The left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for what? How to develop the left hemisphere of the brain?

basic information

At the very beginning, it is worth saying that the human brain consists of two hemispheres - the right and left. These parts are separated by the cerebral cortex, but information exchange occurs through the so-called corpus callosum. To illustrate the work of both hemispheres, we can draw a fairly simple analogy with a computer. So, in this case, the left side of the brain is responsible for sequential execution of tasks, i.e. it is the main processor. The right hemisphere can perform several tasks simultaneously, and it can be compared to an additional processor that is not the master.

Reasons for the emergence of the myth about functional asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres

The myth about the functional asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres appeared for a reason. By and large, the reason for its emergence was the results of studies conducted with people with “split brains”, which were organized by the American neuropsychologist and professor of psychobiology Roger Sperry and a team of his colleagues.

During the research, scientists performed surgeries on people with “split brains,” during which they cut the corpus callosum, which connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain to each other. Through such an operation, which, by the way, was the most extreme option for help, it was possible to relieve patients with severe epilepsy from severe epileptic seizures.

Thanks to laboratory studies of patients with the above-mentioned disease, it was possible to identify their behavioral changes, which indicated that the hemispheres of the brain worked independently of each other. For example, patients, when they felt an object with their right hand, could recognize it and point to its image, but were not able to pronounce the name of this object. And if you install a partition between the eyes of a person with a “split brain”, and then show the left eye (right hemisphere) a photograph of a naked person, he will immediately begin to chuckle. If you ask him what caused his fun, he will answer something like “in the photo I saw my cousin, who always makes great jokes.” The left hemisphere of the brain does not recognize the photo, but given that for the most part it is responsible for processing verbal data, it will independently form some plausible explanation.

Thus, by presenting different stimuli to different hemispheres, separately from each other, scientists were able to find out that they are capable of performing various mental actions with relative success. For example, in a larger number of people, those areas that are responsible for the primary processing of speech data (word formation, grammar, etc.) are located in the left hemisphere, and the right hemisphere takes part mainly in the processes of emotional assessment of phenomena, events and objects .

In addition, the right hemisphere of the brain was very active when a problem given to a person was solved with the help of insight, where awareness of the problem and the search for a solution are carried out spontaneously, one might say, at the level of intuition, which is similar to creative thinking.

But, despite this, the differences between the left and right hemispheres cannot be considered clear and clear to such an extent as to draw any specific conclusions. And in most cases, the conversation is not about the fact that one hemisphere is not capable of performing some function, but about the fact that one hemisphere can perform this function more efficiently and quickly. For example, despite the fact that the main role in speech processing belongs to the left hemisphere, the right hemisphere also takes part in this process, processing intonation, etc.

The work of the hemispheres

In short, the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for analysis and logic, while the right hemisphere is responsible for images, dreams, fantasies, and intuition. In each person, both parts of this organ should function evenly, however, one of the hemispheres will always work more actively, and the other as an auxiliary element. From this we can draw a simple conclusion that creative individuals have a more developed right hemisphere of their brain, while business people have a more developed left hemisphere. Let's take a closer look at what functions the left hemisphere of the brain performs.

Reasons for the popularity of the myth of the left and right hemispheres of the brain

So for what reason is the myth about the functional asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres so firmly ingrained in people’s consciousness and has become extremely widespread?

One of the reasons is the very simplicity of the interpretation of the work of the brain, which, in addition to everything else, quite easily fits into the framework of common sense. On the one hand, a person has to perform various types of activities that are radically different from each other, but on the other hand, the brain has two similar halves. But why do the brain need them? Most likely, precisely so that they perform various tasks.

Another reason is that the myth we are considering is actively cultivated by popular scientists who are trying to make money from it. Pointing out that modern society is not able to fully appreciate the emotional perception of reality, which is a property of the right hemisphere, adherents of the difference between the hemispheres began to advertise intricate schemes for increasing the activity of the hemisphere, as if responsible for creativity. Numerous seminars, trainings, publications and books by these people promise to those who want to develop to remove from their path of personal development any barriers that are imposed on a person by the ossified system of basic education, which specifically approves of “left-handed” thinking.

