Jaime Sherman, a psychology student at Arizona State
University, underwent a heart transplant at University
Medical Center in 2002, after battling a heart defect
since birth. For most of her life, this young woman
hated sports. And though she was born and raised in
Tucson, Arizona, she never liked Mexican food. She
craved Italian and was a pasta junkie. But, three
years ago, all that changed ! "Now I love football,
basketball, baseball, you name it, I follow it." Said
Sherman. "And Mexican food is by far my favorite!" She
had heard similar stories - of people who get donor
hearts, develop new and surprising tastes and traits,
then trace them to the donor! It's an eerie phenomenon
that has triggered controversy and skepticism. No
scientific evidence exists to explain how
characteristics of an organ donor might live on in the
person who gets their organ. But even the
self-described skeptics admit there may be more to
this than imagination, though insist it happens to a
minority of patients. "It's highly controversial, but
I don't exclude it completely," Said Dr. Jack G.
Copeland, UMC's chief of cardiothoracic surgery and
head of the heart team that has performed more than
700 transplant in 25 years, including Sherman's. When
Jame Sherman met her donor's family nearly two years
ago, she learned 29-year-old Scott Phillips- a Phoenix
bar - was a sports fan who loved Mexican food. He
played on several teams at Kansas State University and
followed college and pro sports. Well aware of the
speculation that traits can transfer from organ donor
to recipient, Sherman accepted the concept. "I'm a
psychology major, and my professors will tell you it's
all in your mind," she said. "But the scientists, the
psychologists - they don't have someone else's heart
beating inside them. I do. I have a very strong faith
in God. And I am willing to believe there are things
we cannot explain."
God mentions the word "heart" at least 110 times in
the Quran !!! It even implies heart's thinking power
! One such verse states:
[18:57] Who are
more evil than those who are reminded of their Lord's
proofs, then disregard them, without realizing what
they are doing. Consequently, we place shields on
their hearts to prevent them from understanding it
(the Quran), and deafness in their ears. Thus, no
matter what you do to guide them, they can never ever
be guided.
Most of us are not aware of heart's thinking ability.
Traditionally, the study of communication pathways
between the brain and heart has been approached from a
rather one-sided perspective, with scientists focusing
primarily on the heart's responses to the brain's
commands. Now, we learn from the research that
communication between the heart and brain is actually
a dynamic, ongoing, two-way dialog, with each organ
continuously influencing the others
function. Scientists also believe that heart has its
own "brain" - an intrinsic nervous system! It's not
clear what it does or if it is subservient to the
higher brain. But it is clear that it is there. The
Quran emphases the importance of using our hearts (Quran
39:23; 57:16). One such verse states :
[57:16] Is
it not time for those who believed to open up their
hearts for God's message, and the truth that is
revealed herein? They should not be like the
followers of previous scriptures whose hearts became
hardened with time and, consequently, many of them
turned wicked.
Science had prove that the heart does impact the brain's
thinking capability, and does also feed the brain
thoughts and feelings that would control the perspective
of the person. In numerous verses God gives the
traits of the heart which characterize the perspective
of believers (Quran 4:65;7:43;8:2,10,11; 10:57; 13:28;
15:47;
22:32,35,54,60;26:89;39:22;48:4;49:3;58:22;59:9-10). One
such verse states:
[8:2] The
true believers are those whose hearts tremble when God
is mentioned, and when His revelations are recited to
them, their faith is strengthened, and they trust in
their Lord.
God also gives the characteristics of the heart which
control disbelievers (Quran 2:7,93,283; 3:7,118,151,156;
5:41; 7:100; 8:12,42; 9:8,64,77,127; 16:22; 23:63;
33:26;3:63;33:26;40:18;47:29;59:2,14; 61:5). One such
verse states:
[2:74]
Despite this, your hearts hardened like rocks, or even
harder. For there are rocks from which rivers gush
out. Others crack and release gentle streams, and other
rocks cringe out of reverence for God. God is never
unaware of anything you do.
