What do you think?
Rate this book
The Heart-Mind Matrix: How the Heart Can Teach the Mind New Ways to Think
Activating the compassionate intelligence of the heart to reconnect to the universe and our spiritual future
• Shows how the heart is connected to our prefrontal cortex and offers a balancing counterweight to the calculating intellect of the lower brain
• Explains how we are stuck in reactive behavior loops resulting from the loss of the nurturing culture of our ancestors
• Reveals how the Heart-Mind Matrix connects us to the universe and is the engine of spiritual evolution
Expanding the revolutionary theories of mind explored in the bestselling The Crack in the Cosmic Egg and The Biology of Transcendence , Joseph Chilton Pearce explains how the heart provides the balancing intelligence to the brain’s calculating intellect, an innate system of emotional-mental coherence lost generations ago through a breakdown of the nurturing culture of our ancestors. By severing ourselves from our heart intelligence, we are left with our selfish, survival-oriented reptilian brains, which create and reinforce “strange loops” between potential and actual reality, leading to our modern world’s endless cycle of self-inflicted disasters and societal crises. Pearce explains that in order to break these cycles and transcend a life focused solely on surviving the results of our own reactive patterns, we must reconnect with the compassionate intelligence of the heart.
Offering a rich variety of evidence, Pearce explores neurological research, lost and enduring nurturing cultures, personal experiences, and accounts from the lives and writings of modern sages such as Jane Goodall, Maria Montessori, and Rudolf Steiner. He shows that by activating the original matrix of the Heart-Mind--the engine of our spiritual evolution and our innate connection to the universe--we can teach our brains new ways to think, amend our destructive behavior loops, and enter into a future of peace, spiritual connection, and conscious evolution.
• Shows how the heart is connected to our prefrontal cortex and offers a balancing counterweight to the calculating intellect of the lower brain
• Explains how we are stuck in reactive behavior loops resulting from the loss of the nurturing culture of our ancestors
• Reveals how the Heart-Mind Matrix connects us to the universe and is the engine of spiritual evolution
Expanding the revolutionary theories of mind explored in the bestselling The Crack in the Cosmic Egg and The Biology of Transcendence , Joseph Chilton Pearce explains how the heart provides the balancing intelligence to the brain’s calculating intellect, an innate system of emotional-mental coherence lost generations ago through a breakdown of the nurturing culture of our ancestors. By severing ourselves from our heart intelligence, we are left with our selfish, survival-oriented reptilian brains, which create and reinforce “strange loops” between potential and actual reality, leading to our modern world’s endless cycle of self-inflicted disasters and societal crises. Pearce explains that in order to break these cycles and transcend a life focused solely on surviving the results of our own reactive patterns, we must reconnect with the compassionate intelligence of the heart.
Offering a rich variety of evidence, Pearce explores neurological research, lost and enduring nurturing cultures, personal experiences, and accounts from the lives and writings of modern sages such as Jane Goodall, Maria Montessori, and Rudolf Steiner. He shows that by activating the original matrix of the Heart-Mind--the engine of our spiritual evolution and our innate connection to the universe--we can teach our brains new ways to think, amend our destructive behavior loops, and enter into a future of peace, spiritual connection, and conscious evolution.
224 pages, Paperback
First published August 10, 2012
47 people are currently reading
430 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Chilton Pearce
41 books90 followersFor nearly half a century Joseph C. Pearce, who prefers to be known simply as Joe, has been probing the mysteries of the human mind. One of his overriding passions remains the study of what he calls the "unfolding" of intelligence in children. He is a self-avowed iconoclast, unafraid to speak out against the myriad ways in which contemporary American culture fails to nurture the intellectual, emotional and spiritual needs and yearnings of our young people. Part scholar, part scientist, part mystic, part itinerant teacher, Joe keeps in close touch with the most brilliant men and women in each field of inure relevant to his guest. He creates a unique synthesis of their work and translates the results into a common language-such a valuable contribution in these days of increasing scientific specialization.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 25, 2014
I picked up this book because I am interested in understanding the human body from multiple perspectives. I also have a keen interest in pre-modern viewpoints of the human heart. In addition, within the "Self-transformation/Spirituality" circles, Joseph Chilton Pearce seems to be well-known and praised. So, I decided to give this book a shot and read it.
At the get-go I must add that this is not a scientific book, at least according to our contemporary definition of science. There are many anecdotal evidences in this book, which are used, in turn, as foundations to support and endorse arguments. Moreover, not many scientific studies are posted to support some of the main claims of the book as one would hope. However, if you are used to reading "spirituality" books, I assume this would not be a major issue for you.
