionsofcontraction(takingin)and
expansion(sendingout)arestronglyreflectedinthesepicturesoftheheart
takingintheworld,beauty,anddivinecompassionand,havingdiscernedthese
things,sendingoutlight,goodness,andlove.
Asecondmajorimageoftheheartinancestralbeliefisthatof
meetingplace.Intraditionalinterpretation,theheartisfelttobewherematter
meetsspirit,wherelightanddarkintersect,andwheredivineencounters
human.
8

Thelightthatshinesabovetheheavensandabovetheworld, thelightthatshines
inthehighestworld, beyondwhichtherearenoothers-thatisthelightthat
shinesinhumanhearts.
Upanishad3.13.8
(qtd.inShapiro11)
Abeautiful mythintheNativeAmericantradition illustratestheheartasa
placeofconnection: “Theheartbeatisthefirstsoundachildhears…Inthe
manymonthsbeforebirth, thebabymoveswiththerhythmofthemother’s
heart anddancestothatfirstsong. Thenwhenachildhasenteredtheworld,
seenthelight,breathedtheair,beguntowalk,thatchild’s feetarereadyto
dance when shehearsthebeatingofthedrum” (Bruchac88). Othernative
traditions sharethisimage. ThenativeMexicanwordforheartcomesfromthe
word allin,relating tothedynamicmovementoftheuniverse(Richlin 65).The
heart thusconnectstheindividualtotheuniversalspiritoftheearth. Whatis
striking aboutthesetwonative portrayalsisthewaythatthespiritualis
mediated bythephysical.
Hindu beliefpresentsanimageoftheSelfsittinginthe”lotusofthe
heart,” theseatandguardian ofcosmiclife(Boyadjian15).Itisherethat
9

Atman,theindividualself,meetsBrahman,theUniversalSelf(Godwin54). In
thismeeting place, cosmicenergyistransformed. Thistransformingactivity is
oftenapainful process,shownbyMexicanfolklore, whichportraysapierced
heart, releasing bothlightandpain.
Athirdpowerfulimageleftbyourancestorsistheimageofa
vulnerableheart.
OntheCross, hisheart burntlikeafireandafurnace from which theflames bursts
forthonaI/sides. Sohewasinflamed ontheCross byhisfireofloveforthewhole
world.
MeisterEckhart
(qtd. inBamford 39)
Becausetheheartisagathererandameetingplaceitisextremely
vulnerable.Itisvulnerable,firstofall,toinnerdeception, andmanyreligious
traditionsencouragethepracticeofcreatingapureheartthroughdeeplistening
totheTruth(Shapiro8)andthroughthepracticeofaweandgratitude(Godwin
69).Thus, asintheHebrewScriptures,theheartmustbe”quieted,”reducing
thevoiceoftheselfandopeninganavenueforthedivine(1Kings3:5-9). God
promisedtheHebrews,”Iwillgiveyouanewheartandplaceanewspirit within
you,takingfromyourbodiesyourstonyheartsandgivingyouheartsofflesh”
(Ez.36:26). InBuddhisttradition,the”Bodhichitta”or”awakeheart” iscalled
the”softspot.” “Itisequated,inpartwithourabilitytolove…andinpart,with
10

compassion-ourabilitytofeelthepainthatwesharewithothers” (Chodron
20).Thismutable heartbecomestheplaceofcompassion.InChristian
Scriptures,Jesusinvites, “Cometome,allwholaborandareheavyburdened
andIwillgiveyourest. TakeupmyyokeandlearnfrommeforIammeekand
humble ofheartandyou’llfindrestforyoursouls” (Matt. 11,28). Itisthe
meekheartthatisabletotakeinthesufferingsofothersinlove. InitsProto-
Germanic roots, “meek”means”softandpliant” (Barnhart,648).Compassion
cannotflowfromahardenedheart.
Thesethreepowerfulimages:1)Theheartastheorganofintellect,
balance,andperception,2)theheartasthemeetingplaceofmatterand
spirit,and3)thevulnerableheartofcompassion,givepotentinsightintothe
centralplaceandpoweroftheheartinourownhumanhistory. Forthree
centuries, humanshaverelegatedtheseimagestotherealmofreligionand
philosophy. Inourowntime, thefieldofmedicineisbeginningtoreflectthese
powerful truthsinwhatitisdiscoveringabouttheactivity oftheheart.
NEURO-CARDIOLOGY
Althoughtheworldofmedicineoftenregardstheheartasasophisticated
biologicalpump, thereareexcitingscientific explorationsincardiologywhich
seetheheart’sfunctioninginimageswhichnuancetheancientunderstandings.
Theimageoftheheartasanorganofbalance,perception,and
intelligenceisreflectedinthestudyoftheheartonacellularlevel.
Baroreceptorcells, whichKenThorpintroducedinourfirstclassatChalice,
haveonlybeenknowntoscientistsforthelastfortyyearsasneuro-cardiology
hasbeendeveloping asafield. Thesecellsdemonstratetheheart’s
11

