Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board
Voicelessness and Emotional Survival => Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board => Topic started by: Dr. Richard Grossman on March 26, 2008, 11:21:27 AM
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Hi everybody,
I thought this mini-lecture by a neuroanatomist who had a stroke might be of interest:
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/229
Best,
Richard
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Gosh, I used to feel quite intelligent, but lately I feel so dense when I try to understand these grand ideas.
Here is what I highlighted as the simplest explanation of right/left:
Right here right now, I can step into the consciousness of my right hemisphere where we are -- I am -- the life force power of the universe, and the life force power of the 50 trillion beautiful molecular geniuses that make up my form. At one with all that is. Or I can choose to step into the consciousness of my left hemisphere. where I become a single individual, a solid, separate from the flow, separate from you.
Here is a more complete explanation:
Our right hemisphere is all about this present moment. It's all about right here right now. Our right hemisphere, it thinks in pictures and it learns kinesthetically through the movement of our bodies. Information in the form of energy streams in simultaneously through all of our sensory systems. And then it explodes into this enormous collage of what this present moment looks like. What this present moment smells like and tastes like, what it feels like and what it sounds like. I am an energy being connected to the energy all around me through the consciousness of my right hemisphere. We are energy beings connected to one another through the consciousness of our right hemispheres as one human family. And right here, right now, all we are brothers and sisters on this planet, here to make the world a better place. And in this moment we are perfect. We are whole. And we are beautiful.
My left hemisphere is a very different place. Our left hemisphere thinks linearly and methodically. Our left hemisphere is all about the past, and it's all about the future. Our left hemisphere is designed to take that enormous collage of the present moment. And start picking details and more details and more details about those details. It then categorizes and organizes all that information. Associates it with everything in the past we've ever learned and projects into the future all of our possibilities. And our left hemisphere thinks in language. It's that ongoing brain chatter that connects me and my internal world to my external world. It's that little voice that says to me, "Hey, you gotta remember to pick up bananas on your way home, and eat 'em in the morning." It's that calculating intelligence that reminds me when I have to do my laundry. But perhaps most important, it's that little voice that says to me, "I am. I am." And as soon as my left hemisphere says to me "I am," I become separate. I become a single solid individual separate from the energy flow around me and separate from you.
Hmmm... so if an N had a damaged hemisphere, which would it be??????
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Interesting. I've suspected my N-ish father doesn't have a functional right brain and this lecture provides some supportive insights. My father is totally caught up in his mental chatter, on issues of his own past and future. At one point he read some book on developing the right side of the brain and decided he was an artist. For a short while, he was producing "art" and handing it out to other people. He wasn't willing to spend the time to actually develop any real skill, so the project was abandoned in a few weeks. He loves to read, but has no real interest in art whatsoever. Anything that might connect him to other people in the world in the present moment seems beyond his capacity to understand. So he lives in his own little verbal universe.
I bet there would be a lot to learn from brain scans of N-ish people :)
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I think I would fall more to the left as well. I will have to take a test at some point and see, but I would pretty much bet on it.
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This is me :)
you possess an interesting balance of hemispheric and sensory characteristics, with a slight right-brain dominance and a slight preference for visual processing.
Since neither of these is completely centered, you lack the indecision and second-guessing associated with other patterns. You have a distinct preference for creativity and intuition with seemingly sufficient verbal skills to be able to translate in any meaningful way to yourself and others.
You tend to see things in "wholes" without surrendering the ability to attend to details. You can give them sufficient notice to be able to utitlize and incorporate them as part of an overall pattern.
In the same way, while you are active and process information simultaneously, you demonstrate a capacity for sequencing as well as reflection which allows for some "inner dialogue."
All in all, you are likely to be quite content with yourself and your style although at times it will not necessarily be appreciated by others. You have sufficient confidence to not second-guess yourself, but rather to use your critical faculties in a way that enhances, rather than limits, your creativity.
You can learn in either mode although far more efficiently within the visual mode. It is likely that in listening to conversations or lecture materials you simultaneously translate into pictures which enhance and elaborate on the meaning.
It is most likely that you will gravitate towards those endeavors which are predominantly visual but include some logic or structuring. You may either work particularly hard at cultivating your auditory skills or risk "missing out" on being able to efficiently process what you learn. Your own intuitive skills will at times interfere with your capacity to listen to others, which is something else you may need to take into account.
