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Brain Hemisphere Utilisation


This page discusses how your brain-utilisation is reflected in your eyes
and what issues and tendencies you might experience in your life

My view of Hemispheric Dominance in the human brain

The human brain is divided into two main sections - called 'hemispheres'. These 'contain' complementary abilities - broadly referred to as "left-brain" and "right-brain".

The way you use the abilities of these hemispheres determine much of your personality and behaviour. The most significant determinant is which hemisphere you prefer to use in responding to sensory input and external stimuli.

We'll call this preference 'dominance' - someone who predominantly reacts to life using their left hemisphere abilities we'll call 'left-brain dominant'. This doesn't mean that the right-brain is atrophied or disabled in any way - merely that the left hemisphere is that person's preferred response hemisphere.

This dominance can (and does) change from time to time throughout an individual's life - typically the pattern is determined in childhood. Your eyes, and other body signs, indicate the pattern of switching hemispheres. As an example you may observe that some people fold their arms in different ways - left over right or vice versa. Trying to change the way you fold your arms will quickly demonstrate how comfortable you are with the way you have learnt to do it and an other way feels strange.

What does this demonstrate? It is an indication of your pattern of hemispheric dominance at the time when you learnt to fold your arms. For most of us, this occurred at an age between 2 and 3. The feeling of strangeness when we try to change the pattern demonstrates how comfortable we have become with the choice we made way back then and how infrequently we have ever challenged that choice.

It is important to understand that your brain dominance is a flexible and changeable asset. Although the predominant hemisphere preference changes slowly, taking roughly 9 months to complete a switch from one side to the other, you are able to switch sides with ease in a fraction of a second.

The ability to 'switch' hemispheres (to call upon the skills and talents of your appropriate hemisphere at the appropriate moment) is a mark of balance or wholeness in the individual - logical responses are the province of the left hemisphere, creativity and intuition are regarded as right hemisphere skills. Survival of the self is a concern of the left hemisphere, survival of others (a child, loved one or the group for instance) is a matter for the right hemisphere.

As you look in pairs of eyes, you will notice that people's left and right eyes are rarely the same - it is this difference that reflects differences in the way they use their hemispheres.

You are constructed in a cross-linked fashion - your left eye is connected to your right brain hemisphere and vice-versa. This means that the left eye indicates your right-hemisphere activity and your right-eye indicates your left-brain activity.

You can generally estimate how strongly people use their hemispheres by the "strength of their gaze" when they look into your eyes. Please note that some cultures regard looking directly into an individual's eyes as a confronting and aggressive act, so please make sure you are welcome before peering through the windows of another's soul.

Right Brain Dominance in the Eyes

A right-brain dominant Jewel structure

A right-brain dominant Jewel structure

notice there are more/larger/stronger brown dots (jewels) in the left iris indicating more activity in the right hemisphere.
A right-brain dominant Flower structure

A right-brain dominant Flower structure

notice there are more/larger/stronger fibre petals (flowers) in the left iris indicating more activity in the right hemisphere.


If you are having trouble identifying the jewels and flowers in these iris pictures, you can see them described in detail on eyesite's structure page.

Left Brain Dominance in the Eyes

A left-brain dominant Jewel structure

A left-brain dominant Jewel structure

notice there are more/larger/stronger jewels in the right iris indicating more activity in the left hemisphere.
A left-brain dominant Flower structure

A left-brain dominant Flower structure

notice there are more/larger/stronger flowers in the right iris indicating more activity in the left hemisphere.


These structural indications are present at birth - although it may take several years for jewels to become visible. As the individual's life progresses there will be changes in the dominance of the moment - just as we need to use both legs to walk effectively, we need to use both hemispheres to respond to life in a balanced fashion.

So life will lead us from one hemisphere to the other (& back) as we learn to stride forward along our life's path using our brain.