The author's main goal in this book is to bring our attention to our hearts. He begins by connecting the stages of human brain development to the stages of animal-human evolution. He then proceeds to show what evolution had hoped for us and what we did instead. In other words, he points to how our evolutionary design is not being utilized to its optimum capacity. He blames culture and a variety of other factors to show where, when and why we have gone astray.
As a strong Cartesian dualist he then proposes that there is this non-temporal non-spatial immaterial field that is shaped and sustained via our thoughts and beliefs. This field connects to other fields created and sustained by other individuals, and together they all form one central field. One way to think of this field is to think of it as a field of potentials. It is necessary and leads to the actualization of our thoughts and beliefs. All of human thoughts and beliefs, over millennia of human existence, are collected in this field and can be used for our benefits if we just find the right way to connect to it. It is accessible to us all but we need to transform our minds and selves to resonate with it. He gives a few examples of the Eureka! Effect and links them with the influence and existence of this field. The heart comes in the picture because it is through the heart that we can find our way to this field. Our heart inclines us towards universality, and this field is a universal field. If we follow the way of the heart we can access it and reap its benefits.
As someone who is trained to think critically and demand strong arguments, I feel this book didn't present a strong case. All of his arguments operate on a dualistic foundation, and if you do not adhere to a dualistic philosophy, then you'd always question the validity of his claims, especially about the reality of this non-temporal non-spatial immaterial field. It may be the case that in other books he has laid down a good argument for dualism. I am not certain. However, I do know that in this book he did not.
At the end, I must add that I did learn about many fascinating and, indeed, thought-provoking stories and events from reading this book. I also do appreciate alternative paradigms of thinking to approach reality. There's much more in this book that I didn't mention in this review. If you are open to non-scientific worldviews, if you think that our contemporary science is too narrow and other perspectives must be examined to understand the nature of our reality, then you may enjoy reading this book.
At the get-go I must add that this is not a scientific book, at least according to our contemporary definition of science. There are many anecdotal evidences in this book, which are used, in turn, as foundations to support and endorse arguments. Moreover, not many scientific studies are posted to support some of the main claims of the book as one would hope. However, if you are used to reading "spirituality" books, I assume this would not be a major issue for you.
The author's main goal in this book is to bring our attention to our hearts. He begins by connecting the stages of human brain development to the stages of animal-human evolution. He then proceeds to show what evolution had hoped for us and what we did instead. In other words, he points to how our evolutionary design is not being utilized to its optimum capacity. He blames culture and a variety of other factors to show where, when and why we have gone astray.
As a strong Cartesian dualist he then proposes that there is this non-temporal non-spatial immaterial field that is shaped and sustained via our thoughts and beliefs. This field connects to other fields created and sustained by other individuals, and together they all form one central field. One way to think of this field is to think of it as a field of potentials. It is necessary and leads to the actualization of our thoughts and beliefs. All of human thoughts and beliefs, over millennia of human existence, are collected in this field and can be used for our benefits if we just find the right way to connect to it. It is accessible to us all but we need to transform our minds and selves to resonate with it. He gives a few examples of the Eureka! Effect and links them with the influence and existence of this field. The heart comes in the picture because it is through the heart that we can find our way to this field. Our heart inclines us towards universality, and this field is a universal field. If we follow the way of the heart we can access it and reap its benefits.
As someone who is trained to think critically and demand strong arguments, I feel this book didn't present a strong case. All of his arguments operate on a dualistic foundation, and if you do not adhere to a dualistic philosophy, then you'd always question the validity of his claims, especially about the reality of this non-temporal non-spatial immaterial field. It may be the case that in other books he has laid down a good argument for dualism. I am not certain. However, I do know that in this book he did not.
At the end, I must add that I did learn about many fascinating and, indeed, thought-provoking stories and events from reading this book. I also do appreciate alternative paradigms of thinking to approach reality. There's much more in this book that I didn't mention in this review. If you are open to non-scientific worldviews, if you think that our contemporary science is too narrow and other perspectives must be examined to understand the nature of our reality, then you may enjoy reading this book.
July 28, 2019
Joseph Chilton Pearce was an expert in child development and a great mystic and in this, his last book he brings all his ideas together about the dire consequences of our failure in the nurture of children and his hopes for the evolution of man by reconnecting to heart-based intelligence. He writes:
"This book has described some of the many ways in which humankind has cut itself off from its original matrix of the heart, and thus no longer serves as the heart’s new way of thinking any more than it serves as nurturing caretaker of Sophia, Earth’s Spirit—both of which we are designed to do."
