Stroke of Insight....

While I've been basically housebound, I've been reading an interesting book. It is "My Stroke of Insight" by Jill Bolte Taylor.

What I found so interesting is the way Dr. Taylor spells out exactly the way our brain works and the differences between the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere. She describes what it is like to have a stroke that basically knocked her left brain out of commission. The left brain is the logical, detail-oriented, factual side of the brain.

The right brain uses feelings, intuition, is "big picture" oriented and receives information in symbols and images.

I am right-brain dominant. Obviously. But I still love science.

(If you're not sure whether you are right- or left-brain dominant, you can take this little test. )

As I was reading her book which is a chronicle of her experience as she lived almost totally in her right hemisphere and how her perceptions changed as she regained left brain function, I was thinking about all sorts of possibilities.

What if left brain or right brain dominance is influenced by culture and education? Or perhaps we are born with a certain inclination and that is why some of us truly struggle with our environments. There are a thousand different ways to look at this. The rationalist view would probably suppose that we are merely slaves to our biology. (Of course, I don't believe that.)

This book will make you think about many new things.

If you'd prefer to not read the book, (even though it's really short at 180 pages and I highly recommend it), you can watch this video and get a synopsis.

All in all, truly fascinating stuff. We really are amazing creatures when you think about it.

Let me know what you think. :)

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