Those who strive to develop the right hemisphere have at their disposal a huge number of exercises, which in themselves are completely harmless and even extremely positive, but have nothing to do with this very “development” of the right hemisphere. But the situation is aggravated by the fact that many “specialists” often suggest that people start using some special devices that harmonize and synchronize the work of both hemispheres.

Of course, there is no evidence that a person is able to learn to use a specific hemisphere of the brain separately from the second, or, conversely, learn to use them harmoniously. In fact, if the human psyche works normally, then this work requires the activation of various parts of the hemispheres, and not their synchronization at the first request of the “owner”.

So, remember that during the work of a healthy person’s brain, his hemispheres are in the process of interacting with each other, and the work of these hemispheres itself is harmonized exactly as needed. So you shouldn’t do “it’s not clear what” - it’s better to throw out of your head the idea that the hemispheres of the brain are responsible for different functions, and just start developing your thinking, regardless of what activity you’re doing - logical or creative.

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About people

What can be generally said about people whose left hemisphere of the brain is more active and developed? Thus, such individuals are organized, they love order, and always comply with all deadlines and schedules. They easily perceive information by ear and almost always reach their goal, since their actions are subject to common sense, and not to impulses of the soul. However, it cannot be said about such individuals that art is alien to them. Not at all, but in creative activity these people will choose what has form and meaning, abandoning abstraction and understatement.

About development

People are often interested in the question of how to develop the left hemisphere of the brain. It is worth saying that this can be done. It’s enough just to periodically train your “computer”. So, the following exercises may be useful for this:

Physical activity on the body is closely related to brain function. If you spend more time developing the right half of the body, the left hemisphere of the brain will work more actively.
Since the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for logic and solving mathematical problems, you need to devote more time to this activity. You need to start with simpler mathematical exercises, gradually raising the bar. The activity of this hemisphere will undoubtedly lead to its further development.
A fairly simple tip on how to develop the left hemisphere of the brain is to solve crossword puzzles. In this case, a person most often acts analytically. And this leads to the activation of the left half of the brain.
And, of course, you can select specialized tests developed by psychologists that help activate and develop the desired hemisphere of the human brain.

Brain development: useful tips and exercises

What makes a person human? There are many answers to this question, but one of the most common and true is that a person has high self-awareness, is able to think and has a brain that is many times more developed than the brain of any other living creature known to science. Over thousands of years of evolution, the human mind and brain have undergone a huge number of significant changes, and this progress itself is based on the ability to develop. It is for this reason that people have moved their thinking to a qualitatively new level.

But it’s easy to guess that humanity as a whole, and each of us individually, has not yet reached the peak of our capabilities. This means that the brain is still constantly developing. But what is more interesting is that we are able to influence the development of our main organ independently. Moreover, it is also everyone’s responsibility, because first of all, personal life results, work efficiency, success in learning, mastering new skills and communicating with others depend on the degree of brain development.

Taking into account all of the above, today we want to talk about brain development. Next, you will learn interesting information about the human brain, its functions and developmental features, useful tips, exercises and training methods. All of this can create an effective system for developing thinking that you can use every day. To begin with, we will say a few words about the human brain as a whole in order to better understand how to develop it as much as possible.

Briefly about the human brain

The human brain is the most mysterious and enigmatic organ, and many draw an analogy between it and a computer. Throughout his life, a person learns something and learns something new, and all information that is useful to him in one way or another goes into his memory and is stored there as long as he needs it. If some data becomes irrelevant, the brain simply erases it.