The coherent heart resonates with the earth's and sun's fields maximizing our creativity. Our ability to develop, evolve and transcend depends on nurture which fosters (and is also fostered by) love and altruism.
Pierce is at his best when he describes the double-bind of American children who are urged to explore the world and at the same time. on average, every seven minutes, are given prohibitive commands like "Don't do that!". This leads to split attention,doubt and anxiety encumbering the development of the brain.
When it comes to solutions for these predicaments in adulthood, I think the book falls short
Pierce's hope is that our natural curiosity will propel man's development and enable him to dare to transcend all limitations.
He says: "Mind, as self-awareness, must now further develop the capacity to imagine and project beyond its present physical “embedment.” If the resulting imaginal state is entertained over time, it can set up a strange loop, mirroring between image and its object, beginning early on, which is in process today."
But given that we have" a fundamentally flawed logical worldview", we can't rely on "our razor-sharp" intellect which has created atom bombs and environmental destruction while we have lost our connections to heart-based intelligence, because of failures in brain-heart development and nurture, what are we to do?
Pierce points to the transcendence of the physical body by Judith von Halle and some others who claim to be able to survive on very little food and water. He fails to mention the many people who have starved to death in trying to emulate these feats.
So how do we reclaim our heart-based intelligence?
"This book has described some of the many ways in which humankind has cut itself off from its original matrix of the heart, and thus no longer serves as the heart’s new way of thinking any more than it serves as nurturing caretaker of Sophia, Earth’s Spirit—both of which we are designed to do."
The coherent heart resonates with the earth's and sun's fields maximizing our creativity. Our ability to develop, evolve and transcend depends on nurture which fosters (and is also fostered by) love and altruism.
Pierce is at his best when he describes the double-bind of American children who are urged to explore the world and at the same time. on average, every seven minutes, are given prohibitive commands like "Don't do that!". This leads to split attention,doubt and anxiety encumbering the development of the brain.
When it comes to solutions for these predicaments in adulthood, I think the book falls short
Pierce's hope is that our natural curiosity will propel man's development and enable him to dare to transcend all limitations.
He says: "Mind, as self-awareness, must now further develop the capacity to imagine and project beyond its present physical “embedment.” If the resulting imaginal state is entertained over time, it can set up a strange loop, mirroring between image and its object, beginning early on, which is in process today."
But given that we have" a fundamentally flawed logical worldview", we can't rely on "our razor-sharp" intellect which has created atom bombs and environmental destruction while we have lost our connections to heart-based intelligence, because of failures in brain-heart development and nurture, what are we to do?
Pierce points to the transcendence of the physical body by Judith von Halle and some others who claim to be able to survive on very little food and water. He fails to mention the many people who have starved to death in trying to emulate these feats.
So how do we reclaim our heart-based intelligence?
December 28, 2022
This book is very enlightening, but takes some time to process. I read it over the course of several months, and I'm a fast reader, typically able to read a book in a day. The author makes a strong argument for the coexistence and biological necessity of creationism and evolutionism. I highly recommend reading it.
July 23, 2024
I skimmed through most of this book. I don't think it's a good book. I looked up his credentials so he only has a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts. It's not specified in what area. I don't think some of the science is legit. He references Candace Pert who died at 67 and was in that cult movie 'What the Bleep Do We Know!?'
I was intrigued to read this book because the Amazon.com description references spiritual philosopher Rudolf Steiner, who I read a lot in my 20s. Steiner is mainly referenced in Chapter 10 - Mind, Spirit, and Creative Fields.
I do think the science world has more to learn about the heart-mind connection but I wanted to read this book because I wanted to learn how the heart can teach the mind new ways to think (the subtitle of this book) and he really doesn't get into it. To me it seemed like just a bunch of rambling without actually concretely outlining how the heart can teach the mind.
Below are some of my notes but I just found this book boring.
Page 2
Introduction - A Mirror of the Universe
JCP defines stochasm as a "Greek word meaning randomness with purpose" but that's not the actual definition. Stochasm is simply randomness. Purpose usually is not random and implies intentionality.
Page 27
Chapter 2 - Emotion in Evolution
"In 1998 a one-page scientific article stated that the emotional state of a pregnant animal entered as a determinant in the form, structure, and functioning of brain forming in the embryo-fetus--infant in her womb. If the mother herself is given a safe, protective environment, free of anxiety and threat (or, if she can create and maintain such state within herself, as humans can), her infant will be born with an enlarged fore-brain and a reduced hind-brain. If the expectant mother feels a harsh, unsafe, anxiety-ridden, or threatening environment, her infant will be born with a reduced fore-brain, large hind-brain, and a larger skeletal structure and muscular mass." The hind brain is the reptilian brain.