Brain Dominance Characteristics

Area Right Brain Dominant Left Brain Dominant
Attitude A tendency to 'space out', use spirituality to avoid responsibility, make others responsible for challenges and problems - blames others. A tendency to devalue creativity and spirituality. Over-dependence on Logic, feel responsible for others discomforts - blames self.
Issues
or
challenges for the individual
Being organised, clear thinking - rational decision making, relationships with males (esp Father /figures), Providing materially Delegation, cleaning out - 'letting go' , intuitive leaps and 'gut'-feelings, relationships with females, receiving or being provided for.
Likes Socialising, colour, expression, future-oriented Control, uniformity, past-oriented, 'knowing', solitude
Dislikes Feeling abandoned, controlled, betrayed - by others (mostly men), feeling incapable, 'wrong' Feeling smothered, fussed-over, untrusted - by others (mostly females), feeling inadequate, unworthy
Needs MORE: control, clarity, focus, direction, responsibility
LESS: expression, nurturing, social activity
MORE: spontaneity, dance, expression, nurturing, social activity
LESS: control, clarity, focus, direction, responsibility, analysis
Balancing Diet Protein, cooked food, vegetables Fasting, fruits & juices, raw food
Gifts Inspiration, amiability, caring and sharing Organisation, leadership, achievement
Life Lessons Be more responsible, finish the job, meet your committments, trust yourself Let go, delegate, relax, trust others
Familial preference Mothers and sisters (females) Father and brothers (males)


Non-iris-based Tests for Hemispheric Dominance

There are ways in which you can assess your own brain dominance at present. These indications are subject to many complicating factors and are by no means 100% reliable . However they can give you an indication which some may find helpful.

The leg you prefer to kick with, the hand you write with , all "handedness" indicators, are useful for indicating hemispheric orientation in very early childhood - some say as early as birth - but are, IMHO, of little value in identifying your situation in the present moment.
    thumbs indicating left-brain dominance
    • " Which of your thumbs has the more directed (higher and narrower) moon? "     Generally this thumb is an indication of the non-dominant hemisphere (higher moon in left thumb = right hemisphere dominant; higher moon in right thumb = left hemisphere dominant). You might prefer to regard it as the "pointier" moon indicates the dominant hemisphere. This indicator does take some time to reflect a shift in dominance.

    • " Which leg do you prefer to stand on? "    If it is your right leg, then you are probably left brain dominant, conversely a left leg preference suggests a right brain hemispheric preference. Of course if you attempt this test with a stone in one shoe or an injury in one leg the results are far more likely to be determined by the stone or injury than the brain's current dominance.


    • If you usually sleep in bed with the same person:" Which side does your partner lie on (when you are lying on your back)? "     Your dominant hemispheres will tend to lie next each other when you are on your back. If you lie on the right side (facing up) it suggests left brain dominance and vice versa.

    • " Do you ask a lot of questions? Do you tend to reveal all when questioned? "     Left brain dominant people are more questioning, right brain dominants are more answering. A typical scenario runs like this:
             Right brain dominant: Why do you left brain people always answer a question with a question?
             Left brain dominant: Why shouldn't we?
    Sleeping positions, if regular, are a reliable indicator of hemispheric dominance in a stable relationship.

    Ways of manipulating Hemispheric Dominance

    There are moments in life when it is advantageous to be able to access a particular hemisphere - for example when it is time to do the tax return, the left brain will look after your interests better than the right hemisphere; when it is time to redecorate the house, the right brain will more likely do better.

    Still using the same skill-development process it's possible to take 'walking' to an exquisite artform Rather than force the issue with a stressful internal struggle, you can help matters by first of all stimulating the appropriate hemisphere so that it is more likely to respond when you undertake the task.