intelligenceandabilitytobalancebodysyste.Inthe1960’s andthoughthe
1980’s, JohnandBeatriceLaceybeganobservingthenatureofthe
comunication betweentheheartandthebrain. Theynoticedthatthebrain
didnotalwaysinitiatethecomunicationasexpected(McCraty,4).Asothers
inthefieldofneuro-cardiology exploredtheneuralpathwaysbetweenthebrain
andtheheart,theyfoundthatinputfromtheheartcouldalterthebrain’s
electrical activity. Dr.J.AndrewArmourwasthefirsttointroducetheconcept
ofthe”heart-brain” in1991aftertwentyyearsofstudy.Heshowedthatthe
hearthasacompletelyintrinsicnervoussystemmadeupofneurons,
neurotransmitters,proteinsandsupportcellslikethoseinthebrain. Inan
articlewrittenjustlastyear,Armourfurtherexplainedthatthehearthasa
nervoussystemcontaining40,000 nervecellswhichdetectthepresenceof
hormones,neurochemicals, heartrate,andbloodpressure(Arora1).Neurons
intheheartintegratethisinformationfromthebrain,withintheheart,andfrom
otherbodysyste. Theinformationisthentranslatedandsenttotheheart
alongwithpainsignalsandother”feeling” sensations.Thesignalscansend
informationdirectlytothenodesintheheartresponsiblefortheheartbeatand
canregulatethesignalsfromtheautonomicnervoussysteminthebrain as
well. Thesemessagesfromcardiacneuronsreachhigherbraincenterswhere
theymayhaveinfluenceoverperceptions,decision-making, andothercognitive
processes.Dr.Armourshowedhowwhathecallsthe”heart-brain” could work
independentlyofthecranialbrain.Thisisonereasonwhyhearttransplants
workwhenthenervepathwaysbetweentheheartandbrainaresevered.
12

Figure2.Theneural comunication pathways betweentheheart andthebrain. Theheart’sintrinsic nervous systemconsists ofganglia,
whichcontainlocalcircuit neurons ofseveral types, andsensory neurites, whicharedistributedthroughout theheart. Theintrinsic ganglia
processandintegrateinflowing information fromtheextrinsicnervous systemandfromthesensoryneuriles within theheart. Theextrinsic
cardiac ganglia, locatedinthethoracic cavity, have directconnectionstoorganssuchasthelungsandesophagus andarealsoindirectly
connectedviathespinalcord tomanyother organs, includingtheskinandarteries. The”afferent” (flowingtothebrain) parasympathetic
information travels fromtheheart tothebrainthrough thevagusnerve tothemedulla, after passingthrough thenodoseganglion. The
sympatheticafferentnerves firstconnect totheextrinsiccardiacganglia (alsoaprocessingcenter), thentothedorsal rootganglion and
thespinalcord.Onceafferentsignalsreachthemedulla, theytraveltothesubcortical areas(thalamus, amygdala, etc.) andthen tothe
corticalareas.
Theheartalsosecreteshormoneswhicheffectbloodvessels, the
kidneys, theadrenalglandsandthebrain,comunicatingwiththeimune
system,thehypothalmus(whichaffectstheemotionalstate),thepinealgland
(which makesmelatonin),thethalamusandpituitaryglands,Thehearthas
cellsthatreleaseandsynthesizeneurotransmitters(norepinephrineand
dopamine)whichwereoncethoughttobeproducedonlyinthebrain, The
heartsecretesoxytocin(nicknamedthebondinghormone)inconcentrationsas
highasthoseinthebrain,
Dr.AlbertMalliani, perhapstheforemostresearcheroncardiacreceptors
fromthe1970’suntilthepresent, confirthatthenervefibersintheheart
13

tissueregulateactivityfromthecentralnervoussystem(439). Astudy
published in2002byRockman, Kock,andLefkowitz statesthatthesecardiac
receptorsactivateahostofsignalingproteinsandpathwaysthatareimportant
intheroleofheart function,againdisplaying theself-regulatorypowersofthe
heart(1).
Whattheseresearchersaredemonstratingisthattheheart doesnotjust
pumpinresponsetosignalsgivenitfromthebrain.Rather, witheverybeat,
thehearttransmitsneurological, hormonal,pressureandelectromagnetic
informationtothebrain andthroughoutthebody. Thismeans,toacertain
extent, thattheheartcanfunctionevenwhenseveredfromthecentralnervous
system, thoughthebrainandtheheartaretheusualandmutuallyimportant
partnersinthebalancingofthebody’ssyste,asKenThorphasemphasized
inhisupcomingnewbook, KnowingTheRhythmicBody(Apr. 2002).
Whatisnoticed instudyingthebaroreceptorsdescribed aboveisthatin
monitoring thebloodsupplyandincominginformationfromthecentralnervous
system, thesereceptorscontrolormodulate1)bloodpressure,2)cardiac
output, 3)behavior oftheheart,vascularsystem,waterretentioninthekidneys,
skeleton, respiration, andadrenal glands,4)theautonomic nervoussystem,
includingthevagusnerveintheheart(parasympatheticsystem)andtheSA
andAVnodesintheheart(Sympatheticsystem),and5)circulating hormones,
especially fromthepituitaryglandandthehypothalmus(Schwartz360). Carl
Lange,oneofthepioneersofthestudyofemotionsin1881statedthe”the
individualpartsofthenervoussystem…aregreatlyinfluencedintheirfunctional
powerbytheconditionofthebloodsupply”(59).Becauseofthevastinfluence
14

