Jan. 30: Brains are Crazy

The experience that unlocked Jill Bolte Taylor’s new way of thinking and Noah Charney’s about a neurologist’s insight towards abstraction and perception of art has defined the complex yet cohesive function of the human brain to be performed in four different styles. Comparing the conceptualized binary way our brains work as described by these authors is proving to be a very daunting task for the left hemisphere of my own brain. If these two individuals were to sit at a dinner table and attempt to label one of these methods of using our brains as the absolute best method I think there would definitely be a mutual agreement, but the agreement wouldn’t be about which method is the “best”. The two ways of thinking described by both of the authors are approached very differently. Taylor’s brain thinks in two ways that are explicitly defined by the physical form of the brain itself; the left and right sides have different functions. Her idea is that limiting yourself to the right hemisphere gives one the potential to reach “nirvana” by knowing nothing else but the present moment. Charney’s conclusion about the idea of the two ways of thinking disregards the physical aspect of the brain that defines these methods being practiced by literally using a certain area of the brain or the other. It’s difficult to put all four of these in the same category because both of the thought processes described by neuroscientist Eric Krandal require the work of the right and left sides of the brain as defined by Taylor. While the argument might be that “bottom-up” thinking is instinctual and barely requires thought processing, it is described as “unconsciously making sense of phenomena”. Regardless of whether it’s done with conscious or not, making sense of anything is a job that can only be done with “Left-Brain” thinking.  An argument might ensue during dinner if Charney isn’t convinced “Bottom-Up” thinking requires the left side of the brain, but there isn’t much else to disagree upon because it’s clear that “Top-Down” thinking is reliant on the function of both sides. Charney’s conclusions from his interview give light to two different ways we are able to use our brains to think about the world, while Taylor gives us the ability to appropriately balance our brain function by providing a physical map of the process that is thought itself. These ideas flow together hand in hand and lack conflicting beliefs. I see this meeting as not a discussion of what’s better or worse but as an exchange of ideas to help better define what is.