Research shows that thinking with the "brain in the
heart" can make us healthier and smarter. The brain in
our head is dutifully obeying messages that are being
sent from another brain, "the brain in the heart." The
heart is not just a throbbing mass of muscle, it's
actually quite a sensitive instrument that is processing
critical information. With every beat of the heart,
intricate messages are being sent to the brain and other
bodily systems. In fact, these messages are being
received by every cell in our body! Angel Gabriel first
brought down the Quran to Muhammad's heart as understood
from this:
[2:97]
Say, 'Anyone who opposes Gabriel should know that he has
brought down this (Quran) into your heart, in accordance
with God's will, confirming previous scriptures, and
providing guidance and good news for the believers.'
Subsequently, the Quran was released into Muhammad's
memory :
[25:32] Those who disbelieved said, "Why did not the
Quran come through him all at once?" We have released
it to you gradually, in order to fix it in your memory.
We have recited it in a specific sequence.
Our ability to hear and act on the information being
sent from the heart, can make the difference in whether
we experience life as a series of stressful events or
one that's rich in quality. The heart provides
information that can help us eliminate the mental and
emotional drain caused by confusion, stress, overwhelm,
anxiety and frustration. Hence, the guiding of our heart
is so critical (Quran 3:8; 6:125; 64:11) ! One such
verse states:
[64:11] Nothing happens to you except in accordance
with God's will. Anyone who believes in God, He will
guide his heart. God is fully aware of all things.
There are many benefits that come from learning to
utilize the heart's intelligence. They range from
mental and emotional boosters like more clarity,
productivity and creativity, to increased feelings of
happiness. We learn from the Quran;
[39:22] If God renders ones heart content with
submission, he will be following a light from his Lord.
Therefore, woe to those whose hearts are hardened
against God's message; they have gone far astray.
In another verse God states:
[6:25] Some of them listen to you, but we place
veils on their hearts to prevent them from
understanding, and deafness in their ears. Thus, no
matter what kind of proof they see, they cannot
believe. Thus, when they come to argue with you, the
disbelievers say, "These are tales from the past.
The importance of the heart in our thinking process, and
showed how the heart does indeed have a thinking
capability and storing of thoughts and feelings in it,
and how it does interact with brain and control our
thinking. Is it not true that God controls our hearts ?
God guides believers' heart:
[64:11]
Nothing happens to you except in accordance with God's
will. Anyone who believes in God, He will guide his
heart. God is fully aware of all things.
On the other hand God provides shield on nonbeliever's
heart:
[16:108] Those are the ones whom God has sealed
their hearts, and their hearing, and their eyesight.
Consequently, they remain unaware.
The study on neurological interactions demonstrate
that the signal the heart sends to the brain during
positive emotions can alter brain activity in several
ways. The heart is the most powerful generator of
electromagnetic energy in the human body, producing
the largest rhythmic electromagnetic field of any of
the body's organs. The heart's electric field is about
60 times greater in amplitude than the electrical
activity generated by the brain. The magnetic field
produced by the heart is more than 5,000 times greater
in strength than the field generated by the brain, and
can be detected a number of feet away from the body,
in all directions !! The possibility that the
electromagnetic field generated by the heart may
transmit information that can be received by others.
We need to reflect why God mentions about heart so
many times in the Quran compared to the brain
! Electromagnetic signals generated by the heart have
the capacity to affect others around us. Study
indicates that one person's heart signal can affect
another's brainwaves, and that heart-brain
synchronization can occur between two people when they
interact !
[6:59] With Him
are the keys to all secrets; none knows them except
He. He knows everything on land and in the sea. Not
a leaf falls without His knowledge. Nor is there a
grain in the depths of the soil. Nor is there
anything wet or dry, that is not recorded in a
profound record.
Last but not least, these are the clear reminders of
the Quran about the believers and non-believers heart:
[8:2] The true
believers are those whose hearts tremble when God is
mentioned, and when His revelations are recited to
them, their faith is strengthened, and they trust in
their Lord.
[39:45] When God
Alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not
believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion. But
when others are mentioned beside Him, they become
satisfied.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless you,
M. Irtaza
3.
Authorized English translation of the Quran by Dr.
Rashad Khalifa