oftheheart’saffectonthenervoussystem,itisnowbelievedthatthereis
correlation between theheartandcognitiveprocesses.InastudybyLacey
(1963), itwasdiscoveredthatheartrateandbloodpressurewerethe
physiological responsesthatbestdifferentiatedcognitiveperceptualprocesses
(qtd. InSandman196). Theydemonstratedthatsubjectsinvolved withtasksof
mentalconcentrationhadhigherheartandbloodpressurerateswhileaslower
cardiacratewasdetectedinsubjectswhowerealerttotheirexternal
environment. Anotherstudyshowedthatwhentheheartwasslow,attention
wasatitsbest(Sandman197).
Theareaofemotionholdsthestrongestlinkbetweenmentalfunctions
andcardiac activity. AttheInstituteofHeartMathinCalifornia,studiesare
beingdonetocalculatetheroleoftheheartinemotionalexperience. Ithas
longbeenacceptedthatstressandtensionareassociatedwithincreasesin
cardiovascular activity.WhatthestudiesatHeartMathareillustratingisthat
theheartgeneratespatternsofneurological,hormonal, pressure,and
electromagnetic informationtothebrainandbody,effecting perception,mental
processesandfeelingstates.Thisisbecausetheneurologicalsignalsleaving
theheartaffectactivityintheamygdala, theemotionalprocessingcenterinthe
brain(McCarty8).Inversely, whenthebrainisovertaxedbyconstantstress,it
activatesaflightorfightresponsemechanismthroughthesympatheticnervous
systemwhichdoesnotturnoff.Theheartisgivenmessagestoworkharder,
eventuallytaxingtheheartandcausingcardiacdisease(Russek281-282).
Analchemicalprincipleisthatmicrocosmismacrocosm-theparts
revealthewhole.Thisistrueoftheheart.Onthemicrocosmiclevel,theheart
15

ismonitoring,balancing,responding,emitting, slowingdown,relaying,
nurturing, regulating,perceiving, translating, andprovidinginformationtothe
bodyonaconstantbasis.Theheartistheorganofintellect, balance,and
perceptiononaphysicallevel. Echoesoftheheartunderstanding ofthe
ancestorsreverberate inthistruth.
ENERGYCARDIOLOGY ANDCARDIO-ENERGETICS
Called “prana”bytheHindus,”Chi”bytheChinese, “ki”bytheJapanese
and”Ka”bytheEgyptians,humanshavetriedtodefineourbodilysenseoflife’s
vitalenergysincethemostancienttimes.Accordingtoanarticlefromthe
JournalofReligionandPsychicalResearch,Hiippocratesdescribeda’biofield
ofenergy’coming frompeoples’hands.Pythagoriansbelievedthatauniversal
energyintheformoflightwascapableofproducingphysical healing(Benford
28). Thefieldofelectromagneticenergyhasbeenstudiedundervaried
nomenclatures forthousandsofyears. Recently,thestudyofenergyhasbeen
applied totheheartinanewfieldcalled Cardio-Energetics, developedbyGary
Schwartz fromtheUniversityofArizonaandLindaRussekfromHarvard
University. ThispioneeringfieldintegratesWesternMedicinewithmind/body
andenergymedicines.
16