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And our left hemisphere thinks in language. It's that ongoing brain chatter that connects me and my internal world to my external world. It's that little voice that says to me, "Hey, you gotta remember to pick up bananas on your way home, and eat 'em in the morning." It's that calculating intelligence that reminds me when I have to do my laundry. But perhaps most important, it's that little voice that says to me, "I am. I am." And as soon as my left hemisphere says to me "I am," I become separate. I become a single solid individual separate from the energy flow around me and separate from you.
Hmmm... so if an N had a damaged hemisphere, which would it be??????
I think that in the case of NPD,
it'd be the part which says, "I Am", as in Exodus 3:14-15, where God says to Moses, "Tell them 'I Am' sent you."
"Ehyah" is the phrase that God uses to describe Himself to Moses. In Hebrew it means state of being. Translated it means: to be, to become, to exist, to happen, to come into being, to appear, to be established, to remain, to continue, to accompany, to be finished.
From my experience with NPD individuals, that pretty much covers it!
Very intriguing article, Dr. Grossman. Thanks for sharing it here!
Carolyn
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This is my result:
Auditory : 57%
Visual : 42%
Left : 82%
Right : 17%
PR - What dancer? I didn't see a dancer question. Wonder if we got the same test?
I love the analysis, if only I found I could access the traits it suggests I have:
your results indicate a strong left-hemisphere dominance with a mild preference for auditory processing. This blend would suggest that you are an extremely efficient person, logical perhaps to an extreme. You tend to structure your life and learning in very precise ways.
You benefit from experience, seek the rational in situations and feel most comfortable with routine.
You are a detail person. You see each piece of a puzzle or situation with equal clarity and value, and thrive on your ability to fit each piece into a unifying structure.
Your learning style tends toward the auditory, which suggests that you process inputs sequentially and classify each before moving on to the next. You do, however, possess sufficient visualization skills and interest to supplement the auditory tendency and render you more active than a person who is purely auditory.
In all likelihood you will be somewhat reserved in appreciating your own talents and understate your abilities even to yourself. You will organize your time and set schedules for yourself and, in that sense, lose sight of spontaneity and other needs - both of yourself and others. Your enviable organization, structure, and efficiency make you a valuable asset to a team effort.
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Hi GS
Here is the Dancer Test ...
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22492511-5005375,00.html (http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22492511-5005375,00.html)
I don't know anything about it other than I googled "left - right brain test"
Leah x
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The reason why I quickly deleted the link / post.
I only reposted it as GS was asking in reference to a previous posting.
I posted it after 'googling' and of course, I very much regret doing so.
Leah
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Thank you, Dr Grossman, for the interesting article, indeed, for a most interesting thread.
Most fascinating subject.
And thank you, Amber, for all the website links.
Leah
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Dear Dr. G,
Thank you so much for posting this.
In my life, I have certain moments, pivotal moments – wonderful learning times that I never forget.
Watching that video – was one of those moments.
I was in tears at the end of the video (and I don’t cry easy). So many emotions – sadness for her that she left such a wonderful place to come back and spread her message – along with such overwhelming gladness that she did come back – glad for me because I was able to hear her story.
I have felt on the precipice of finding that nirvana that she spoke of (have to laugh because my left brain just gets in the way most times…..), nonetheless, that video encapsulated so much of what I am feeling lately – to see it expressed – beautiful.
Thank you so much!
Peace
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Thank you Dr. G and everyone else for this fascinating topic and the associated links. Here’s me and now I understand why I am often in a state of agitation, spiralling out of control, as I call it.
kim, you are somewhat left-hemisphere dominant and show a preference for visual learning, although not extreme in either characteristic. You probably tend to do most things in moderation, but not always.
Your left-hemisphere dominance implies that your learning style is organized and structured, detail oriented and logical. Your visual preference, though, has you seeking stimulation and multiple data. Such an outlook can overwhelm structure and logic and create an almost continuous state of uncertainty and agitation. You may well suffer a feeling of continually trying to "catch up" with yourself.
Your tendency to be organized and logical and attend to details is reasonably well-established which should afford you success regardless of your chosen field of endeavor. You can "size up" situations and take in information rapidly. However, you must then subject that data to being classified and organized which causes you to "lose touch" with the immediacy of the problem.
Your logical and methodical nature hamper you in this regard though in the long run it may work to your advantage since you "learn from experience" and can go through the process more rapidly on subsequent occasions.
You remain predominantly functional in your orientation and practical. Abstraction and theory are secondary to application. In keeping with this, you focus on details until they manifest themselves in a unique pattern and only then work with the "larger whole."
