Is it possible to give oneself a spontaneous heart attack through thought alone?

lanfranco

I've no idea whether you can trigger a sudden heart attack via mere thought. However, recent news stories have discussed the possibility of sudden heart failure -- "stress cardiomyopathy" - triggered by an emotional shock, such as news of a death. This was referred to by the media as "broken heart syndrome." http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2005/02_10_05.html Apr 21 05, 2:35 PM

gmackematix

It would be a very unusual suicide method but it may be possible. Biofeedback mechanisms have shown that people can train themselves to consciously increase or decrease their own heart rate. In theory I suppose a person so trained could indcce a voluntary heart attack in themselves. Alternatively, in addition to the stress cardiomyopathy that Frankie described (which was told to the press just before Valentine's Day to garner more publicity) it is conceivable that a heart attack could involuntarily be caused by thought alone if reason led a person to a very shocking conclusion. There are certainly some interesting ideas there for any budding fiction writers. Apr 21 05, 6:22 PM

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