DEATH By BROKEN HEART

A TV News Magazine segment reported this past Friday night on the ABC network, that scientist in the US have been able to “prove” a heart condition similar to that of a heart attack which if incorrectly diagnosed will cause death – literally from a broken heart. From whatever might have “broken” a specific heart… In their words, usually a highly traumatic or sudden stressful event…

On the other hand, Europeans have come to that conclusion during WW2., as my 1984 research found (I was setting up a resource library on refugees and displacement victim matters). It was not uncommon for a soldier to die “of a broken heart” at the front lines, without any apparent physical condition/reason. This occurrence/death was referred to as “Mal du Pais” and was believed to be caused by a profound sadness brought on by being away from homeland, family and friends…(it just shows our exquisitely and intense “humanity”, our capability to feel with each and every one of our cells.)
Perhaps, it had more todo with fear, thousands dead and the smell of it all enveloping them...

This is something that many common folk and some of us non-medical types have heard of or even known with certainty for generations and generations, possibly since near the dawn of civilization (?) For instance many women, poets, writers, artists have known for sure, they all spoke and wrote accounts at great length, in painstaking, minute detail and profound intensity.

I don’t know about you, but I have felt the pain of my heart as it literally “severed into large chunks” and remain fragmented, mal functioning and exiled in suspension for rather prolonged periods of time with some profound effects on the rest of my being. It has composed itself slowly, at the pace of a snail, but it carries an unintended aloof hesitancy that vigilantly precedes and permeates my actions. Yet, somehow it also has the ability, on occasion, to surrender to the call of some ancient instinctive wisdom… and, as if void of all memory, knows of no reason at all.

©2006