Demystifying the popular myth that individuals are dominated by either their right or left brain hemisphere

Introduction

There is a brain theory which has gained much popularity over time. This theory argues that the brain of every individual, is either dominated by the left or right hemisphere, and that left brained individuals are more logical, rational, sequential, objective, looks at parts, etc. While right brained individuals are more, intuitive, holistic, random, subjective, looks at wholes, etc.

It is very true that the left and right brain perform different functions. For example, the left brain is in charge of languages, while the right brain is in charge of emotions. However, there isn't a concrete proof that individuals have a stronger left or right brain, or if any of them is better than the other

This popular belief about the functionality of the different hemispheres of the brain, has gained much popularity in the field of psychology, media, marketing, and pretty much many other fields. However, as pretty as it sounds, these claims are incorrect and non-factual, as most of the functions our brain performs, actually involves both hemispheres

Where did this myth spring up from?

We are not completely sure who started this viral myth, but sometime, during the 19th century, some neuroscientists discovered that certain individuals who had a difficulty in processing a language, had issues on specific areas around the left hemisphere of their brain. These researchers later concluded that the affected areas where extremely important in the processing of languages, and later went ahead to make their findings public. Most people hold the belief that it was from this findings that the popular theory which states that the left brain is concerned with creativity while the right brain is very analytical. Get more information from livescience

Hovering around the field of neuroscience, is this popular myth in question. Try strolling through the Internet, you'll be wowed at the tremendous amount of articles, feeding the entire world that some individuals are left brain dominated, while others are right brain dominated. People go ahead to conduct quizzes and test questions, in order to "determine" if people are left or right brain dominated. Sometimes i just wonder how this myth happened to gain such popularity, since they actually have no scientific backing. This idea of left or right brain denomination. is also being ignited by the very fact that some individuals are left handed, while others are right handed

Nobel prize winner Dr Roger Sperry, also discovered that if you cut the corpus callosum (which is the structure that links the two brain hemispheres), that this reduces seizures in epileptic patients. During this same study, he determined which sphere of the brain was responsible for languages, math and other brain activities. This was then perpetuated by other psychologists and teachers, spreading the news that personality is determined by which part of the brain is dominant. His findings were ground breaking, but he didnt say one part of the brain dominated another or that some people are left brained or right brained

The brain hemispheres

The brain is one of the most hardworking and complex organ in the body. This soft tissue is made up of billions of neurons (brain cells) and has a weight of about 3pounds. The brain uses about 20% of an individuals body energy, and carries about 2% of an individuals body weight. The above, are few important facts about the brain. However, i don't intend giving a full description of the brain, as that is not my focus for today

The brain is actually created by two cerebral hemispheres. A structure which separates these two hemispheres is known as a Longitudinal fissure. This is why the brain is divided into the left and right hemispheres. The structure of the two brain lobes is arranged in a certain way whereby on the outer layer of each hemisphere, has a surface layer of cerebral cortex, which of course, is of grey matter. While the inner layer is of white matter.

For complete two years, an intense study was carried out by researchers, who studied the brains of over 1,000 individuals. The research concluded that there was no significant difference in brain hemispheres among people. This research was carried out sometime in 2013, with Resting State Functional Connectivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging Get the information her

Even though none of the brain spheres are dominant, there are quite some differences between them both. But most processes observed on the left, are also observed on the right

According to Dartmouth neurologists Dr. Alexander Reeves and Dr. Rand Swenson. in chapter 2 of the book book "Disorders of the Nervous System

Both sides of the brain have "the capacity to express appropriate feelings, appetites and drives; the capacity [for] ..learning, memory, logic, etc.; the capacity to maintain appropriate thresholds and tolerance for frustration and failure, and to recover promptly from their effects; the capacity to maintain effective and well-modulated defense reactions (i.e., repression, denying, pretending, rationalization, blaming, withdrawal, fantasy, depersonalization, obsessive-compulsive behavior and bodily reaction patterns involving alimentation, respiration, metabolism, etc.)."

What the author was simply trying to say, was that most of what you find on the left hemisphere of the brain, can also be found on the right hemisphere, sealing the fact that none of our brain hemisphere has dominance over the other

In certain baby (around 3 months old babies) health issues, like the case of epilepsy and some other serious disorders, doctors sometimes performs a surgery in order to remove a hemisphere of the brain, to get rid of the illness

It is recorded that the baby can still grow up to perform his or her normal function and maintain a normal memory. This is according to Cleveland clinic Hemispherectomy involves surgically removing a cerebral hemisphere of the brain, (wether partially or completely) get more information from scientific American

A typical eye opener is the very fact that we process languages in the brain left hemisphere, and this is not peculiar to everybody. While mathematical processing takes place in the parietal lobe, which happens to be in both hemispheres of the brain. The internal regions of the brain like hypothalamus, thalamus, brain stem, are organised with both left and right sides

So one of the major difference between both hemispheres is the very fact that the right side of the body is controlled by the left side of the brain while the left side of the body is controlled by the right side of the brain. The problems arise when we extend this idea to logic creativity and thinking. This is however different when it comes to vision.

The nerves in the left sides of our two eyes, connects with the left brain hemisphere while the nerves in the right sides of our two eyes, are connected to the right brain hemisphere. Both the left and right brain hemispheres takes part in learning. Over time, it has also been observed that individuals who has a brain damage in their brain left hemisphere, can start all over, relearning how to speak with their right hemisphere.

