From Sensory Illusion to Neural Centrality: Refuting Historical and Contemporary Myths Regarding the Heart's Role as an Emotional Repository
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: This critical research paper addresses the historical and prevalent misconception that attributes human emotions and cognitive awareness to the heart, a notion deeply rooted across centuries in literature and art, and recently revived through superficial claims on social media platforms. This paper aims to dismantle these misconceptions based on modern biophysical and neurophysiological evidence, affirming that the brain, specifically the amygdala and hypothalamus, is the absolute center of emotional and cognitive processes. Furthermore, the paper redefines the heart as a high-performance "feed pump" and a secondary responder to autonomic and hormonal commands, explaining visible physical markers, such as tachycardia and facial flushing, as subsequent motor symptoms rather than the origin of emotion.
Author: Kataw, Ahmed Hussien Ali
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225818887
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