Theheartisthelargestgeneratorofelectromagneticenergyinthebody.
Itgenerates5000timesmoreelectromagneticenergythanthebrain(Russek
andSchwartz13).Lookingatenergyas”theabilitytodoworkandtherefore
influencethefunctionofobjectsandsyste,”SchwartzandRussekhave
developedfivepremisesabouttheheart,basedonsystetheory.First,the
heartisadynamicenergy-generatingsystem. Secondly,energyfromtheheart
regulatesorgansandcellsthroughoutthebodyinteractively.Thesepatternsof
energyhaveasynchronizing andintegrating effectonthebody.Thirdly,the
heartnotonlygenerateselectromagneticenergy,butenergyintheformof
sound,pressure,temperature, andelectrostaticenergyineachheartbeatgiving
eachpersonauniquepatternofcardiacenergywhichislikeaheartsignature.
Fourthly,cardiacenergypatterns mayhaveinteractiveeffectsinterpersonally
andenvironmentallyaswellasintrapersonally. Theenergyfromtheheartis
notretainedwithintheskinbutcanbetransferred toothersfromseveralfeet
away.Lastly,levelsofconsciousnessmayregulatecardiacenergypatterns
andviseversa(RussekandSchwartz9).Whatthesepremisesimplyisthat
everycellinthebodyis”bathed” incardiacenergy, whichisalsoaformof
information(Motz44).
SchwartzandRussek’sresearchrelatestoenergymedicine’sconceptof
thechakras. Chakrameans”wheel” or”vortex.” Chakras, firstdescribedin
ancientHindudiscourseonthebody, areenergycentersthattransformand
integratevibrationalenergyintothecellularmaterialofthebody.Theheart
chakraisconsideredthecenterofallenergy centersinthebody.Cardiac
energyitselfisconsideredstrongestattheheartchakra. Itmovesthereina
17

vortexpattern notunlikethepattern ofitsmuscles.”Theheartmaybeamajor
conductor, synchronizer,andintegratorofthebodyasawhole. Thisimplies
thattheheartandcardio-vascular systemnotonlynurturethebodybutalso
enableittofunctionasanintegrated,organizedwhole.” (Laskow, 1992,qtd.In
Schwartz 21).
TheworkofSchwartzandRussekisinfluencingotherresearchers, like
thoseattheInstitute ofHeartMath, aresearchandeducationcenterthat
specializes instudyingthecomunicationbetweenheartandbrain. These
researchersareattemptingtogiveevidencetoshowthat: 1)Focusedattention
ontheheartincreasesthetotalcardiac energypatternbetweenpeople;
2)relationshipallowsbodycellstosynchronize completelywithcardiacenergy,
3)love,care,anxiety, andangerinfluenceenergypatternsbetweenpeople.
Theyhavealreadyshownthatsocialsupportimprovesenergyflowinthebody
andimproveshealing(Schwartz19).Althoughtheseresearchersareonthe
marginaledgeofmainstreamcardiacresearch,theirworkhasprovenusefulin
health, educational,andcorporatesettingsintheU.S.,Europe,Asia, and
Canada.”Unlikemanyotherservicesthatmakesimilarclai,(HeartMath)
hasasolidscientificbasisandhasbeenthoroughlytestedinavarietyof
settings,”attestsPaulRosch,M.D.,F.A.C.P., PresidentoftheAmerican
InstituteofStressandClinicalProfessorofMedicineandPsychiatry,NewYork
MedicalCollege(www. Hearthmath.org). Sociologicallyandinthefieldof
medicine, thisresearchmayprovetobeofgreatsignificance.Wewillexplore
theitsimplicationsformusic-thanatologylaterinthispaper.
18

Psychoneuroimunologist PaulPearsall,PhO, inhisbook,TheHeart’s
Code, hasdevelopedtheseideasabouttheheart’senergiesevenfurtherand
coinedtheterm”cardio-energetics”todescribethenatureoftheenergywhich
theheartemits.Pearsallbelievesthatthehearthasacodeofinformationthat
isrememberedineverycellofthebodyandisaninformationaltemplateofthe
soul(5).Hecallsthisheartenergy”L-energy.” Pearsallforhistheories
fromthewritingsoftheancients,theworkofquantumphysicists,energy
cardiologystudies, andhisownworkwithcountlessheart-transplantrecipients
whocarrythecellularmemoriesoftheirdonors.HebelievesthatL-energyis
passedintothesoulbyourancestorssothattheheartcontainsancientand
collectivememories.AccordingtoPearsallandtheenergycardiologistslike
RussekandSchwartz,energyfromtheheartisprojectedbeyondthe
boundariesofone’s physicalbody.EKG’s measureheartenergyfromoutside
thebody. Newstudiesareshowingthatbrainwavesinonepersoncanbe
synchronizedbytheheartenergyofanotherpersonfromasfarasfourfeet
away(RussekandSchwartz18).Pearsallbelievesthatenergeticnurturingand
rhythmicsynchronizationcanbetransferredfromonehearttoanotherheartas
well.Theseresearchersseeheartenergyasbringingbalancewithinthebody,
betweenpersons, andradiatingoutintotheuniversefromwhichitcame.This
isreminiscentofthetraditionalSufiword,”hima,”whichreferstoa
concentrationofheartthatcanproduceacreativeenergypowerfulenoughto
giveobjectivebodytotheheart’s intentions(Godwin119). Theheartisthe
meetingplaceofmatterandspirit.
19

