Left vs. Right Brain Dominance: Which is Better? Plus: How to Increase Your Intelligence & Why a Whole-Brain State is Important
Most of us grow up tending to develop certain skills or lean towards an area of study or interest. But what does it mean if we’re more creative vs. analytical? Better at math or science vs. being a great artist? ultra competitive vs. losing focus? or being spur-of-the-moment spontaneous vs. having a five-year plan? In this article we’ll explore these topics, plus you’ll learn how you can increase your intelligence, be more at peace, become more successful, and address negative thought patterns.
Brain Dominance Theory
Brain dominance theory states that while all humans have the ability to use both sides of their brain together, most of us “default” to one side or the other.
The findings of the Brain Dominance Theory have become increasingly popular over the years. You might have even seen this ad by Mercedes-Benz:
While this ad is definitely visually appealing, and the theory is interesting, it’s not entirely accurate. We don’t just use one side of the brain or the other for these functions, the full brain is generally used when performing functions from either hemisphere. As Psychology Today puts it, “Some areas of the brain are more active than others during particular tasks, and one hemisphere may be more involved than the other in specific parts of a larger mental operation.”
Having said this about brain function, many of us do tend towards the characteristics or skills of one grouping vs. the other. So for the purposes of this article, we will refer to “left” and “right” brain, but only in their characteristics, not the actual processing & functioning of the brain hemispheres.
Left vs. Right - What’s the difference?
First of all, let me start by saying that NEITHER “side” is better than the other! Later, you’ll learn how utilizing both is extremely beneficial.
The LEFT hemisphere of your brain controls the RIGHT side of your body. Traits traditionally characterized by the “left brain” include:
logic and reason
thinking in words and numbers
dealing in specifics
will analyze
will break apart
thinking sequentially
identifying with the individual
order and control
focuses on language
The RIGHT hemisphere of your brain controls the LEFT side of your body and traditionally has the following characteristics:
emotional, intuitive, and creative
thinking in pictures
dealing in wholes and relationships
will synthesize
will put together
thinks simultaneously & holistically
identifies with the group
is spontaneous & free
appreciates color
uses imagination
Note - the left hemisphere of your brain does indeed control and correlate to the muscles on the right side of the body, and vice versa.
Most of us are programmed or encouraged to adopt a ‘dominant state” as we grow up. Perhaps you were good at math and dubbed analytical, then pushed towards these classes or jobs and away from the “arts.” Or perhaps you were a talented artist as a child and stayed away from math and science.
While it can be positive to lean in to our abilities, in doing this we can assume a belief that we are not “good” at using the other traits and don’t work on developing those skills. But this doesn’t mean we don’t have access or ability! And in fact, we’re far more intelligent when we’re using all these functions, or when we’re operating with a “whole-brain” state.
Why a Whole-Brain State is Important
The left and right hemispheres of the brain are connected by the corpus callosum. While communication is happening between the hemispheres all the time, sometimes certain channels or pathways are more well formed than others. So if you do tend to use more of your left or right brain skills, those pathways will be stronger than their under-utilized counterparts.
Think about solving a complex problem - you might think you only need “left brain” logic. But if you do that, you’re missing out on “right brain” creativity, which leads to innovation and growth. Additionally, if we only use left brain logic, we tend to focus on details and miss the big picture.
Coming from the opposite side, if you’re a right brain artist, you might be super creative but aren’t able to get things done or often float from one project to the next without completing anything. You need a bit of left brain structure!
The best thinkers and minds in the world, and in history, apply a whole-brained state to their work!
What’s also critical to understand is that from a biological perspective, the whole brain works best when the body is in a state of calm. So when we are stressed, anxious, or triggered beyond our tolerance threshold, we lose our ability to be in a whole-brain state. In my sessions and workshops, dealing with stress & calming techniques are a foundational element I teach to my clients.
Feminine vs. Masculine Energy
I would be remiss not to mention Feminine vs. Masculine Energy in this article, as I believe (as do many others) they directly correlate to “left” and “right” brain traits: Feminine energy correlating to “right brain” traits and Masculine energy correlating to “left brain” traits. It’s also important to note that these energies are not tied to gender: Masculine energy is not directly correlated or exclusive to biological males and Feminine energy is not directly correlated or exclusive to biological females. It’s not “bad” to have Feminine energy as a male and vice versa - in fact, it’s a good thing!
If we have too much Masculine energy, we may be hot-tempered, overly competitive, too bogged down in details, self-centered, and suppress emotion. If we have too much Feminine energy, we may be easily distracted, get lost in daydreams or over-analyzing, be aloof, not complete tasks or projects, have fear of commitment, or let our emotions overwhelm us.
Think of Masculine & Feminine Energy like the Yin & Yang, we need both to function optimally. Embracing our Masculine & Feminine Energy will allow us to focus on details and see the bigger picture, to use our intuition and process-oriented thinking, to be structured and spontaneous!
Just like having a “whole brain” state, the most important part is balance! If we tip too far to the Feminine side or too far to the Masculine side, we won’t be functioning optimally, our relationships will suffer, and we’ll limit our capacity for achievement, growth, and happiness.
Last - it’s also important to note that we could be imbalanced for both Masculine and Feminine energy, meaning that instead of possessing too much of one and not enough of the other, both are operating in their “unhealthy” states. The goal is to exist in the harmonious zone within each energy state and have relatively equal amounts of Feminine and Masculine energy.
Additional Benefits and Practical Application
Hopefully you can see now benefits of achieving a Whole-Brain state and balancing Masculine and Feminine Energy. And the benefits go even deeper than what we’ve covered today!
We all develop beliefs and defense mechanisms as we grow through life, and on average, 70% of them are negative, disempowering, and not supportive to our growth and happiness. In the sessions I facilitate with my clients, we work with the subconscious to remove the weight of their limiting beliefs, defense mechanisms, and traumas. We do this in by creating a whole-brained state that allows us to create new beliefs and replace the old ones. The end result allows my clients to live more optimally, achieve their goals more quickly, improve their relationships, utilize the full capacity of their brain, and live in a state of peace & harmony.
If you’d like to learn more about these sessions or how this process works, click here. If you’d like to inquire about a balance session or working with me submit this form and I will reach out to you to schedule a free call!
Wishing you much balance, harmony, and “wholeness”!
🙏💗✨ Lo
