Right Brain Development
The brain is a very complex organ, it is the control centre responsible for all of your bodily functions and enables you to think, learn, feel, move, talk, see and hear.
It comprises many different areas; the largest and most complex portion of the brain is the cerebrum which is divided into two halves or hemispheres; the left and right cerebral hemispheres. Each of these hemispheres can be further divided into four lobes:
- Frontal lobe – responsible for conceptualisation, planning, thinking
- Occipital lobe – responsible for visual processing
- Parietal lobe – responsible for calculation, movement, orientation, recognition
- Temporal lobe –responsible for aspects of memory, sound and speech processing
These hemispheres of the brain have different capabilities. It has been known for a long period that in mammals these hemispheres are functionally connected to opposite sides of the body, the right brain controls action and sensation on the left side of the body and the left brain action and sensation on the right side of the body. But it was not until the 1960s that the different roles were further identified.
It was discovered that the human brain has specialised functions on the right and left sides and that these two sides can operate practically independently. This work was the result of extensive experiments conducted by Nobel prize winner Roger Sperry, and his colleagues. Sperry also found that the brain was ‘hard-wired’ much earlier in the development cycle than was previously thought.
Ned Herrmann built on the work of Sperry and developed the theory of brain dominance in which people develop a dominant mode of thinking preference. This ranges from the intuitive, creative “right brain” approach to the analytical “left brain” approach. Herrmann’s approach was to try to develop “whole brain thinking” by strengthening the weak areas of thinking.
The left brain is now often referred to as the “language brain” it deals more with conscious thought; thinking is typically rational, analytical, logical, sequential and objective. It takes in information slowly and likes repetition. Most traditional education systems are left brain biased because they focus on the acquisition of knowledge through logical and analytical strategies but right brain development requires a more holistic approach which promotes creativity and free intuitive thought processes.
In most people, the left hemisphere is important for language, maths and reasoning, whereas the right is more important for emotion, recognising faces and music.
The right brain is now often referred to as the “image brain”, dealing more with unconscious thought; thinking is random, holistic, intuitive and subjective. It takes in information quickly and requires no repetition. It also has the ability to retain complete images of things rather than individual facts.
Babies are born right brain dominant, hence their intuitive abilities to grasp things quickly and with such ease. As the baby develops the left brain becomes more dominant and unless the right brain is stimulated it becomes increasing more difficult to bring forward the abilities of the right brain. It is said that by the age of six the left brain has become more dominant than the right brain in most children.
This early period of a child’s development is a window of opportunity to utilise and develop these thought patterns that lead to creativity in thinking processes.
There are many exponents and proponents of right brain development theories and practices, many using visualisation. Visualisation techniques play a major role in the development of right brain capabilities and many of the mind - body development practices use it as the core of their activities. For example; Autogenic Training, Inner Game, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Yoga and Zen Buddhism all include visualisation in one form or another. It is all about reaching a relaxed state that makes the mind more receptive and ready for more creative learning.
The Shichida Methodä focuses in some aspects on right brain development to promote a whole-brain approach towards learning. Professor Makoto Shichida who has over 300 schools in Japan and establishments in other countries uses visualisation techniques as part of his holistic educational approach for preschool children. Shichida says that visualisation and presenting large amounts of information at a fast pace to infants, toddlers and preschoolers stimulates the right brain and can activate photographic memory and helps to develop more creative and intuitive thinking.
Basic visualisation technique – how to do it
Relax – sit comfortably, close your eyes and relax, try: slow breathing exercises with your diaphragm, tense and then relax each of your muscles, imagine you body is getting heavier and heavier, imagine laying on a warm quiet beach with the waves gently lapping the shore, anything that calms your mind and body.
Create a mental picture – think about what you want to achieve, create an image, it may be winning a race, playing a sport, playing music, achieving an accolade, acting in a play etc. Try to put as much detail into visualising your performance as possible, imagine your physical and mental condition, the sights the sounds etc.
Regularly re-visit your mental picture – keep coming back to your visualisation until you achieve your goal. This is a continuous rehearsal for the final event or activity.
These exercises can help you to relax and to visualise you with your happy baby.
As stated before there are many styles and practices of visualisation, these techniques are practised in many areas such as: education, business, sport and for lifestyle aspirations.
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