I have long admired a song lyric by Van Morrision:
I Forgot That Love Existed
I forgot that love existed troubled in my mind.
Heartache after heartache, worried all the time.
I forgot that love existed
Then I saw the light
Everyone around me make everything alright.
Oh, oh Socrates and Plato they
Praised it to the skies.
Anyone who’s ever loved
Everyone who’s ever tried.
If my heart could do my thinking
And my head begin to feel
I would look upon the world anew
And know what’s truly real
Simple but effective methinks.
I just heard about Joseph Chilton Pearce who writes books like “The Biology of Transcendence: A Blueprint of the Human Spirit. Pearce believes that the brain is assisted by the heart in its function. That one of the centers of brain activity is the heart. I haven’t read the book but will. Thanks to Brian Taraz of the Talisman9 Bahai discussion group for letting us know about Pearce and his book.
I have felt the power of a heart full of the Holy Spirit — years ago
I was hugged by Mr. Khadem, a Bahai Holy Man (I was 18 or 19 at the time) when we ran into each other unexpectedly — I was friendly with his sons over a summer at Greenacre Bahai school so he was glad to see me.
When he hugged me I felt a very powerful charge of energy — like an electric shock w/o the pain. The surge of energy felt like it came from his heart.
Marzieh Gail, a Baha writer and also a very devout Baha’i person used to speak about the power of love. She would open her arms and face someone and say ‘feel it?’ And the other person would feel a jolt of something strong yet gentle.
But I have wondered about the meaning of this power. I attended a meeting a number of years ago and the speaker was a self absorbed self proclaimed motivational type that I didn’t respect. He was selling himself as a problem solver in a manner much like snake oil salesmen of legend. But…..I felt the same power from 20 feet away.
So… I think this is what Baha’ullah, the prophet of the Bahai Faith, refers to when we he says we have access to a power that if turned to good intentions is good — bad intentions — is bad. Its just that — another human capability that we can use. But this one is apparently just being discovered by science.
I think this power of the heart is one of the most misused of them all. Demagogue’s and evangelists use it as do prophets and true healers. It means we need to be careful. If we let our heart do our thinking we need to keep an eye on ourselves and check any decisions made in that state — with our brain/mind.
Some thinkers are saying that there is no mind — only brain and the other systems that support it — heart and metabolism, breath and circulation. But the ‘only’ here is missing the point. Brain, heart, body, experience etc, etc, — these make up the mind/soul. That’s clear to me anyway. The question then is not does the soul exist — of course it does — its the human spirit that differentiates us from the animals who share the animal spirit with us. For me the only meaningful question re: the soul is — is the soul immortal.
I think the only answer that makes any sense is something between ‘I don’t know’ and ‘maybe.’ We know we are alive now in this moment; we don’t know what the next moment will bring. Do we?
Images and Ideas from Life and Elsewhere 
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June 29, 2007 at 9:33 pm
spasmicallyperfect
Interesting post. Couldn’t pass ‘Van Morrison’ in the header but your thoughts are what kept me reading. I’ve spent countless years (yes hours doesn’t do) thinking about the question of brain versus heart. I have to admit, I have settled, not with answering that specific question but with realising that none of them rule. What rules – at least in my humble opinion – is love, or light, or some might call it energy. It’s to big for me to explain in words. But it has changed my life. Whereas the everlasting brain versus heart question just kept distracting from the greater things there are. If this makes any sense whatsoever. Anyway, thank you for this post and I hope to be back some other time.
June 30, 2007 at 12:02 pm
soulfulady
Your post stimulated all kinds of responses so I’ll address them one by one.
1. The photo of the storm clouds, heading your thought-provoking message, is magnificent. I collect pictures of ominous demonstrations of weather to illustrate a prayer revealed by Baha’u’llah in paragraph 11 of the Most Holy Book, the Kitab-i-Aqdas. I wholeheartedly urge everyone to commit it to memory so that its readily available whenever needed: “On the appearance of fearful natural events, call ye to mind the might and majesty of your Lord and say: ‘Dominion is God’s, the Lord of the seen and the unseen, the Lord of creation.'” I have used it very effectively on many occasions, including tornadoes, hurricanes, deadly snow and ice storms, and, in the worst of all “fearful natural events”, human rage. May I add your photo to my collection?