The functions of the brain can be listed for a very, very long time, but the main thing is that thinking, memory, imagination, speech, feelings, perception, and self-awareness depend on it. Naturally, this list is much larger, and if you want to learn more about the human brain and its development, you can find and read specialized books (Roger Sipe, John Medina, Dmitry Chernyshev and other authors).

The brain consists of the right and left hemispheres, connected to each other by the substance callosum, which serves to transmit information between them. If one hemisphere is damaged, the second is usually damaged as well. But there are cases when, for example, when the left hemisphere was destroyed, the right hemisphere took over its functions, and vice versa, thanks to which a person could continue to live a full life. As for these same functions, they are different.

The left hemisphere is responsible for logical thinking and working with numbers. It processes and analyzes information in a specific, strict sequence. And the right hemisphere is responsible for sensory perception and creative thinking - with its help music, smells, colors, art, etc. are perceived. This same hemisphere helps a person navigate the space around him. And thanks to its ability to synthesize existing information, a person gets the opportunity to think creatively, find non-standard solutions, solve puzzles, perform all kinds of exercises and play games to develop thinking and imagination (by the way, speaking about the development of thinking, it would not be superfluous to mention the course in cognitive science, after completing which you will be able to master twelve different thinking techniques).

In principle, the information considered is more or less sufficient for an approximate understanding of how the human brain works. And it only remains to note that thanks to special exercises the brain can be developed and made more powerful. However, it is very important to pay attention to the so-called preparatory activities, because it does not matter whether the brain of a child or the brain of an adult is trained, in any case it must be prepared for this.

How to prepare your brain for training

There are three basic rules that should be taken into account in order to make your brain more elastic, pliable and ready to perceive and assimilate new information, as well as its subsequent reproduction and competent application.

These rules include:

Elimination of physical inactivity. This means that you must provide yourself with the necessary amount of physical activity. Physical inactivity is characteristic of people who lead a passive lifestyle or simply move little, for example, those whose activities involve spending a lot of time in a sitting position, for example, schoolchildren and students, who like to play computer games for hours or who love TV. And the negative consequences of physical inactivity are expressed in the fact that it does not allow fatty acids in the body to be broken down, which leads to the formation of cholesterol plaques on the vessels that interfere with normal blood circulation. Blood provides the organs, including the human brain, with the amount of oxygen they need, and if this process is disrupted, the functions of the brain are also disrupted, as a result of which the efficiency of its work deteriorates (in particular, physical inactivity negatively affects the brain of a child and an elderly person).
Providing the body with phosphates and carbohydrates. Here we will only say that, firstly, you need to include in your diet foods rich in phosphorus (pumpkin, wheat germ, poppy seeds, soybeans, sesame seeds, processed cheese, nuts, oats, beans and others), as well as foods high in healthy carbohydrates (rice, corn flakes, bran, pasta, kefir, milk, shrimp, fish and others). By the way, here you can read about proper nutrition. And secondly, you should minimize or completely stop drinking alcohol, which has a detrimental effect on brain neurons. In addition to harmful alcohol, alcohol contains carbon dioxide, and together with alcohol it has a very powerful destructive effect on brain cells.
Drinking water. We have already written in detail about the benefits of water, but now let us just remind you that clean water helps the body cleanse itself of toxins and waste, and also promotes the development of cognitive abilities, supporting neural connections. To provide yourself with the optimal amount of water, you should drink a liter of water per day per 30 kg of your body weight. If you are exposed to excessive stress, then it is advisable to increase the amount of water consumed even more.

By following these three rules, you will create a serious foundation for brain training. And any development system should be based on them - the brain of a child and the brain of an adult require special “care” and attention to themselves. And a lot of useful information on the presented topic is contained in thematic books (Roger Sipe, Mark Williams and Denny Penman, Alex Lickerman and other authors).

Development of both hemispheres of the brain

Let's remember: the left hemisphere processes speech and numerical information, logic, conclusions, analysis, linearity, etc. The right hemisphere provides spatial orientation, color perception, perception of shapes, sounds, colors, rhythms, dreams, etc. In general, of course, data is perceived by both hemispheres, but each of them predominates in its own area (you can read about functional asymmetry in this article).

