The heart: a muscle that pumps blood through the body of every living creature on earth with a vertebral column. Self-regulatory, adaptable, and powerful, it is complex and life-sustaining. In the collective psyche, the heart holds a special, symbolic place. Since the middle ages in Western civilization, it has been linked with love and considered the very home of the soul. In China, it was believed to be where shen – spirit – resided and was the source of intelligence.

The latest science is now revealing that the ancient beliefs about the heart were indeed accurate: it is, in and of itself, intelligent, spiritual, emotional, decisive, and intuitive. At our TEDxSantaCatalinaSchool event, we explored the following questions:

• What is the latest science telling us about the human heart?
• How can matters of the heart inspire our lives?
• What professions are driven by being in touch with one’s heart?
• In today’s technological and fast-paced world, how do we see embodied the seven types of love?
  • philia (deep friendship)
  • ludus (playful love)
  • agape (selfless love)
  • eros (physical love)
  • storge (familial love)
  • pragma (long-standing love)
  • philautia (love of oneself)
• Why do we have so many proverbs containing the word “heart?” And what do they mean?
  • to know something by heart
  • to have a heavy heart
  • to have a change of heart
  • to be brokenhearted
  • to die of a broken heart
  • to take heart

Thank you to all who joined us on October 17, 2014, to explore matters of the heart!