2. I have been having the heart-brain/mind-soul conversation with myself for many years, especially as a Baha’i and as a consultant in Ayurveda, an ancient health science from India.
When I was 13, I unwittingly began building a psychoemotional heart “bypass” on myself, shutting down by using the intellect/brain more and more to cope with problems that engulfed me (very much like the “fearful natural events” that humans are capable of waging at each other.)
Using the brain/intellect isn’t all bad, IF the brain is informed of a spiritualized heart, but since my heart had no way to heal from hurts at that time I started “sealing” it off to isolate and protect it from further damage. Although I entered into limited relationships with a hesitant heart, they usually ended in disaster because I wasn’t fully participating. That tendency eventually led to a chronic dis-ease state that required surgery, resulting in a near-death experience. In it, I was told by Beings, “You aren’t ready, you have to go back.”
I didn’t understand what They meant at the time, but the following year I found Baha’u’llah and became a Baha’i. The Writings, prayers, meditation, and fasting prescribed by Him contributed to a process of learning and development that enabled me to open my heart, little by little, until I could see that I had been seriously imbalanced in the way I had been living my life. Many of the Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah were especially helpful to me in the healing process. In one of them He says, “Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for my descent.” I’ve had to do alot of serious inner housecleaning to respond to that one!
Thirty-five years later, I’m still working on it but enough has been done to see that a healthy, balanced life begins in a heart which is “on fire with the love of God.” I began to see that the light of such a fire in the heart illumines the intellect/brain so that thoughts, decisions, behavior and action are informed of our purpose as human beings: to know and love God, to acquire virtues, to promote the oneness of humanity, and carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. What a shift when domain is given to the heart, while assisted by the light of the intellect. Neither one nor the other is enough; both are needed, first one and then the other.
3. Speaking of the spirit and the science of the relationship between the soul-mind and the heart-brain – I love Joseph Chilton Pearce’s work, as well as the work produced in the field of quantum science. Precipitated by the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, we are on the threshold of a major paradigm shift on the planet, especially as one of His principles – the harmony of science and religion – becomes more and more established.
If you haven’t heard of the HeartMath Institute, you might be interested in the work they’re doing – much of their research is posted at their website, http://www.heartmath.org
4. Since you mentioned the late Hand of the Cause Zikrullah Khadem in your post, you may wish to know that his wife, Mrs. Javidukht Khadem, is gravely ill at present. The Khadem family is calling for stories and memories to share with her. Many of them are already posted at their website at http://www.khadem.org. I think your heart and mind will be very moved to read them. If you wish to send your story about your experience with her husband and sons, the email address is MrsKhademsfireside@khadem.org.
5. And now, to your question, “We know we are alive now in this moment; we don’t know what the next moment will bring. Do we?”, I would say that we are alive now, and now, and now, and now. There is only now. The notion of “moments”, a past and a future, and the concept of “next” is only relative to the space-time continuum in the earthly realm. The spiritual realm, in which the earthly experience occurs, is the true reality. There, there is no time and space. Actually, there is no “there” nor “here” either. The idea of separation between spirit and matter is an illusion. ‘Abdu’l-Baha, the Son of Baha’u’llah, tells us, “That world is in this world.” “There is no separation.” There is only now. There is only Love. Eternal. Infinite.
July 2, 2007 at 5:24 am
Steven
Its possible the slick-salesman had a complex personality with a strong motivation for love as well as the sale but in any case I agree that there is an aspect of technology to the disciplines of religion and spirituality, which is also partly why there is indeed a religion rather than a list of skills and training techniques (though some religions highlight that more.)
Another aspect of the whole situation though it to note that this world isn’t the driving force of overall progress. We aren’t in charge here. Those in the next world are. There are certain advantages to this world for developing virtues but it’s the next world where we really get to apply these and they are applied on our behalf in part along the lines of parents (whom of course many of them are) towards their children – making the world alittle safer most of the time, setting up situations and having long conversations with our hearts when we turn to them, holding back sometimes and letting us learn something for ourselves, shaking their heads when they tried to diffuse an issue and we get obstinate….