Figure12.Theheart’selectromagneticfield-byfarthemostpowerful
rhythmicfieldproducedbythehumanbody-notonlyenvelopsevery
cellofthebodybutalsoextendsoutinalldirectionsintothespace
aroundus.Thecardiacfieldcanbemeasuredseveralfeetawayfrom;
thebodybysensitivedevices. .
Combiningancient intuitionswithwhat wenowknowofphysics,
physiology,andenergycompelsonetobegintoimagineanatomyand
physiologyinanewway.Gerber,inVibrationalMedicine, terit
“multidimensionalanatomy”whichincludeschakras, medians,energy,andlight
(419).Theterm,”holistic”hascometobeunderstood tomeanmind/bodyand
thespiritualforcesaswell. Theancientsarrivedatsomeoftheconceptsof
multidimensionalanatomythroughnon-technical means. Nowthrough
quantumphysicsandholographicsciences,scientistsareabletocalculatethe
complexenergyrelationshipsbetweenpeopleandtheirenvironmentandto
realizethatthespiritualbodyisapartofhumanphysiology.
InLoveandtheSoulRobert Sardellodescribestheactivityoftheheart in
thismultidimensionalway.
“Theheartisactuallytheorganthatsenses….Theinvisibleforceoflovewithintheheartislike
amagneticforcethatcontractsthecapacitiesofalltheothersensestoapointofconcentration,
liketherhythmiccontractionoftheheart; theexpansionoftheheartthatfollows, radiatinginto
theworldtheunityofallthathasbeenmadeinthissplitsecondofmightyandintensefocusing.
Theheartmightthusbespokenofastheorganofpsychicattention”(149).
20

Sardello speaksofloveastheactivityoftheheartandbeautyasits
consciousness.HisunderstandingisechoedbyJamesHillmanwhodescribes
theheartastheorganofaestheticperception. Thisimagetakesusbacktothe
ancients’imageoftheheartastheorganofperception.Thisisbecausethe
heartperceivesthesoulofeachthing,apprehendingitsessence,
phenomenologicallyholdingitsimage.HillmanremindsusthattheGreekword
forperceptionis”aisthesis”the”breathinginoftheworld.”InGreekphysiology
theroleoftheheartwastoapprehendimages.”TograsptheGreekaccountof
perception…(wemust)standinthetempleofAphrodite,-recognizing thateach
thingsmiles,hasallure,callsforthaisthesis.’Callingforth,’provoking,Kaleo:
thiswasFicino’sderivationofAphrodite’s maincharacteristic,kallos,beauty”
(107).Itisinterestingtonotethattheagentsusedinnumbingthesensesare
called’an-aesthetics’, suggestingthattheynumbtheverybeautywhichmight
healwhiletheynumbthepain.Whatmusttheydototheheart?
SaraPaddington,Vice-PresidentofHeartMath,describestheheartas
the”accessingpointofexperiencingGod.” Sheencouragespeopletodeepen
theirexperienceoftheirownheartresonancetobringthepowerofloveintothe
world(9).Sherecognizesthatloveiswhat”tunes”thehumanspirittoresonate
withwhatshecallstheSpiritofGod(175),understandingittobeaconnection
ofourownDNAwithhigherdimensions.Mightthisbeacontemporary
expressionofthetraditionalimageofbecomingpureofheartandgiving
compassionfromavulnerable heart?
21

MUSICTHANATOLOGY
Thestudyofthenewtrendsincardiacresearchreflectinbiologicalter
threeimportantimagesoftheheartfromderivedfromancientwisdom:the
heartasanorganofbalanceandperception,theheartasmeetingplace,
andthevulnerableheart.Asmusician-clinicians,music-thanatologistscan
beinformedbytheimplicationsofthismedicalresearchinthevigilsettingitself
anditmaybeofbenefitheretoreflectforamomentonsomeofthesepossible
implications.Inthevigilthereisa”meeting”ofheartsatthebedsideofone
whoseheartisabouttostopbeating. Howdotheseheartssenseeachother?
Whatdoestheheartofthemusic-thanatologisthavetogive?Whatiss/he
receivingfromthedyingheart?
Oneofthefirstactionsofamusic-thanatologistwhens/heentersthe
roomofapersonwhoisdyingistofeelthatperson’spulse. Whatanactof
intimacyitistobesoclosetoandtoholdinone’shandstherhythmofthe
beatingofanother’s heart!Amusic-thanatologistmustaskherself,”AmI
awareoftheinformationthatthisheartispulsingtoeachpartofthebodyand
beyond?AmIawarethateachheartbeatisakindofpersonalsignature
representingacombinationofmanydifferentaspectsofthatperson’scardiac
energy?DoesthatheartbeattakemetotheheartitselfandamIawareofthat
heartasakeeperofbalance,anorganofperceptionandtheplacewhere
22