    Perhaps the easiest way is to stand on one leg: to stimulate left brain activity, stand on your right leg; to stimulate right brain activity, stand on your left leg. One minute is usually enough to create a change - you can try it now: first, decide which leg you prefer to stand on naturally, then stand on the other for a minute and see if you "feel" any different. A good way of measuring any change is to review your attitude towards your mother or father: if you move towards the left hemisphere you would likely experience a softening or warming of attitude towards your father. Similarly movement towards the right hemisphere typically is accompanied by a softening or warming of feelings towards your mother.

    stimulating the right brain by pinching the left hand Any physical stimulus of the left hand side of the body is going to increase activity in your right brain hemisphere so a firm pinch on the left leg will encourage a larger right-brain contribution to the activity at hand. Similarly twisting a finger on the right hand is likely to produce an increase in the left hemisphere's involvement in what is going on. Note that if the stimulus becomes too painful to bear, the brain will tend to move away from the source and will produce the opposite movement of a gentler, bearable stimulus.


    These methods may seem superficial or simplistic , however, if you choose to use them repeatedly, you will eventually teach yourself to recognise the sensations of left and right brain hemispheric activity. Once you have become aware of the feeling of an active right hemisphere and a quiescent left hemisphere (or vice versa), you will be in a position to shift your hemispheric dominance through your own conscious volition simply by doing whatever you find work for you in order to recreate those same sensations.

    Naturally there are many other techniques you can use to promote a particulate hemisphere's activity. Engaging positively in anything that harmonises with the right brain functions will naturally increase your right hemisphere activity. Stridently engaging negatively in anything that harmonises with the left brain functions will also tend to increase right hemisphere activity. You can look at the above list of brain dominance characteristics for guidance.

    For instance focusing with feelings of love on females in your close social circle will draw your brain activity effortlessly into your right hemisphere. Focusing positively on your own self and your self-worth and value to yourself will stimulate activity in your left hemisphere.


    The Goal: Balance and Harmony

    Ultimately, I believe, the goal of us all, with respect to hemispheric dominance and activity, is to achieve a state where we feel balanced and equally at home in either hemisphere. And the skill to move into, or utilise the particular gifts of, either hemisphere at will and at appropriate times. This is very similar to the way it a young child learns to walk.

    learning to walk - we've all been throught it and take it for granted yet it is a skill that has got us everywhere we've been in life In order to walk there are many skills that must be acquired and coordinated: principally the ability to balance on either leg and transfer the body weight between them without falling in a heap. So it is with brain usage, firstly we must learn to use our brain without wobbling or collapsing, then we must learn to use each hemisphere, then we must learn to use both hemispheres in a co-coordinated and constructive fashion. Having done that we have empowered ourselves to use our brain to get somewhere in life, just as the child, having acquired the skill of walking, has empowered herself to get somewhere in the physical world.

    Given that your brain is the most powerful organ in your body, and thought (which I am equating, possibly controversially, with hemispheric activity) is the most powerful tool for creating your life experience, it makes eminent sense, too me at least, to learn to use the tool effectively before attempting to create a masterwork with it.

    Finally: the best activity known to man to promote hemispheric balance is walking, left leg, right leg, left leg and so on. What happens in your head is right brain, left brain, right brain and so on. I believe this is why walking is such a health- and peace-producing activity and is of such benefit to people whose minds are becoming overly stressed. And if your in a position where you can't walk with your legs, you can achieve similar results with your hands simply by drumming on whatever is handy.

    If you want more information on how you can train and educate your brain, I suggest a good starting place is Brain Gym.



    Want to know more?       Rayid Interpretations at Middle Path are available in one of 2 flavours:

    click to go Personal Discovery

    A one-hour session imparting an intimate, compassionate understanding of the mechanics of your personality, gifts and challenges in life. Opportunities will arise for you to discuss appropriate activities to create balance and inner peace and harmony.

    click to go Personal Discovery Plus

    A two-hour (or longer if appropriate) session building on the information we discover in a Personal Insight to enlist the active support of your subconcious mind in creating positive, profound and potent change in your life.


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    this document middlepath.com.au/eyesite/hemsphr.phpwas last updated on 8 Nov 21  ||