Excerpt from Chapter 5 of “Your Journey to Greatness Through Routine”
In the last chapter, we mentioned that your heart has 40,000 specialized neuron-like cells called cardiac intrinsic ganglia or little brain of the heart.[1]
Each section of ganglia functions like neurons but have a very special assignment that is distinctly different from the 100 billion neurons in your brain. Both your brain and your heart are producing electromagnetic energy at a rate of approximately 400 billion actions per second. This energy is necessary for sustaining life, as well as, possessing creative ability. See Figure X (below) for locations of ganglia found in cadaver hearts.
According to the Director of Research of the HeartMath Institute, Rollin McCraty, a recognized global leader in emotional physiology, optimal function, resilience and stress-management research, “The heart generates the largest electromagnetic field in the body. The electrical field as measured in an electrocardiogram (ECG) is about 60 times greater in amplitude than the brain waves recorded in an electroencephalogram (EEG).”[2] This energy or field is measured in magnetometers, several feet away with a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID).
In fact, the magnetometers are gauged by emotion. Such measurements were taken in an experiment at the HeartMath Institute where tests were performed by provoking specific emotions within test subjects. The findings were eye opening in regards to the importance of our state of mind and our ability to master emotional intelligence.
During these tests, when subjects produced emotions such as love, joy, compassion and gratitude, the level of magnetometers were roughly 500-600 in range. When subjects produced emotions such as agreement, cooperation and problem solving, the level of magnetometers were roughly 200-350 in range. In addition, when subjects produced emotions such as hate, envy, bitterness and offense, the level of magnetometers were roughly 20-100 in range. So why is this important to understand in regards to building a success routine? The answer is quite simple. In fact, we don’t necessarily need the statistics from the research mentioned above to figure it all out:
Others can sense how you feel about another person or situation at any given moment in time without you even saying a word. The energy your heart produces is unmistakable. Think about the last time you were with your significant other or perhaps a relative or friend who was angry with you for some reason. Or you may have walked into a room where the tension was high or people were arguing. You could sense the bad energy in the room, even if they responded with a fake smile and said, “Everything is just fine.”
You have the same ability as a dog to sense fear. The big difference between you and the dog is that humans are not always “in tune” with this energy. Yet, we use it every day, subconsciously, to decipher our interpretation of others in their reactions to us or their attitudes toward us.
This energy is real. It can even be the determining factor on whether you win over an employer in a job interview or make a sale in a business deal. Body language, facial expressions and vocal tones are important, too. All of us know a “fake” when we meet one. They may have the right stance, posture, body language and vocal tones but if in their hearts they are not authentic, we can pick up on it immediately.
Pure common sense tells us that when we can master our emotional response to all of what life brings to us, we can literally choose an energy that will either attract or repel. In light of this information, ask yourself these questions:
- If I choose to produce and maintain emotions such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, forgiveness, gentleness and self-control, practicing gratitude and compassion, will it open new doors of opportunity for me in life and career?
- If I choose to produce and maintain emotions such as hatred, offense, insecurity, jealousy, bitterness, doubt, rage, anger, anxiety and a critical, judgmental mindset, will it close doors of opportunity for me in life and career?
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022522396700946)
[2] (https://www.heartmath.org/articles-of-the-heart/science-of-the-heart/the-energetic-heart-is-unfolding/)