This scientific article has a footnote that can be found on page 195. The footnote reads "This article's provenance is now lost, but subsequent research by Bruce Lipton document the same phenomenon." The footnote references Lipton's book, The Biology of Belief.
Page 28
"Following birth we have what is now called the 'fourth trimester,' bringing forth the growth of a fourth brain, the prefrontal cortex... this prefrontal system is far more powerful than all the rest of body-brain put together." Not really clear what the three brains are as he has an illustration on page 20 of the human brain. It might be the diagram on page 17 which shows 2 parts labeled as Reptilian Brain. The other areas are the Mammalian Brain, and Neo-cortex. Based on the diagram on page 20, the Reptilian Brain may be the Cerebellum and Spinal Cord.
I was intrigued to read this book because the Amazon.com description references spiritual philosopher Rudolf Steiner, who I read a lot in my 20s. Steiner is mainly referenced in Chapter 10 - Mind, Spirit, and Creative Fields.
I do think the science world has more to learn about the heart-mind connection but I wanted to read this book because I wanted to learn how the heart can teach the mind new ways to think (the subtitle of this book) and he really doesn't get into it. To me it seemed like just a bunch of rambling without actually concretely outlining how the heart can teach the mind.
Below are some of my notes but I just found this book boring.
Page 2
Introduction - A Mirror of the Universe
JCP defines stochasm as a "Greek word meaning randomness with purpose" but that's not the actual definition. Stochasm is simply randomness. Purpose usually is not random and implies intentionality.
Page 27
Chapter 2 - Emotion in Evolution
"In 1998 a one-page scientific article stated that the emotional state of a pregnant animal entered as a determinant in the form, structure, and functioning of brain forming in the embryo-fetus--infant in her womb. If the mother herself is given a safe, protective environment, free of anxiety and threat (or, if she can create and maintain such state within herself, as humans can), her infant will be born with an enlarged fore-brain and a reduced hind-brain. If the expectant mother feels a harsh, unsafe, anxiety-ridden, or threatening environment, her infant will be born with a reduced fore-brain, large hind-brain, and a larger skeletal structure and muscular mass." The hind brain is the reptilian brain.
This scientific article has a footnote that can be found on page 195. The footnote reads "This article's provenance is now lost, but subsequent research by Bruce Lipton document the same phenomenon." The footnote references Lipton's book, The Biology of Belief.
Page 28
"Following birth we have what is now called the 'fourth trimester,' bringing forth the growth of a fourth brain, the prefrontal cortex... this prefrontal system is far more powerful than all the rest of body-brain put together." Not really clear what the three brains are as he has an illustration on page 20 of the human brain. It might be the diagram on page 17 which shows 2 parts labeled as Reptilian Brain. The other areas are the Mammalian Brain, and Neo-cortex. Based on the diagram on page 20, the Reptilian Brain may be the Cerebellum and Spinal Cord.
June 17, 2024
I am fascinated by the writing. It's a slow read as I want to absorb and assimilate as much as I can. What I've read so far has been very valuable. I'm reading both this and the Grieving Brain. Between the two of them I recently developed a splendid presentation on perinatal death of an infant. It was fate finding me for this conference presentation. Amazing reads.
March 9, 2016
Wow! I'll come back to this book and Joseph Chilton Pearce. Amazing integration of culture, science, evolution, cosmology, ontology. Peppered with attention-getting observations... like Allan Shore's finding that every 9 minutes an average American child hears "No-Don't" ... or on average, a six-month-old infant spends 2 hours daily in front of a back-lit screen ... or the deep connection and integration of brain and heart. Lots to consider here for better ways of being, living. Expect to read this one slowly.
Read
September 7, 2016Another great read from Pearce. It takes time to read his books because there is so much to digest.
Here he doesn't actually tell you how the heart can teach the mind he merely helps to lead the way. Not as life changing as Biology of transcendence this is his real master peace. a must read ( three or four times) for all looking for some enlightenment.
Here he doesn't actually tell you how the heart can teach the mind he merely helps to lead the way. Not as life changing as Biology of transcendence this is his real master peace. a must read ( three or four times) for all looking for some enlightenment.
August 5, 2016
The very edge of science is brought down to you in what -- to me without a doubt -- is a world class writing. I have almost never seen science insights discussed in ways that anyone can understand, relate to, and be inspired to think about. J Pearce is certainly someone who makes reading exciting. I can't wait to get my hands on his next piece.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews