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Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness QUOTES

Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness QUOTES

1 " Among other things, HeartMath research tests theories about the electromagnetic field of the human heart using machines that measure faint magnetic fields, such as those that are often used in MRIs and cardiologic tests. Remarkably, the heart’s toroidally shaped electrical field is sixty times greater than that of the brain, and its magnetic field is 5,000 times greater than that of the brain. The heart generates the strongest electromagnetic field in the body, and its pumping action transmits powerful rhythmic information patterns containing neurological, hormonal, and electromagnetic data to the brain and throughout the rest of the body. The heart actually sends more information to the brain than the brain sends to the heart. In other words, the heart has a mind of its own. Studies reveal this electromagnetic field seems to pick up information in the surrounding environment and also broadcasts one’s emotional state out from the body. Their measurements reveal that the field is large enough to extend several feet (or more) outside our bodies. Positive moods such as gratitude, joy, and happiness correlate to a larger, more expanded heart field, while emotions such as greed, anger, or sadness correlate to a constricted heart field. "

― Eben Alexander , Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness

2 " To become more aware of your observer, practice being in a completely neutral state, with no attachment to specific outcomes, and offer a wide-open acceptance to whatever shows up. If thoughts arise, simply note them in your mind with no judgment, and no analysis. Watching your thoughts like this on a regular basis brings you more in touch with the inner observer. "

― Eben Alexander , Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness

3 " regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness. "

― Eben Alexander , Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness

4 " neuroscience has come to believe that all of our human qualities of language, reason, thought, auditory and visual perceptions, emotional forces, etc.—essentially all of the qualities of mental experience that become part of our human awareness—are directly derived from the most powerful calculator in the human brain: the neocortex. Although "

― Eben Alexander , Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness

5 " Fascinating research results point to the realization that our hearts interconnect and exchange information with others. In studies, subjects are trained to enact specific heart coherence techniques such as focusing awareness in the area surrounding the heart and generating a feeling of appreciation. Coherence reflects a higher state of balance and synchronization in the body’s cognitive, emotional, and physiological processes, leading to lowering of stress reactions and more efficient function. Positive emotions are correlated with higher degrees of coherence, thus generating appreciation in the heart alone can beneficially affect the person’s physiological functions, including the autonomic and parasympathetic nervous systems. "

― Eben Alexander , Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness

6 " The Scalpel and the Soul: Encounters with Surgery, the Supernatural and the Healing Power of Hope. "

― Eben Alexander , Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness

7 " And yet we neuroscientists and researchers still can’t answer the single most important question: What is consciousness and where does it come from? "

― Eben Alexander , Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness

8 " In a very real sense, we seem to experience a greater sense of consciousness the less certain parts of our brain are actively functioning. "

― Eben Alexander , Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness

9 " Quantum physics results are quite baffling when viewed from the purely materialist perspective. "

― Eben Alexander , Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness

10 " Paramount in any effort to comprehend reality at a deeper level is to understand that what you have been witnessing since before you were born—all of that stuff “out there”—has actually been an internal model: a construct within mind that we presume represents something that should be “out there. "

― Eben Alexander , Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness

11 " There is a considerable difference between believing something, and knowing it. It is crucial not to simply believe what others say and then adopt those beliefs, including everything stated in this book. It is most beneficial to learn firsthand, to cultivate and trust personal experience in order to develop an inner capacity of knowing. Each of us will proceed on a slightly different path, according to unique motivations and goals. Letting go of ingrained beliefs can be extremely valuable "

― Eben Alexander , Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness

12 " In filter theory, the physical brain serves as the reducing valve or filter through which universal consciousness, or the Collective Mind, is filtered, or allowed in, to our more restricted human perception of the world around us. "

― Eben Alexander , Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness