K Rajvanshi – Appeared in Speaking Tree supplement of Times Of India on May 29,
2011
process of their own, writes Anil K Rajvanshi
We have always expressed love and emotion from the heart
and intuition from the gut; hence, the expressions heartfelt and gut feeling.
Research suggests that they may have scientific explanations. It seems both
heart and gut have minds of their own. Besides communicating with the brain,
they might also be helping it develop, reducing depression and increasing the
level of the individual’s well-being.
The Gut Mind
On an average, the brain has 100 billion neurons; it is
the seat of all our thinking. The gut or the digestive system has close to 500
million nerve cells and 100 million neurons and is almost the size of a cat’s
brain. Not only does the gut ‘talk’ with the brain by releasing chemicals which
are transported to the brain but also by sending electrical signals via the
vagus nerve, one of the longest nerves in the body whose purpose is to relay
the information of internal organs to the brain. It starts from the head and
ends
Most gut neurons are used in the daily grind of digestion.
The gut system is an extremely complex chemical processing machine, which breaks
down food, absorbs nutrients and moves waste down via muscular contraction
towards the anus for expulsion. Thus the autonomous nervous system of gut
allows it to work independently of the brain.
Recent research reveals that there is tremendous amount of
information flow from the gut to the brain via the vagus nerve and this flow is
mostly one-sided.
Body Balance
The reverse interaction — from the brain to the gut —
is when we get hunger pangs and the brain tells the body to get food or when
something goes wrong in the gut, like pain or diarrhoea, necessitating
medicines for its cure. Scientific evidence also suggests that a big part of
our emotions are probably influenced by chemicals and nerves in the gut. For
example, 95 per cent of the body’s serotonin is found in the gut. Serotonin is
an important neurotransmitter that contributes feelings of wellbeing. The
ancients seem to have known something about the gut-brain connection. The colon
cleansing process of ayurveda like enema or ‘gut wrenching’ exercises of nauli
in Hatha Yoga help in cleaning the gut and increasing the feeling of wellness.
In mayur asana, the body is balanced on the navel. The pressure stimulates the
vagus nerve; helping improve the brain-gut connection.
There are also many instances of people experiencing
extrasensory perception (ESP) after colon cleansing has taken place. One reason
could be that a clean gut frees its neurons to help the brain increase its
processing power. The extra neural power may help the brain process more
information and help it experience samadhi or sanyam. Though gut neurons are
used mostly for gut activity, they also interact with the brain via the vagus
nerve.
In Patanjali Yoga, the gut is the centre of the
body-universe. It says that by sanyam on the nabhi a yogi gains knowledge of
body constituents.
The heart is one of the most important organs of the human
body. It has nearly two billion muscle cells and 40,000 neurons. Heart neurons
are very few in number compared to those in the brain, 100 billion or gut, 0.1
billion. Nevertheless, these neurons transmit the heart’s signals and its
condition to the brain.
The heart-mind interaction takes place both by electrical
signals via the vagus and the spinal cord nerves and through chemicals. The
heart is also an endocrine gland.
Recent studies have shown that the heart sends signals to
the brain that are not only understood by it, but also obeyed. Scientists have
discovered neural pathways and mechanisms whereby inputs from the heart to the
brain inhibit or facilitate the brain’s electrical activity — just as the gut
is capable of doing. Thus both gut and heart-mind help in the thought process.
Besides electrical signalling, the heart also releases peptides,
which help in blood pressure modulation and improving the functioning of
kidneys. The peptides also stimulate the pituitary gland thereby helping it to
release hormones like oxytocin commonly referred to as the ‘love’ hormone.
Oxytocin also helps increase the wellbeing of a person. This could be the basis
for saying that happy feelings emanate from the heart.
The point of interest is the rhythm patterns of the heart
which result when two billion muscle cells are triggered by AV and SA nodes,
which are like electrical switches. These nodes send electrical signals to the
heart muscles for contraction and so are an important organ of the heart. When
they do not function properly, electrical signals to muscles go haywire and the
heart starts to flutter. A pacemaker attached to these nodes streamlines
signals and can restore proper functions to the heart.
The speed of heartbeats or its contraction changes
depending upon our emotions. For example, when we are aroused either by passion
or anger, the heart speeds up and in quiet times or in meditation, it slows
down. This electrical input to the AV and SA nodes from the brain comes via the
vagus nerve and is reflected in the ECG patterns of the heart.
Pranayama Helps
Pranayama or breathing exercises can stimulate the
vagus nerve and this could have a beneficial effect on the heart and gut.
Similarly the chanting of mantras or deep throat singing as practised by
Buddhist lamas also stimulates the vagus nerve. It has been shown that this
stimulation helps in reducing blood pressure and improves the rhythm patterns
of the heart. The neural information from both these activities facilitates the
cortical function and the effect is heightened mental clarity, improved
decision making and increased creativity.
Similarly, the stimulation of the vagus improves the
cleaning process of the colon. For example, the ancient Indian custom of
applying pressure on the cheeks with fists while sitting on the toilet seat
helps in bowel movement. Pressure on the cheeks stimulates the vagus nerve
since its branches pass through the face. Scientists have also discovered that
the heart is involved in the processing and decoding of ‘intuitive
information’. Tests on subjects showed that the heart appeared to receive
intuitive information before the brain. This could be the basis for — ‘Follow
your heart; you will never go wrong’.
The ancients were aware of the heart interaction. Patanjali
Yoga says that by sanyam on the heart, a yogi acquires the complete knowledge
of his mind.
To produce deep thought which helps in improving the
wellbeing of a person, the gut and heart brains must work together with the
main brain. When all work harmoniously, it creates a healthy body and a
powerful mind.