heart

[blond_law]

why is love connected to your heart? why not your lung or kidney ?? why do people say i've got a broken heart??

[Quizmonster]

In English, the earliest recorded use of the heart to signify the seat of life and the vital functions and feelings - such as love - dates back to Anglo-Saxon times in the 9th century. So, the idea has been around for quite a while!
You find this in all sorts of phrases..."I hadn't the heart to tell him"..." knew in my heart of hearts" and so forth.

[Quizmonster]

Here's a quote from the Bible...

"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

So, the connection of heart and love goes back to biblical times - and beyond probably - and in most societies throughout the world's history. I did not mean to imply in my earlier response that it was just a British thing!

[johnlambert]

The ancient egyptians would scrape away and destroy the brain during the proccess of mummification, they would, however, carefully cut out and preserve the heart of the recently departed.

They were of the opinion that human emotion was controled by the heart and that the brain had little, or no function.

[Postdog]

Have you ever loved and lost, only to feel that dull ache in your chest when it's over?

[smudge]

Very interesting Quizzy - something else I've learned today!

I think the Egyptians were right in certain cases, going by your second para John!

I felt a dull ache in my chest when my parents & my sister died Postdog, but not from a relationship.

[snook]

I think it's to do with chakras. The heart chakra (centre of the chest) is supposedly where feelings of love emanate (it's not actually anything to do with the physical organ).

If you want to feel very calm and peaceful, try this - get comfortable, close your eyes and imagine your heart chakra opening (it's a spinning energy vortex), imagine it widening and visualise love energy beaming out. You can imagine it like a golden or white light. Imagine it having a positive and beneficial effect wherever it meets anything or anybody. I guess this is the origin of the saying, 'open your heart'. Just describing it makes me feel good!