There are the right and left sides of the brain, both being two separate hemispheres connected via the corpus callosum, a thick bundle of nerve fibres. The two should be in balance and work together.
The left side acts like a serial processor, it is concerned with logic, details and the details of the details. It analyses, processes and categorizes. It deals with language, scientific theory, mathematics and reason. It thinks methodically and linearly, it deals in the past and the future. It reminds us of what we need to do, where we need to be etc. It says: I am a lawyer, mother, student, explorer etc., and in saying so it ‘separates’ us making us from others.
The right side acts like a parallel processor, it is concerned with the holistic ‘picture’. It seeks the essence, the effect, the overall meaning or significance of the whole picture, rather than being interested in its details. It deals with intuition, creativity, art, music, faces, patterns and recognition. It deals with the present, right here and now and not the past or the future. It thinks in pictures and rather than separating, it senses the oneness of humanity and the world.
These two sides of the brain can be likened to the two wings of a bird. In order for a bird to fly it is essential for both of its wings to be equally strong, for there to be balance. Similarly, both sides of the brain need to be equally strong and there should be a balance if we are to fly in life. When one of the bird’s wings is weaker than the other then the bird’s flight will either be lopsided (in circles) or it will just be flapping around and won’t even leave the ground.
Q: When in life do we experience a natural balance?
A: In play
Q: What happens in play?
A: The right brain says: This is just a game, it’s fun win or lose?. Victory or defeat, hey it’s just a game and not the ‘be all or end all’ of everything. The left brain says: Yes, it is a game but still we will give it our best, play to our best, using the skills we have learnt. The left side also knows the rules of the game and works hard to win. Together there is lightness and competitiveness, a good example of this in action is in sport.
If one side of the brain is stronger than the other though, what happens?
If the left is stronger then life becomes very serious. We lose sight of the bigger/whole picture. We can’t handle defeat-victory and we begin to stop taking risks. Then if the right side is stronger we find that when something feels important our skills to achieve whatever it may be are inhibited, and we lead a handicapped life flapping around instead of flying. We have the vision but we can’t implement it.
Regaining the bigger picture?
Step back and let go of small and trivial things that you have become caught up in, put things into context of the whole of life. This brings us clarity and a sense of the timelessness of life and the eternal nature of the soul. Touching this timelessness we experience the feeling of deep inner security; this experience of total security within the self changes everything. When we are insecure inside (unbalanced) we spend all our effort in attempting to make our world a secure place to be.
On this external level this leads to actions based on greed which in turn leads to anger when what we have accumulated is threatened/goes or we can’t get what we ‘think’ we need in order to feel secure. When we touch timelessness we deeply sense/experience our own inner security; then peace, happiness, lightness, love, concentration (the ability to focus and apply) emerge naturally within us and we feel strong. The personality of security emerges, one of nobility and strength.
‘Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind’- A. Einstein