thepersonbeforemehasmetthedivineanddiscoveredhis/herown
humanity?Ismytouchaforeshadowingoftherhythmicjoiningwewillshare
inthecourseofthenexthour?AsIlistentothe’failing’heart,amIawarethat
itisabouttoreleasethesoul?” Musically,themusic-thanatologistwillholdthe
rhythmofthepatient’sheartbeatasanindividualsignaturethatwillpersonalize
themovementofthemusicalprescriptionalongwiththeotherbodilyrhyth.
Simultaneously,themusician-cliniciantakesinthepatient’sworldthrough
phenomenologicalobservation.Asstatedearlier,SardelloandHillmanclaim
thattheheartistheorganmostcapableofphenomenologicalperception, being
abletoperceivethe”soul” ofobjectsandbeings,andabsorbBeautyaswell
becauseitissoopentotheimaginalworld. Openingone’s ownheartinits
powersofperceptionhelpstheclinician informulatlnqanappropriateand
meaningfulmusicalprescription.
Thenextwayinwhichheartenergycanaffectthevigilspaceisthrough
countenance.Inherlectureon”Countenance,”ThereseSchroeder-Sheker
speaksofthefaceasageographyofthesoulandasaportaltoone’spast,
present,andfuture(Sept. 2001).Dr.PaulPearsallalsospeaksof
countenanceinrelationtotheheart.Hestates,”Theenergyoftheheartmolds
ourbodyandourface.Itcreatesamaskthat,overtime,becomesetchedwith
thetracingsoftheenergywesend” (188).Theclinicianasks,”Howhasmy
heartenergyshapedmyface?-thepatient’sface?-thefacesofthoseinthe
room?Howarethesecountenancesinformingallofusasweexchange
expressionsandgazes?”
23

Sittingdownattheharp,themusic-thanatologistplacesitovertheheart. Is
s/heawarethattheharpisadirectrecipientoftheheart’senergy?Inquantum
physics,Bell’sTheoremstatesthatobjects,onceincontact,bothchangeif
thereisasubsequentchangeinoneofthem,nomatterhowfaraparttheyare
(Pearsall166). Whataretheimplicationsofthisfortheharp,forthe
environmentandforeverypersonintheroom?Nooneandnothingwilleverbe
thesameafterthisencounter. ThereseSchroeder-Shekerspeaksofthe
spiritualsignificanceoftheactionofplacingtheharpovertheheartwhen
writingabouttheharpasitisdescribedinScripture:”TheHebrewTestament
referencestotheharp,…withtheirspecialassociationofpluckedstring
instrumentsheldclosetotheheart, …findaremarkableseries ofovertones..All
thatpassesthroughtheawakenedheartisstretched,re-tuned,harmonized.”
(Transitus,50-51). Sheremindsusthattheharpisnotanappendage. The
musicianatthebedsideisthealchemicalharp.Theexternalharpisonly
makingtheheartofthemusic-thanatologist visible(Sept. 2001).
Thehandstouchthestrings.Thefingertipsarefilledwiththousandsof
tinycapillarieswherethebloodcomestheclosesttomeetingtheoutsideworld.
Thesehandsarefineconductorsofelectromagneticheartenergybecauseof
theirfluidcontent. Thisheartenergyismovingdirectlyintothemusicthat
beginstoemergefromtheharp. Asthemusicplays,themusician-clinician
seekstosynchronizewiththepatient’sownheartandrespirationrhyth,
movingthemusicinsuchawaytotrytoprovideamemoryoftheheart’sown
healingrhythmratherthanthestressfulrhythoftheoutsideworldechoedby
themachineryandthesometimesanxioussoundsofthehospitalenvironment.
24

ToparaphrasePearsall,inthispulsing, everycontractionoftheclinician’sheart
becomesthememoryofthepatient’s heartandthatnewlycreatedmemory
radiatesbacktothepatienttobecomeanewmemorythere.Perhapsthisis
onereasonthatmusic-thanatologistsoftenspeakofcarryingthememoryof
personswhoaredyingforsolongafterthevigil. Throughthesharingofheart
energy,humansareforeverchanged.
Onecouldwritevolumesonthemusicalprescriptionitself.(Schroeder-
Sheker,Caduceus24).ThereseSchroeder-Shekerhasdescribedtheuseof
therawmaterialsofmusictocreateprocessesspecificallydesignedtohelp
managephysicalsymptoandcreatetheconditions fora”blessed,peaceful,
orconsciousdeath”(Sept. 2001).Therearerawelementsofmusicwhich
particularly pertaintothecardio-vascularsystem. Sincetheheartisanorganof
balance,musicalprescriptionswhichbalanceexpansionandcontraction,light
anddarkness,warmingandcoolingelementscanbehelpful(Murfin2).
ThereseSchroeder-Shekerteachesthatthereisarelationshipbetween
harmoniccontentandthecirculatory-respiratorysyste(Transitus57).The
music-thanatologistlearnstoreadtheheartrhythinrelationtothebody
phenomenologyasawholetodeterminewhetherthemusicalprocesseswillbe
coolingandsolidifyingorwarmingandsoftening.
Asthisexchangeofmusic,touch, countenance, andheartenergyis
goingon,severalunseenactivities aretaking placeonaheartlevel. Thereis
“witness.nOneheartiswitnessingwithheartintelligenceandgivingcredence
tothelifeoftheother,acknowledgingtheperson’ssufferingandtheirstrengths.
25

