The human heart contains a significant concentration of nervous tissue which regulates the timing of the heart’s rhythmic beating.
The human heart is also a metaphor for someone’s deepest essence, taking on dimensions of emotion, morality, and purpose.
Consciousness is a trait generally ascribed to the human brain alone, excluding the rest of the nervous system.
I humbly suggest that this view may need revision: the brain works in tandem with the vast network of neurons throughout the body which provide sensory feedback to create a whole body experience. Included in this neural network is the electrical conduction system of the heart.
It may be worth considering that the human heart is not just a metaphor, but perhaps an integral part of a person’s entire consciousness. There are portions of the brain which communicate most directly with the heart’s bundle of nerves, which could form a potential link between the consciousness of the brain and the consciousness of the heart.
The millennia of ancient wisdom regarding the metaphorical human heart implores us to at least entertain this possibility. Failure to do so may lead us to neglect an essential aspect of our humanity, to say nothing of the rest of the animal kingdom for which this may also be a vital truth.