Right-Brain Dominance
Dear Muz Murray
I was reading the blogs section on your website and something about right brain, left brain, caught my attention. Simply speaking, what is the purpose of the left and right brain. Most certainly I have read a few things about it, and no doubt there is plenty to find out on the internet, but I would like you to tell me something about it.
As you may be asking why so, I shall tell you what it feels like to me, most simply.
My right brain is most active, I am well aware of that. Although less so now than a few years ago. And to me, my right brain is ‘most good’, some would say positive, beneficial. As for my left brain, whatever seems to come from it, (or wants to come from it) is not conducive to the Good. That is what it seems/feels like to me. Is there any truth in that?.
I do not practice the chanting of mantra you offer, however, for many years I have been listening to your ‘sleep of the yogi’ tape, as I lay in bed before sleep (many a time falling asleep as I listen to it!). Back in 2001/2 one evening as I lay in bed listening to the tape, my next door neighbour and her daughter started arguing, shouting etc. I just lay there as if caught in the middle and I kind of wished I could do something. Immediately, I found ‘myself’ in my neighbour’s home sitting on the floor in her lounge with her and her daughter. I started talking to them about pain, and I heard those words ‘who do you think you are’ (these seemed to come from outside of me). I did not respond and stayed. I cannot exactly remember what I said, but it was along the line that pain is a fallacy, something not to believe in. It was a very short talk, then I turned to the daughter saying ‘never forget that, when things get difficult, hard, remember that’. It was as if the mother said ‘what about me’ but I did not say anything to her, although inside it felt that it was for her also. Then we held hands and lifted them, and ‘I’ spoke in what I came to name the ancient tongue. A few words strung together that were repeated several times. I have no idea what they were or what they ment. I don’t recall ‘returning’ back to my bed, I kind of fell asleep. What does that mean to you?
I may as well tell you about this dream I had back towards the end of 2004. In that dream I start saying ‘everybody out, everybody out, the party is over…..’. I’m in a house and I see many people walking out in silence, and slowly, from different rooms. I repeat, out, everybody out, for they seem to take their time!. My attention is called to a large room, to a man standing in front of a table, on which there is a fire. This man is totally absorbed by this fire on the table, moving slightly left, right, as if controlling it; and people are walking out slowly and in silence. I seem to recall something that he might have been burnt, or might burn himself, but there is no sign of that. I looked at him from a distance, he is more or less in the centre of the room, and kind of think ‘never mind him’. Then I’m in another room, and this man is sitting on a sofa. I say to him ‘Ha! she did not tell you’, then I turn round and see this woman also sat on a sofa and say to her ‘you must go too’. I hear ‘but who will look after her when you are at work?’ (left brain). Immediately I see a little girl, on one knee as if in prayer in a big room alone, she is wearing a beautiful white dress and has long hair, then a young boy almost immediately appears, sat crossed legs almost directly in front of her. He is wearing a dark coloured jacket and light coloured trousers. The room is very bright and I hear ’she is safe here’. (right brain).
I am telling you about this dream because recently it came to me that this man ‘absorbed’ by the fire has something to do with you/what you are/the listening of the tape. ????
I did not start this email with the intention of telling about those 2 things above, but admittedly recently I have considered there and again of doing so. In fact, I had been thinking of spending some time at your home in the spring and tell you ‘face to face’ so to speak, I mean by that actually speak it. But it seems it can’t wait, so here it is. Now it is as if this left/right brain was a kind of an excuse although I would still appreciate your comment. I feel a little smile inside, perhaps you do too, perhaps not.
Would you be kind enough to comment.
many thanks,
annette
Dear Annette,
A very interesting question. Basically we know that the function of the right hemisphere of the brain is to deal with sonic experience, artistic impressions, spatial orientation, timelessness, wholistic and global perception.
The left-brain hemisphere deals with linear perception, rational and sequential mode thinking, connecting cause and effect, time awareness, critical analysis and speech. Therefore auditory experience (such as listening to music while mentally working) tends to inhibit or diminish left-brain function and awaken right-brain intuitive functioning.
Are you left-handed? People with this capacity are more right-brain oriented and intuitive.
[After further correspondence it turned out that she was in fact, left-handed].
As a generalisation, right-handed people tend to be more world-oriented, being motivated by left-brain functioning. They are ‘doers’ as left-brain mentaility is about relating to and manipulating the environment. So in your case, the conditioning of your worldly upbringing (that is, all your residual left brain input) seems to conflict with the more spiritual attunements of your right hemisphere, and therefore does not naturally feel as if productive of ‘goodness.’
The mantra work we do is conducive towards balancing and synchronising both hemispheres in order to function as one.
You seem to have a facility for out-of-the-body experience. When the ego-sense is no longer manifesting itself, such as in the yoga-nidra or ‘yogic sleep,’ then the confined consciousness is no longer trapped by its ego-jailor and is able to extend way beyond the body. Usually when I fall into Samadhi, the majority of my students get caught up in a similar space through synchronistic adjustment of brainwaves moving outwards like raindrop ripples on a pond. This is a natural function of nature, desiring to adjust and create harmony. It appears that your right-brain desire towards goodness and harmony in this case, was not an attunement to your neighbour’s disruptive wavelengths, but a heartfelt wish to harmonise the situation.
I suspect you are an old soul and part of your ancient past life memory capabilities came through you speaking in an ancient tongue.
As for the dream, remember that every person and every item in that dream is you. It is your right brain imagery symbolising how you feel about yourself. To understand every aspect of the dream it is necessary to identify with each person and thing (even the fire), and become them, and ask them to express how they feel about the situation. No one other than you can correctly interpret your internal symbolism.
I hope this helps.
Warmly,
Muz
Tags: Right Brain / Left Brain