Image via Marina Zlochin

Split-brain research has given us decades of data about the differences between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. We tend to oversimplify the left brain as more logical and scientific and the right brain as more creative and expressive - and we often classify ourselves as being more “left brained” or more “right brained” based on our dominant qualities. But just as the body is interconnected and we no longer isolate each organ as a sole operating system, the brain is the same. The hemispheres works together on the same tasks - but in different ways.

Our right hemisphere is focused on the bigger picture, making connections, context and intuition. Our left hemisphere is more focused on details, organization and small, short term goals. Iain McGilchrist’s The Master and his Emissary refers to the right hemisphere as “the master” and the left as “his emissary” because both are needed for proper function but see the world in different ways (1).

We can see some of the “master role” of the right brain in patients experiencing delusions after a stroke or brain injury, as they tend to have damage on the right hemisphere of the brain (2). Rehabilitation from brain injury is generally proven to be easier if the damage is on the “emissary” side, or left hemisphere (3).

To better understand the two hemispheres at work, let’s imagine riding a bike. We need the left brain to focus on the mechanics of pedaling and steering, but rely on the right brain for overall body balance and minding the traffic. Another example is a squirrel hunting for bugs - they need the left brain to make a quick attack but also the right brain to ensure they are also not being hunted at the same time (1).

Our culture tends to focus primarily on left brain thinking - formulas, organization of data, short term details. There is less emphasis on the big picture context in our workplace, education system and even in our daily tasks, often because right brain progress is hard to measure.

Prioritizing the right hemisphere can be challenging. We tend to focus on only the short term details and less on the bigger context of our lives - this can lead to more impulsive actions or feeling a greater need for control.

The corpus callusom, the median between the two hemisphere, acts as a bridge between the two hemispheres to ensure there is constant communication and synchronized action taking place between the two hemispheres to provide right brained context for the left brained details (4).

This communication is important for moments when you might feel anxious about a left brained observation - like a work decision or deadline. This ‘perceived threat’ could send the left hemisphere into a hyper vigilant, protective state. However your right hemisphere can bring the context and connection of your job security and support system to bring your body back into a place of safety.

It can be hard to access this right brain connection if we have an over functioning left hemisphere. But simply understanding that both hemispheres of the brain play a role in our emotional health can help us release the judgement of our more vigilant left hemisphere and embrace the connection-building right hemisphere. Psychotherapy can also help to connect you with your right hemisphere and lead you to the transformative experience of what it feels like for the right hemisphere to be the ‘master’ during a challenging situation.

This information is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice.

Sources:

McGilchrist, Iain. The Master and His Emissary the Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World. Yale University Press, 2019.
“Delusions Associated With Consistent Pattern Of Brain Injury.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 13 Jan. 2009, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090113113955.htm.
Gurin, Lindsey, and Sonja Blum. “Delusions and the Right Hemisphere: A Review of the Case for the Right Hemisphere as a Mediator of Reality-Based Belief.” The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, vol. 29, no. 3, 2017, pp. 225–235., doi:10.1176/appi.neuropsych.16060118.
Roland, Jarod L., et al. “On the Role of the Corpus Callosum in Interhemispheric Functional Connectivity in Humans.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 114, no. 50, 2017, pp. 13278–13283., doi:10.1073/pnas.1707050114.