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The human
brain is a paired organ and consists of two halves (cerebral
hemispheres) that look pretty much similar but are not exactly alike.
Each hemisphere has functional specializations – different
functions have neural mechanisms localized primarily in one half of the
brain. The two halves of the brain's
cerebral cortex execute different functions. This theory was developed
by Nobel Prize winners – Roger Sperry and Robert Ornstein.
The two
hemispheres are joined by the corpus collosum, which is a
bundle of millions of nerve fibers that transmit data from
one hemisphere to the other and helps them
communicate.
We can
specify the general functions of the two hemispheres for the
right-handed people.
The Left
Hemisphere
The left
hemisphere controls the right side of the body. It is primarily
concerned with logic, thinking, analyzing and observing. The left
brained people always make decisions based on facts and figures. They
may not be the right ones if you are seeking opinion on color and
choice of dress or shoes, for example.
The left
hemisphere is concerned with hard facts, details, discipline and rules,
structure, categorizing, time sequences, mathematics, logic,
rationality and deductive reasoning, details, definitions, planning and
goals, words (written, spoken or heard), extroversion, and physical
activity.
For better or
worse, our current educational system and society
puts more emphasis on the left hemisphere activities in general.
Marshall McLuhan once speculated, "The day when bureaucracy
becomes right hemisphere will be utopia."
The
Right Hemisphere
The right
brain controls the left side of the body and is more commonly
associated with issues dealing with emotions and feelings. You are
likely to find comfort in the company of the right brain people if you
are distressed.
The faculties
of the right brain include intuition, feelings and sensitivity,
daydreaming and visualizing, creativity (art and music), color, spatial
awareness, gut feeling, first impressions, rhythm, spontaneity,
risk-taking, flexibility and variety, learning by experience,
relationships, mysticism, play and sports, introversion, humor,
and holistic way of recognizing patterns and
similarities and then synthesizing them into new forms.
You may read
more on comparison of the left and the right hemispheres in terms of
few clearly observable behavior traits here.
Brain
Lateralization
Based on
which side of the brain is more dominant, you can generally classify
people in two categories. This phenomenon is called brain
lateralization. In other words, the more you rely on one half of your
brain, the more lateralized your brain is. Lateralization develops
during the childhood, based on genetics, family environment and
personal experiences.
Lateralization
is often manifested in the likes and dislikes of the people. If you are
a right-brain person, you may judge your co-workers who are left
brained, as boring or rigid. On the other hand, if you are a left-brain
person, you may view the right-brained colleagues as disorganized or
unreliable. However, employers have discovered that both types can be
equally effective, if left to work in their own ways.
Although by
way of habit or occupation people tend to use one hemisphere more than
the other (brain
dominance), a normal person,
however, switches from one half to another, depending on the situation
and task.
Why
Use Only Half of the Brain
High degree
of brain lateralization is not desirable. People whose brains are
highly lateralized are likely to view the world in a rather lop-sided,
dysfunctional manner.
A nerdy
software geek who is completely married to computer codes and
microprocessors and does nothing else in the life is living only inside
his left-brain. A crazy or spaced out artist or musician is a victim of
over dominance of the right brain. It is like trying to run a car with
tractor wheels on one-side and bicycle wheels on the other. Clearly, it
is not the sane way to use the car as a car.
Ideally you
need to be able to access both sides of the brain in order to tap the
bigger potential of the brain. When the left (analytical) and the right
(emotional) hemispheres of the brain are balanced and working
harmoniously, you have optimized physical and mental health.
The
experience of “whole
brain”
functioning has been a common knowledge among those on the path of
spirituality for a long time. However, they only sought to still the
mind that automatically allowed creativity and intuition to surface.
But today people would like to put the “whole
brain” to function in their normal working lives. This
requires developing and integrating the two sides of the brain.
Brainwave Entrainment is a simple tool to achieve that.
Test
Your Brain Type
Determine
your hemisphere dominance with this Free
Test at
the MindMedia website.
More
Resources
Left
Brain, Right Brain, Whole Brain?
Whole Brain Thinking
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