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View Full Version : Which side of the brain do you use?



tom1
15-04-09, 23:52
Recently I came across a program about a woman who had a stroke and with it experienced a life changing experience.

Basically she describes that she lost the left-side of her brain for a while, which is often associated with the linear, logical, sequential processing. During that time she lost the left-side of her brain during her stroke, she began using her right-side of the brain hemisphere. She explains that she saw things as energy and a totally different perspective because she believes her brain was more left-side orientated. Scientists say that a lot the mind's creativity stems from the right-side as well as the baggage of random processing, fantasy orientated processing. So it's not far fetched to imagine her brain processing things differently and certainly temporarily to the right-side while the left-side was not functioning.

While the experience this woman may be true with seeing 'energy', it is possible the right-side of her brain allowed her to 'imagine' this.

Furthermore, is it not possible that those of us who suffer some form of mental illness are perhaps right-side orientated people? and perhaps the reason why logical reasoning goes out the window?

You can also find out which side of the brain orientated you are, by doing some online questionnaires. A lot of the results for mine made exact sense to my way of thinking. Here is a snippet:

"The left side of the brain processes information in a linear manner. It processes from part to whole. It takes pieces, lines them up, and arranges them in a logical order; then it draws conclusions. The right brain however, processes from whole to parts, holistically. It starts with the answer. It sees the big picture first, not the details."

"You're the student who needs to know why you are doing something."

I just thought it was quite deep and interesting.

What are your thoughts?

sunshine-lady
16-04-09, 00:24
I think I am orientated on both sides of my brain as I have Bipolar Disorder

eeyorelover
16-04-09, 05:38
I always thought that the side that you use the most was the opposite of the hand you write with.
Could be wrong tho!
I usually am!!
hehe

melody
16-04-09, 08:23
Hi,

I am right handed, which controls the intellectual side. I had to learn to use my left hand to write due to neck & shoulder pain to give that side a break. I'm still messy at it.

When I use my left hand to write I write things that are more idealistic & simplistic. I think it's very pleasant, but very immature. When I use my left hand to do my art it comes out as joyful dancers or gymnasts, or decorative butterflies with happy colours. When I use my right hand to do my art it is usually realistic stuff, or patterns or the dark stuff. I think changing to using the right creative side of the brain encourages you to slow down, stop thinking so hard & remember that life can also be joyful & free at times. It is like a different energy.

Of course I always get all excited & totally absorbed in what I'm doing if I'm making art, so it could be my emotions playing tricks on me. Also I had to concentrate harder for good hand control, so it made me forget about whatever things I may have been worried about at the time. The first time I did it it came out with these beautiful ballerinas in gold pen with movement & expressions in the face of the love & concentration of the dance. I was very surprised because it was one of the better drawings I have done, it got lots of compliments & my left hand was so clumsy.

I felt terrible before, but now I feel like I should rush off & try my new marble effect inks & thick textured paper I bought today. Expressing creativity is like being a completely different person to who I think I am when I'm being mean to myself for not being perfect. Creativity is far from perfect. It doesn't matter if you fail because it's just a hobby. Colours and images leap in front of me before I can put them onto the page when I am feeling inspired. Otherwise I use trial & error.

I don't think you need to have a stroke to learn to use the right side of the brain & find that side of yourself. I think it's just about finding a creative hobby that you think would be fun like singing, dancing, playing a musical instrument, sketching, writing stories or poems, whatever you think is fun, & giving it a go, even if you do have to start out being terrible at it. No one is good at it at first. It's more about pure enjoyment & learning to have a sense of humour about your stuff ups.

Of course the drawback is that the right side of the brain is very exciteable & therfore very sensitive. I call myself the sensitive artist because I so often get sad with the way people speak to me when they expect everyone to be the same. Then I have to rush off with my art book or my diary. It's good because no one can tell I'm upset. They just think I'm artistic. Then I usually don't feel upset much after I finish or start a picture. I will never be anything like what the majority of people are like, even if some of them expect me to. I think they are the ones missing out because their minds are closed.

There are books about that kind of stuff in the art section sometimes, I haven't read them, so I don't know if they're any good.

tom1
16-04-09, 11:21
What's also interesting is that when you mention art, some of the world's brilliant artists have suffered a form of mental illness along with their 'creativity' for example Jackson Pollock.