The Heart in Holistic Education Lourdes Arguelles, Rollin McCraty, and Robert A. Rees I n recent decades, neurophysiological research re- lated to learning and education has focused pre- dominantly on the brain. This emphasis, which is reflected in Western pedagogy, is a logical extension of the ascendancy of rationalism since the seven- teenth century. Until that time, however, logos and mythos, mind and heart, were seen not as conflicting but rather as complementary ways of making mean- ing of the world. Many of the world’s ancient civili- zations—including the Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese, Japanese, Hindus, Hebrews, and early Chris- tians—respected the heart for harboring an “intelli- gence” that operates independently of the brain, yet is in communication with it (Elder 1996; Eliade 1987; Godwin 2001; Young 2003). This perspective, re- flected in the language, customs, writings, art, spiri- tual practices, and even medical systems of these civ- ilizations, survived for centuries. Indeed, the view that the heart is a key center of cognition, emotion, volition, discernment, wisdom, and spirit may be the strongest common thread uniting diverse cultures throughout human history as well as most of the world’s major religions and spiritual traditions. However, with the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, the beginnings of capitalism, and the dawn of modern science, the West at least gave as- cendancy of the mind over the heart. Gail Godwin re- fers to this as “The Great Heart Split” (2001, 111). As James Hillman says in his essay about William Harvey’s anatomical explorations of the heart, “At that moment when Harvey conceived the heart to be divided, … thought lost its heart, heart lost its thought” (as quoted in Godwin 2001, 112). Speaking of Harvey’s anatomical study of the heart, Godwin (2001, 113) says: At the moment the anatomist held up the ex- cised heart, … a sort of Eucharistic celebration of the literal heart could be said to have oc- Educational programs based on new scientific discoveries about the heart lead to improved emotional stability, cognitive functioning, and academic performance. LOURDES ARGUELLES is Professor of Ed- ucation at Claremont Graduate Univer- sity in California where she teachers courses and is involved in action re- search projects in the areas of immi- grant studies, alternative education, and community building. She is a licenced psychotherapist who works pro-bono with survivors of violence. <www.idyllcuban@aol.com> Note: HeartMath, Freeze-Frame, and Heart Lock-In are registered trademarks of the Institute of HeartMath. TestEdge is a trademark of the Institute of HeartMath. Freeze-Framer is a registered trademark of Quantum Intech, Inc.