The heart is not heart-shaped | A story about how interesting it was to look at the body through both Western and Eastern medicine

The heart is not heart-shaped.

❤️ "Dad, is the heart shaped like a heart?"

My son was watching One Piece.

It seems to be a scene where Trafalgar Law takes out someone's heart.
That's a violent anime.

"Dad, is the heart shaped like a heart?"

Whether the heart Law took out is heart-shaped or not.
I can't see it.

"The real heart is closer to the shape of a fist."
"A fist? Like in rock-paper-scissors?"
"Yes. It's about the size of a clenched fist, and a bit more rugged."
"Huh, then why does everyone draw it as a heart?"

That was a good question.
And it was an incredibly difficult question to answer.

🔬 The anatomical heart, the anime heart

In Western medicine, the "heart" is a lump of muscle about the size of a fist.
It is located slightly to the left and is divided into four chambers.
The pointed tip faces downward, and it's not exactly a cute shape.

On the other hand, heart shapes are everywhere in daily life.
Playing cards, emojis, Valentine's chocolates.
If a child draws a heart in a picture, they will draw it as a heart shape without hesitation.

If you drew an anatomically correct heart on a Valentine's card, your confession would probably fail.

There are various theories about the origin of the heart shape.
Some say it's an ancient medicinal herb seed, others say it's based on medieval anatomical diagrams.
But that's not what's important.

In the previous article about Yorō, I wrote that there is meaning embedded in the names of acupoints.
Just as 1,300 years of history were packed into the name "Yorō".

Actually, there is also meaning embedded in the "shape" of internal organs.

🌿 Eastern medicine was not looking at the shape of the heart

In Eastern medicine, the idea of cutting open organs to precisely record their shape is thin to begin with.

The "Heart" (Shin) in Eastern medicine is different from the anatomical heart.
Consciousness. Mental activity. The power to circulate blood.
It is the name of the "function" that governs these.

The Suwen, Linglan Midian Lun chapter says this:
"The heart is the official of the monarch. Spirit and intelligence emerge from it."

It says the heart is the king of the country that is the body.
And from that royal palace, consciousness and spirit are born.

It is not a story about a pump. It is a story about a king.

It is not function following form, but form following function.

🏴 The night I took out the heart model

After dinner. My son was still thinking about it.

"Hey, about that heart talk from earlier."

As if I had been waiting for this, I took something out from the shelf.

A heart model.

You might think it's childish.
But I am a person who has studied both Eastern and Western medicine. I have my own heart model.

"Here, try touching it."

My son takes it.
He touched it in silence for a while.

"...It's not a heart shape at all."

My wife said from the kitchen.
"Are you trying to crush his dreams?"

Crush them or not, it was never heart-shaped to begin with.
The dream wasn't crushed. It never existed.

"Then, why do we draw it as a heart?"

It was a much heavier question than before.
Because it was a question asked after touching it, not just looking at it.

"Hey, you know what a national flag is, right?"
"Yeah."
"Is the red circle on the Japanese flag the shape of Japan?"
"Like a shape... or a mark?"
"Exactly. It's a mark. It's the meaning of the country of Japan condensed into a single flag."
"..."
"Maybe the heart is the same. It's not the shape of the heart, but a shape that summarizes what the heart does. Like the thumping, or how it beats faster in front of someone you like."

My son said while holding the model.

"So, is a heart like the national flag of the heart?"

I was beaten.
My son, holding the fist-shaped model, had arrived at the answer before I did.

❤️‍🩹 Knowing the shape of the heart and knowing the heart

The heart is not heart-shaped.

However, the heart has another function that cannot be overlooked.

In Eastern medicine, it is said that when the heart is disturbed, one has many dreams.
This is an ancient concept recorded in the 'Su Wen' (Basic Questions), specifically in the chapter on the rise and fall of the pulse.
The heart is the place where the spirit resides. Dreams are also an activity of the spirit.
In Eastern medicine, the heart and dreams are inherently a set.

I remembered something here.
My wife said, 'Are you trying to ruin the dream?'
I replied, 'There was no dream.'

Is that really true?

Try to think of things that have a heart on them.

Valentine's cards. Dreams of love.
Happy endings in fairy tales. Dreams of happiness.
Pictures of mom and dad drawn by children with crayons. Dreams of family.

There is always a dream near a heart.

The fact that Eastern medicine says 'when the heart is unwell, you have many dreams,' and that we have layered dreams onto the heart.
Is it a coincidence?

My wife's words were deeper than I thought.
It is not that there are no dreams, but that there are dreams. The heart had dreams from the very beginning.

The heart shape is not just a figure.
It is not a copy of a form, but a compression of meaning.
It is good that the heart is heart-shaped.

⚖️ The body is one. There are two ways of looking at it.

Western medicine precisely recorded the shape of the heart.
Eastern medicine spoke of the function of the heart through symbols.

It is not a question of which one is correct.

Many people who cannot see do not know the shape of the heart.
But come to think of it, the same is true for those who can see.
Few people have seen an anatomical chart. Everyone knows it through the thumping.

Try placing your hand on your chest.

What is there is neither heart-shaped nor fist-shaped.
It is just something that beats back at you.

Whether you can see or not, the same thing beats back.

The body is one. There are two ways of looking at it.

🎯 What you can do today

Finally, just one more thing.

Shenmen (Spirit Gate)

The hollow on the inside of your wrist, near the little finger.
If you trace the crease of your wrist toward your little finger, there is a depression just before the bone.

Written as 'Gate of the Spirit,' it is called Shenmen.
The 'spirit' refers to the mind or soul. The 'gate' is the entrance and exit.
It is considered the primary location for the meridian pathway connected to the heart.

Press gently with the thumb of your opposite hand. Press for 5 seconds, then release slowly.

When you feel anxious. On nights you cannot sleep. When your chest feels restless.
Try gently pressing the gate of your heart.

You don't need any tools.
You can do it on the train or in bed.

※ This article introduces concepts from Eastern medicine and is not intended for medical diagnosis or treatment.
If you experience persistent palpitations or chest pain, please do not hesitate to consult a medical institution (cardiology department).
Keep self-care within a range that feels comfortable. If you are pregnant or have an underlying medical condition, please consult a healthcare professional first.

📎 Please feel free to check out these articles as well

The previous entry in this series. A story about how 1,300-year-old 'eye drops' were found on the wrist. If the names of acupoints tell history, this time it is a story about how the shapes of organs tell their functions.

A Story About How Interesting It Was to Look at the Body Through Both Western and Eastern Medicine: The Yoro Edition—1,300-Year-Old 'Eye Drops' Were on the Wrist
https://note.com/kind_fish6099/n/n12437593c3b6

A story about fighting pollen season using the sides of the nose and the wrists. Why was the acupoint on the side of the nose, 'Yingxiang,' named 'Welcoming Fragrance'?

A Story About How Interesting It Was to Look at the Body Through Both Western and Eastern Medicine: The Itchy Nose Edition
https://note.com/kind_fish6099/n/n372255b2640d

The origin of the series. A story about how interesting it was to look at the trunk and the midline of the body through both Western and Eastern perspectives.

A Story About How Interesting It Was to Look at the Body Through Both Western and Eastern Medicine: The Body Axis Edition
https://note.com/kind_fish6099/n/nc2e985c07307

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