According to wikipedia, nerve fiber, is a long, slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, that typically conducts electrical impulses known as action potentials, away from the nerve cell body. These nerve fibres, are what connects the left and right brain hemisphere. in a typical complete brain, the two hemispheres complement each other. There are situations where an individual might sustain an injury that affects the brain, or separates the two brain hemispheres, they can still function at a normal pace

Lets talk about Handedness

A left handed individual uses his right brain for manual tasks, while a right handed individual uses his left brain for manual tasks. Turns out that handedness is inbuilt and can be detected as early as about when the baby is in the womb. There are babies that prefer to suck their thumb as early as when they are just 15weeks old. The two hemispheres of the brain also differs In what they are attentive to. The left brain often pays much attention to the internal world, while the right side often pays much attention to the external world. In terms of lateralization, there is also no difference between male and female brains, according to recent brain image scanning.

Activation of different parts of the brain differs from one individual to another. During life activities, the sides of the brain an individual uses, isn't same as every other person. This is often influenced by wether an individual is left or right handed.

According to a research carried out sometime in 2014, reports that up to 99% of people who are right handed, have their language centers around the left region of their brain, the same research confirmed that this is same for 70% of left handed people.

What does magnetic resonance imaging have to say about this

Recent research however suggests that this left and right brain popular belief is actually flawed. In 2013, a research was conducted, this study focused on 3D pictures of well over 1000individuals, measuring the operations of the left and right brain hemispheres. This research was conducted, using a magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The research concluded that every individual uses both hemispheres, and that none of these hemispheres are dominant. However, there are differences in the activities of the brains of different individuals, and these difference in activities are determined by their tasks at a point in time

Even though the two hemispheres of the brain does different jobs, none of them is proven to be dominant or proven to affect personality. There are some differences in the the left and right brain hemispheres. This differences mostly exist in emotion. Emotions are argued to be more active in the right brain domain, both in humans and other non human primates. In speech production, sign languages, the left domain is more active than the right. It is very true that left and right handed people uses their brains differently, but that doesn't make any of them smarter than the other

My personal problem with this myth

Some individuals think certain people are left brained, while others are right brained, and that this affects thinking, behavior, and beliefs, which in turn determines personality

This popular brain myth sort of drives many neuroscientists crazy, and has gone ahead to infiltrate other fields, including philosophy, psychology, media, etc. My major issue with this myth, is the very fact that it labels/categorizes people in certain ways to think that there is a particular way their brain functions, thereby causing lots of restrictions and making people remain small

You probably must have heard of the story of the baby elephant whose neck was tied to a secure pole. This baby elephant grew up to become an adult elephant, but his nevk was still tied to the Same spot. He easily could have dragged his neck off the rope, but his mind has been conditioned to think that the rope dominated him. This is the way I see the brain dominance theory. If you go about telling people they are left or right brained, and that left brained people have certain traits which are peculiar to them alone, it sorts of make lots of individuals want to focus on the particular characteristics of whatever brain they think they belong to, there by keeping them small, when there is a whole world out there to conquer

There are lots of questions mankind is still on a quest to answering. Can you tell if a brain belongs to a man or woman, do bigger brains make for smarter people? I have always operated by a philosophy..

I am never 100% certain about any new development, because what might be true today, might be false or obsolete tomorrow.

So, who then is to say what is true or not? there have been thousands of wonderful findings that turned out to later be wrong anyway. This is why it is very dangerous to have a totally closed mind on any issue. The brain structure have caused lots of arguments concerning the brain, and is a culprit in this myth. Both parts of our brains, has important roles to play. However, the internal regions of the brain like hypothalamus, thalamus, brain stem, are organised with both left and right sides

I hope anna sees this article, and understands that her article 14 Books Every Left-Brain Person Should Read This Summer Is an awesome article full of good stuff, but that creativity is not peculiar to left handed individuals alone

Is left or right handedness genetic?

I often wonder why some people are left handed while others are right handed. Even though being left or right handed does not particularly make any individual smarter than another. I know this, because there isnt a concrete scientific evidence till date to tell why some individuals are left handed while others are right handed

A study was conducted by researchers at the university of Oxford, situated in England. This study concluded that one major factor to show which hand is dominant, might be genetic. The research involved the study of 728 people who were asked to move pegs with either of their hand.

The reason for this, was to know which hand was dominant. The genes of the subjects where then compared to check for correlations. Some genetic similarities where observed in individuals with the same hand dominance. One of which is PCSK6 which is involved in the creation of left and right parts in the foetus. The research was later repeated. This time with a larger number of people, about 2,500, only to confirm the results to be similar

In conclusion

The mere fact that an idea has lasted for a long time, does not make it true. Brain activity is not symmetrical, and often varies in different individuals. The theory that some individuals are left brained while others are right brained, has no scientific proof, and is therefore considered a myth. lots more research is obviously needed for scientists and researchers to completely understand the complete capacity of the brain. So next time someone tells you that you are right or left brained, i hope you know better now.

That will be all for today. If you learnt anything from this post, use your both brains to leave a constructive comment.

Thank you,
written by: @akiripromise

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Reference

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