David Robson, 'The mind-bending effects of feeling two hearts', http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20141205-the-man-with-two-hearts, BBC Future In Depth (5 December 2014).
Surprising truth
When a man was fitted with a new heart, his mind changed in unusual ways. Why? The answer reveals a surprising truth about all our bodies.
Truth in the cliche
We often talk about 'following the heart', but it is only recently that scientists have begun to show that there is literal truth in the cliche; the heaving lump of muscle contributes to our emotions and the mysterious feelings of 'intuition' in a very real way.
Bodily awareness
People with more bodily awareness tend have more intense reactions to emotive pictures and report being more greatly moved by them; they are also better at describing their feelings. Importantly, this sensitivity seems to extend to others' feelings – they are better at recognising emotions in others' faces – and they are also quicker to learn to avoid a threat.
Emotional life
In other words, people who are in tune with their bodies have a richer, more vivid emotional life - including both the ups and downs of life.
Onderzoeksartikel
Couto B, Salles A, Sedeño L, Peradejordi M, Barttfeld P, Canales-Johnson A, Dos Santos YV, Huepe D, Bekinschtein T, Sigman M, Favaloro R, Manes F, Ibanez A, 'The man who feels two hearts: the different pathways of interoception.', http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23887813, PubMed (bezocht op 3 januari 2015).
Links
Klik hier voor het journalistieke artikel en klik hier voor het onderzoeksartikel.