Hence the conclusion: by developing one hemisphere, you can, for example, “train” in the ability to perceive images and become super creative, but at the same time experience serious difficulties in solving arithmetic problems. Or, conversely, you can become a pro in analytics, but be unable to see beauty in paintings or not be able to compose a banal four-line poem.

Therefore, educational institutions often teach not only core disciplines, but also those that are completely unrelated to the specialty. Remember the same mathematicians who study literature, history and other humanities subjects, or philologists whose schedule includes technical disciplines. This serves as further evidence that both hemispheres require development. And for this you can resort to the following exercises:

Exercise 1

For the first exercise you will need a partner. Let him blindfold you with something. Once this is done, take a short walk around the room or area where you are currently located. After that, answer the following questions:

Has the activity of your senses increased, and if so, how?
What helped you overcome the uncertainty of not being able to see?
What sounds do you remember?
Was there anything that worried you?
Was there anything that calmed you down?

Based on these answers, you will understand how the body reacts to the shutdown of one of the senses. And the exercise itself will help you activate additional resources of both hemispheres.

Exercise 2

Through the second exercise, you will learn to synchronize the work of both hemispheres of your brain. It is done like this:

Stand up straight and extend both arms forward or up;
Draw a circle in the air with your left hand and a square with your right;
Perform the exercise until you succeed, and then switch hands.

This exercise can also be complicated by drawing more complex shapes in the air with your hands. And based on the idea of the same exercise, there is even a special system for the development of both hemispheres. Its meaning is to do familiar things in non-standard ways. You can, for example, wash dishes, brush your teeth or eat with the other hand, hold the phone to the other ear, carry a bag or backpack on the other shoulder (the word “other” means the left side for right-handers, and the right for left-handers).

Exercise 3

A banal and simple exercise at first glance, but in reality it perfectly helps to synchronize the work of the right and left hemispheres. This is done as follows:

Stroke your stomach with your right hand clockwise;
Now with your left hand, lightly tap your head with vertical movements;
After a little practice, perform the indicated movements at the same time.

It is interesting that very often the hands themselves begin to confuse the movements: the left hand does what the right hand should, and the right hand does what the left should. The exercise is very interesting, and after the first option is mastered, simply change hands.

It is very effective to use these three exercises when you want to influence the child's brain. But they will also be extremely useful for adults - despite their apparent simplicity, they perfectly train the brain, as a result of which thinking, memory, imagination, etc. improve. But it will be even better if you combine your training with the development of thinking, for example, by taking a course in cognitive science.

The exercises of the two subsequent groups can be performed separately and together with each other, as well as in combination with those already discussed. It depends on your personal needs and preferences.

Development of the left hemisphere of the brain

Here we will also look at three exercises:

Exercise 1

The meaning is very simple - you just need to perform all actions and manipulations with objects in the surrounding world using your right hand. Although this is natural for right-handers, even for them it will be extremely unusual, and left-handers will get excellent practice.

Exercise 2

This exercise is not much more complicated than the previous one - to develop the left hemisphere, spend a little time every day on logic games and solving arithmetic problems.

Exercise 3

Again, a very simple exercise - solve crosswords and scanword puzzles for 30-40 minutes every day. Solving them is considered to be largely an analytical rather than an intuitive process, which means that the left hemisphere is involved in it.

Development of the right hemisphere of the brain

There are four exercises in this group:

Exercise 1

Systematically listen to your favorite music that promotes relaxation and fantasy, because... This is what the right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for. The more relaxed you feel, the better.

Exercise 2

To develop the right hemisphere, perform all actions and manipulations with objects in the surrounding world with your left hand. If in the previous block left-handers experienced inconvenience, then in this case right-handers will have to try. By the way, it will be cool if you learn to read and write from right to left, for which it is very effective to practice Arabic writing. At the same time, you will learn a foreign language and train your memory.