July 2, 2007 at 5:27 am
Steven
o, and if you like foreboding clouds, look up noctilucent clouds…. of themselves they are unearthly and beautiful. But they have been dramatically increasing over the last few years and are apparently unknown in recorded history before the 1800’s.
July 2, 2007 at 7:37 am
frankwinters
Hello Spasmically Perfect,
Thanks for your comment. I agree with what you wrote — the light is the key. “Let there be light!” Have you read about the Holographic Universe? A theory in physics that the universe is a holographic projection and our brains are receptors of holography. Apparently some physicists see the smallest particles as behaving like holographs. I don’t understand the science and math behind this but it makes sense to me given the importance of light in the creation of everything.
Many thanks,
Frank
July 2, 2007 at 7:40 am
frankwinters
Hello Soulfullady,
Thanks for your comment — I love getting comments!
I’m guessing that your name is Sue Emmel — correct? I raise this issue because you asked to use my photo — before I grant permission I’d like to know who you are.
I am sorry to hear about Mrs. Khadem. I think of her often, she and her family made a lasting positive impression on me.
Of course thinking isn’t bad. If I had t pick being just a thinking person or just a feeling one I’d choose thinking. But its a silly idea to choose between these options since we are all both thinking and feeling beings. The trick is to increase one without ignoring the other.
I understand what you mean by a “a psychoemotional heart “bypass” on myself” — I think I suffer from the same thing.
Your answer to my question is correct but not helpful. As a practical matter we are captives of time. For us there is a future and past even when we recognize the power of now. There are transitions and major events in our lives — death birth. We make decisions. We act and the world reacts.
We know – really know – only the moment, the now. But we are captive in the flow of time. To say otherwise is nonsense unless its not. IOW we can break out if time (I think) but most of us have not.
As to Bahai I am in the process of putting it behind me. I love some of the writings but don’t find the organized religion of this kind useful to me. I find it dogmatic and fundamentalist. It claims to be modern but is really the old way of faith. It is full of fear. I will not be guided by fear.
Emerson wrote “God builds his temple in the heart on the ruins of churches and religions.” I believe this. Bahuallah taught that man must understand the reward and the punishment. In the Iqan he asks us to meditate on the reason for the rejection of the manifestations of God. He blames the return of the people who don’t get it. I think one reason for the historic rejection of saviors is that the religious system is torturous. Full of ‘tests’ that make recognition of the prophets very difficult. Each prophet makes it difficult for the next one to be accepted or so it seems to me. Too many metaphors. Not enough practical solutions. For me the best use of religion is as a source that should be used with great discretion. I will not accept any creed whole hog.
Today I believe in mankind. I think that the hope of mankind isn’t in a god or prophet its in mankind. We must do the work of figuring out how to share the planet. Another religion will not solve the problem no matter how many calamities befall us. If things get worse we may be prompted to figure things out faster but humanity will not be driven to enter the Bahai faith in troops if they do. We need to respect the beliefs of all and curtail our own belief that our world view is best and perfect.
I could go on but you get the drift I think. I need to seek answers that work for me elsewhere. Enough already!
Many thanks for your comment and your kind thoughts,
Frank
July 2, 2007 at 7:43 am
frankwinters
Hi Steven,
Thanks for the comment.
You wrote:
“We aren’t in charge here. Those in the next world are.”
Boy I don’t agree with that! Yes there are lots of things we can’t control but they are things in the here and now. We need to work towards a more just and safe society world wide – nobody can do that for us.
Best wishes,
Frank
November 13, 2007 at 4:41 am
John
Hi, Im from Melbourne Australia.
Please check out these references on Reality as Conscious Light and the Feeling Heart as the core of our being.
1. http://www.dabase.org/dht6.htm
2. http://www.dabase.org/dht7.htm
3. http://www.dabase.org/dualsens.htm
4. http://www.dabase.org/tfrbkyml.htm
5. http://www.dabase.org/happytxt.htm
6. http://www.mummerybook.org