ThereseSchroeder-Sheker alludestothiskindofwitnesswhenshesays, “The
prescriptive music vigilfacilitatesthebeauty,intimacy,andreverencethat
active participants sooftenneedtofaceadversity; toreconciletheelvesto
loss,andtobegin tofindpeace”(Transitus,63).
Anotheractivityisprayer. Pearsall states,”Connectinghearttoheartis
aformofpraying.Itisnotamatterofsendingandreceivingenergy butof
attendingtotheheartinordertobecomeawareofthelevelonwhichour
sharingofinfinite energythatiseverywhereisprimarilytakingplacewithinus.
Itissurrenderingself,transcendingthebrain’s illusionofcontrol, resonating
withL-(ife)energy, thewaythecreatedbecomesonewiththeCreator”(166).
Ofcourse, themusicusedinthevigilsettingissungprayer,echoingtheheart-
feltincantationofcenturiesofmenandwomenwhohaveprecededusinlife
anddeath.
Additionally, thereishealingactivity. ThereseSchroeder-Shekeroften
speaksabout”healing(spirituallyandemotionally)withoutcuring(bodily)”
(Sept. 2001). Pearsallexpressessimilarthoughtswhenhewrites, “Weare
nothealed’by’but’with’. Wearehealed bythepresenceofhealingheartsall
aroundusjoiningwithourheartandnotjustdoingthings’toit.’Whetherornot
wearecured, wearehealedwhenwefeelwhole…andhavelearnedto
celebrateliferatherthanjustprolongit.”(213).
Thereisadeeplisteningactivitytakingplace.Theheartknows
vulnerability andisfedbycompassion, nurturanceandempathy.Whenthe
patient, thefamily,andone’steamatesarelistenedtoonthisdeeplevelof
openness,compassionandnurturanceareallowedtoflowfreely.
26

Finally,thereisthelovingactivityofstandingatthethresholdoflifeand
deathandcreatinganopeningtothecosmosthroughsoundandtheheart
itself.Theconnectednesswhichthepatientexperiencesthroughthesharingof
heartenergyandactivityisamemoryoftheconnectednessweexperiencewith
allthings. Themusicitselfisadivine-humanconnection.MariusSchneider,
whosemusicologywasfirstintroducedtomebySharonMurfinattheChaliceof
ReposeProject,remindshisreadersthat”accordingtoancientcosmology,the
primordialsubstanceoftheworldisaroar, alaugh,asound….songofpraiseor
asoundnumber…Thustheessenceofeverything appearstobesound”(On
GregorianChant, 11).Thesacredmusicofthevigilisareverberationofthe
cosmicsoundPresence.”WhenIgivemyhearttoSomeoneorSomething
capableofbringingmyhearttorest,Iexperiencepeaceofheart.Iexperience
eternity.Orrather,Iexperiencearestinrestlessness,eternityintime”(Dunne
40-41).
INCONCLUSION
Inthispaper,theimagesoftheheartasanorganofbalanceand
perception,theheartasmeetingplaceformatterandspirit,andthe
vulnerableheartofcompassionhavebeenexploredfromancient
philosophicalandspiritualtraditions. Relatedly, ithasbeenshownthatnew
studiesinneuro-cardiology, Cardio-Energetics,andenergy-cardiologyreflect
theseimagesoftheheartonaphysiologicallevel. Thesestudiescanaddto
theunderstandingandappreciationoftheheartinourworkascontemplative
musician-clinicians,”weaving body, soul,andspirittogether”(Transitus,49)as
wearepresentatthebedside.
27

Astudyofthisnaturewouldnotbecompletewithoutameditation onthe
heartandmusic. Thewayofmusicisthewayoftheheart.Music requires
heartandtheheartrequiresmusic.IntheEgyptiancreationaccount,Ptah, the
godofcreation, firstplannedtheuniverseinhisheart,andthen,withasound,
calleditintoexistence(Biedermann, 166). Soundissuedfromtheheart-
“musicoftheheart.” Ifwelistentoourbodies,weknowthatthisisso.The
rhythmicbeatingofthephysicalheartismusicalasitconductsthegreat
symphonywithin: theindividual’ssongoflife.
Inanobituaryofa93-year-oldmonkandbelovedteacherofmine,
GodfreyDiekmann,OSB,hisbiographerspokeofhowFr.Diekmann’simageof
Godhadchangedattheendofhislife.Thiselderlymonk,whoselifehadbeen
reveredandacclaimedasapatristicsscholar,carveroftheliturgicalrenewalat
theSecondVaticanCouncil,ecumenist,editor, translator,speaker,and
professor,admittedthathisimageofGodhadchangedashisearthlylifedrew
toaclose.”NolongerwasGod,forhim,truth,beauty, orgoodness. Godwas,
inGodfrey’slastyears,puremelody…andhesettomusicapsalmphrase
whichwashismantra: ‘You,aLord,aremystrength,mySong'”(Hughes,6).
WisdomfromanoldmanabouttoreturntohisSource-theCosmicSound.
JohnBlacking’snotion that”many,ifnotall,ofmusic’sessentialprocessesmay
befoundintheconstitutionofthehumanbodyandinpatternsofhumanbodies
insociety”(x)illustratesthisrelationship. Theheartpulseswiththebeatofthe
universalsound.
Ifmusicandtheheartbeattogetherwithinthebody,thentheimagesof
theheartshouldapplytomusicaswell. Musicorganizes,bringsbalance,
28