Exercise 3

Because the right hemisphere is more likely to synthesize rather than analyze data; spend time drawing, because it is during drawing that abstract thinking develops. Set aside 30 minutes daily for this. In addition, drawing can be replaced or combined with interior or clothing design. An additional advantage of this exercise is the development of intuition.

Exercise 4

Develop empathy. This means that you need to develop the ability to empathize and perceive the world through the eyes of other people. Taking this into account, the right hemisphere is developing just fine, and you can learn more about the development of empathy by clicking on this link.

All the exercises we talked about, when performed regularly, will make your mind sharper and more flexible, and your brain trained and capable of serious achievements. The most important thing is to remember to pay attention to both hemispheres.

And finally, some more good tips for brain development:

Do sports (do exercises, go to the pool, jog, etc.);
Communicate with people around you on interesting topics;
Provide yourself with good sleep and good conditions for rest;
Eat right and eat more vitamin-rich foods;
Develop stress resistance and positive thinking;
Play educational games and chess;
Read educational literature and educational books (Roger Sipe, Carol Dweck, Arthur Dumchev, etc.);
Educate yourself and take courses on developing thinking (a course in cognitive science here).

This development system will allow you to always grow personally, train your intellect and have an active, healthy and strong brain. We wish you success and the opportunity to use your potential to the maximum!

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Harmonious work

It should also be mentioned that both hemispheres of the brain need to be developed simultaneously. After all, only a diversified person is talented, more competitive in the labor market and unique in his capabilities. Moreover, there are people who are called ambidextrous. Both hemispheres of their brain are equally developed. They can perform all actions equally well with both their right and left hands. Such people do not have a pronounced, leading hemisphere; both parts of the brain are involved in the work equally. This state can be achieved through hard work and training.

Signs and symptoms of stroke

Paralysis of the right side after a stroke affecting the same side of the brain is not typical; usually the limbs on the side opposite the affected part of the brain are affected. If after a stroke the right side is paralyzed, then this indicates a left-sided stroke. A stroke on the right side of the brain has its own characteristic symptoms:

Hemiparesis and paralysis of the left upper and left lower limbs.
Disorder of various types of sensitivity: tactile, pain, vibration, temperature, muscle-articular and others.
Significant increase in skeletal muscle tone with further formation of contractures.
Meningeal symptoms indicating damage to the meninges.

Cause of pain

It happens that a person’s left hemisphere of the brain hurts. Why is this happening? The most common cause is migraine. In this case, the pain is localized precisely on the left side of the head. The duration of this condition also varies – from several hours to a couple of days. Among the main causes of this condition, scientists identify the following:

Physical fatigue.
Stress.
Heat and dehydration.
Tension of the falciform septum of the brain.
Diseases of the trigeminal nerve, its inflammation.
Insomnia.

However, if a person periodically has pain in the left hemisphere of the brain, it is still worth seeking medical advice. After all, this symptom is not always harmless. Often, headaches in a certain part of the head indicate tumors, thrombosis or other serious problems that can threaten not only the health, but also the life of the patient.

General cerebral disorders

They arise as a result of irritation of brain receptors due to compression of blood accumulated in the brain cavity. General cerebral symptoms manifest themselves as:

Severe headache, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting that does not bring relief. These symptoms increase in proportion to the increase in intracranial pressure and compression of the brain.
Tinnitus, dizziness and loss of coordination. Occurs when cerebellar structures are damaged or irritated.
Confusion. There may be a complete lack of consciousness or even a comatose state in which reflexes are not detected.
Loss of memory, speech, writing and reading functions.

It is important to note that cerebral symptoms are not specific and cannot indicate the location of the hemorrhage. This requires a topical diagnosis by a neurologist or neurosurgeon.