With regards to your career choices, you have a mentality that would be good as a scientist, coach, athlete, design consultant, or an engineering technician. You can "see where you want to go" and even be able to "tell yourself," but find that you are "fighting yourself" at the darndest times.
Auditory : 41%
Visual : 58%
Left : 55%
Right : 44%
Kim in Oz
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Auditory : 25%
Visual : 75%
Left : 44%
Right : 55%
My summary was exactly the same as gratitude 28's.
I'm a lefty. Anyone else?
This was especially appropriate:
You may either work particularly hard at cultivating your auditory skills or risk "missing out" on being able to efficiently process what you learn. Your own intuitive skills will at times interfere with your capacity to listen to others, which is something else you may need to take into account.
I think my wife wrote that. :P
mud
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Hi everyone. I had trouble finding the results of the test I did yesterday - I know I posted them on the board, but I was looking for the actual test on my computer. Anyway, when I couldn't find the actual answers, I decided to do the test again. The questions were different and the result I got was different. Some of the questions were the same but a lot of them were different. The puzzling thing is the result. Here's what I got today.
Your Brain Usage Profile:
Auditory : 35%
Visual : 64%
Left : 44%
Right : 55%
kim, you possess an interesting balance of hemispheric and sensory characteristics, with a slight right-brain dominance and a slight preference for visual processing.
Since neither of these is completely centered, you lack the indecision and second-guessing associated with other patterns. You have a distinct preference for creativity and intuition with seemingly sufficient verbal skills to be able to translate in any meaningful way to yourself and others.
You tend to see things in "wholes" without surrendering the ability to attend to details. You can give them sufficient notice to be able to utitlize and incorporate them as part of an overall pattern.
In the same way, while you are active and process information simultaneously, you demonstrate a capacity for sequencing as well as reflection which allows for some "inner dialogue."
All in all, you are likely to be quite content with yourself and your style although at times it will not necessarily be appreciated by others. You have sufficient confidence to not second-guess yourself, but rather to use your critical faculties in a way that enhances, rather than limits, your creativity.
You can learn in either mode although far more efficiently within the visual mode. It is likely that in listening to conversations or lecture materials you simultaneously translate into pictures which enhance and elaborate on the meaning.
It is most likely that you will gravitate towards those endeavors which are predominantly visual but include some logic or structuring. You may either work particularly hard at cultivating your auditory skills or risk "missing out" on being able to efficiently process what you learn. Your own intuitive skills will at times interfere with your capacity to listen to others, which is something else you may need to take into account.
So it seems that the result is based on the sort of questions asked. What does everyone else think?
Kim In Oz
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Wow that test is like a lottery. It depends on which questions you get, as to what results, you get. For fun I did it again and this time I got results which are significantly different. I think we have to regard the test as a bit of fun rather than something serious. Here's the result this time
Your Brain Usage Profile:
Auditory : 66%
Visual : 33%
Left : 36%
Right : 63%
as opposed to earlier
Your Brain Usage Profile:
Auditory : 35%
Visual : 64%
Left : 44%
Right : 55%
as opposed to yesterday
Your Brain Usage Profile:
Auditory : 41%
Visual : 58%
Left : 55%
Right : 44%
Kim in Oz.
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Hi Kimberli,
I noticed the same thing you did. I took the test and was surprised at one of the statements in the summary. I remembered one question where I thought I chose the wrong answer. So I took the test again with the idea of changing the question to the opposite answer. That's when I noticed that the questions weren't the same. Anyway, in the end, after taking the test three times, it appears that I'm consistently more left brained than right brained. I think somewhere around 62% left brained. More auditory than visual.
tt
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TT, I have always known I am a swinging voter, but now it seems I also have swinging brain activity. My tests indicate a huge variance and I can only conclude that that is because of the nature of the questions. Thanks for confirming that I don't have multiple personalties but rather it depends on the type of questions being asked.
Kim in Oz
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mud,
I would chalk up the 'auditory skills' to you being a man... if I hadn't scored the same. LOL. I guess I need to get out the Q-Tips and see if they clear up my hearing.
:) Beth
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Beth,
Since our results were so similar I can only offer you my deepest sympathies. :(
mud
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Beth,
Since our results were so similar I can only offer you my deepest sympathies.
mud
I said I love youse guys and that's forever
And this I promise from the heart
I could not love you any better
I love you just the way you are.
tt
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Thanks for the giggle. I am glad I DO have a brain, be in lopsided to the left or right. Not that I always give it the workout it deserves :)