andharmonizes.Itdoesthisonaphysicallevelashasbeenevidencedby
theworkofErnstChladni,whodemonstratedthatsoundwavesproduce
complexpatternsonplatesofsand(Schroeder-Sheker,Nov,2000).Music
alsoreorganizesonpsychologicalandspirituallevels. Musicre-members,and
asitdoesso,reorganizedbeingsemerge.Inthemusic, patientscanheartheir
owninnerwholeness. “Songsremembertoo,melodieslikethoseofplainsong
thatareabletobringanotherworldtomindandtomakemerememberthe
otherworldwhileIamlivinginthisworld,again,asifthetwoworldswerereally
one”(Donne,17).
Musicisameeting placeofmatterandspirit,darkandlight,human
anddivine. The”musicofthespheres”isincarnateinhumanfleshandpulse
andtime. Justasthesacredtextsarewrittenintheheart(Ez.36:26),the
sacredchantscarrythedivinewordintothetissuesandcellswheretheyare
bathedinthatpresence,muchlikethephysicalheartbatheseachcellwith
informationandmemories.Musicisthemeetingplaceofthetemporal(tempo)
andtheeternal.
Music,liketheheart,isvulnerableandcompassionate.Musicis
vulnerablebecauseitonlysoundsonce.Atthebedside,thebeautyofthe
musicasitisenfleshedissubjecttotheopennessoftheclinician.Music-
thanatologistsmustasktheelves,”Doesthismusicarisefrommyheartasa
creativeforce,oramIlimitingitstransformationalabilitythroughself-
consciousnessandself-criticism(smallnessofheart)?”Musiccarries
compassionwhenitarisesfromanopen heart.Openheartsmaybecome
29

broken but”theonlythinginlifethatistrulywholeisabrokenheart”(Baal
ShemTev,qtd.inDonne 23).
Musicandtheheartdobalanceandmakewhole.
Musicandtheheartarethemeetingplaceofspiritandmatter.
Musicandtheheartarevulnerableandcompassionate.
Asmusician-clinicians, weseektowedancientimages,modernclinical
research, andcosmicmusicaldimensionsoftheheartintoonemomentintime
inthedeathbedvigil. Itisaformidabletaskforthemostcourageous.Perhaps
asimple question thatfocusesthistaskisonethatwemightallaskourselves:
“WhatifIsangoftheheart’sdesire?”
30

ILLUSTRATIONS
CoverPage: DesignedbyDonnaMadej
FacePlate: “TheHeartSpecialistandHisHearts”byMichelineBoyadjian,1971.
inTheHeart, ItsHistory,ItsSymbolism, ItsIconographyandItsDiseasesby
N.Boyadjian. Belgium:EscoBooks,1985.
Page3:Spiralmusculatureoftheventricularwalls. FromPhysiologyoftheHeart
ByArnoldM.Katz. NewYork:RavenPress,1977.
Page5:DrawingoftheheartbyLeonardodeVinci. FromBoyadjian,p.137.
Page6:Frombookjacket,Boyadjian.
Page8:TheWordengravedintheheart. From”AMedievalCordial:
IntoxificationoftheHeart” byChristopherBamford. Parabola26.4.(2001):45.
Page8:Theeyeoftheheart.FromBoyadjian.
Page9:LightandDarkness. FromAlchemyandMysticism byAlexander
Roob.NewYork:Tuschen, 1997.
Page10:Heartpiercedwitharrow. From”GettingtheRightsSizedHeart,”
ByRonaldK.Bullis. Parabola26.4.(2001):18.
Page13:The”Heart-Brain.”FromScienceoftheHeartbyRollinMcCarty.
FL:E.KriegerPub. Co.,1970.
Page16:Heartenergy. From”ThattheHeartNoLongerMoves,”retold
byGrayHenry. Parabola26.4(2001):55.
Page20:Theheart’selectromagneticfield. FromMcCarty, p.20.
Page22:Heartinhand.FromParabola26.4. (2001):76.
Page30:”CordisDilatatio” intheScholaCordis.FromBorajdian, p.79.

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