Hemorrhagic stroke

Hemorrhagic stroke is intracerebral hemorrhage. What happens to a person in this case? What consequences can a hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of the brain have?

Movement disorders. If the hemorrhage occurs on the left side of the brain, the right side of the patient's body will be affected first. Difficulties may arise when walking and coordinating. Unilateral movement disorders are medically called hemiparesis.
Speech impairment. As mentioned above, it is the left hemisphere of the brain that is responsible for the perception of symbols and numbers, as well as reading and writing. When a hemorrhage occurs in this particular part of the brain, a person begins to have difficulty not only speaking, but also perceiving the words of others. There are also problems with writing and reading.
Processing information. In case of hemorrhage on the left side of the head, a person stops thinking logically and processing information. Understanding becomes inhibited.
Other symptoms not related to the activity of the left hemisphere. These may be pain, psychological disorders (irritability, depression, mood swings), problems with bowel movements and urination.

Disability after hemorrhage is high and accounts for approximately 75% of all cases. If the cause of this problem is not determined in time, repeated hemorrhage is possible, which can even lead to the death of the patient.

Switching off the left hemisphere

Sometimes people wonder how to turn off the left hemisphere of the brain, is it even possible to do this? The answer is simple: you can. Moreover, every person does this every day when going to bed. During sleep, it is the right hemisphere that is activated, and the left one attenuates. If we talk about the period of wakefulness, then the left hemisphere is always at work and helps people think logically and analyze the information received. It is worth saying that it is impossible to completely turn off the work of the left hemisphere during its active activity (without the intervention of special tools and psychiatrists). And there is no need to do this at all. It is best to establish a balance between the right and left hemispheres, which will make the life of an individual better and better.

What is the danger of damage to the left hemisphere of the brain?

In case of any damage to the left hemisphere of the brain, disturbances, disappearances or deformations of its function are noted. The following pathological conditions may occur:

Impaired ability to generalize received data;
Impaired ability to build logical chains;
Various lesions of the speech apparatus (misunderstanding of speech, loss of the ability to speak, etc.);
Damage to the written analyzer (failure to understand what is written when perceiving oral speech or the inability to write with normal speech);
Combined lesions of speech and writing;
Impaired time orientation;
Impaired ability to construct in the correct sequence the tasks that need to be completed to achieve a goal;
Inability to draw conclusions from available facts.

It is often impossible to completely restore lost abilities. In some situations, it is not possible to achieve even minimal improvement in one or another area of damage. Of particular importance in this situation are left-handers, whose speech center, like some others, is in the right hemisphere.

The fact that the center of speech is located in the frontal lobes of the left hemisphere was proven in the mid-19th century. After which it almost immediately became clear that the predominance of the left hand in writing is closely related to the center of speech in the right hemisphere. In 1861, the concept of “motor aphasia” was formulated, which implies understanding speech, but the inability to speak. This condition appeared after the destruction of certain zones in the left hemisphere. In 1874, “sensory aphasia” was discovered, which is characterized by the ability to speak, but the inability to understand speech. The phenomenality of these disorders is that in left-handed people these zones are most often located in the right hemisphere.

Simple exercises

Having figured out why the left hemisphere of the brain hurts and what it is responsible for, you need to give an example of several simple exercises that will help train a person’s brain evenly.

You need to sit comfortably and concentrate on one point. After a minute, you should try to look at those objects that are located to the left of the selected target. You need to see as many details as possible with your peripheral vision. Next, you should examine the items located on the right. If you want to train only the left side of the brain, you need to consider objects that are on the right hand of the selected point.
To activate both hemispheres, you need to alternately touch the opposite elbow with your right and left knee. If you perform the exercise slowly, you can also train the vestibular apparatus.
To activate both parts of the brain, you just need to massage your ears. This needs to be done from top to bottom. The manipulations need to be done approximately 5 times. If you want to train only the left hemisphere, you should massage the right ear.