If we're to understand the human brain. Perhaps no man would show us the way better than Michael Gazzaniga. The professor of psychology has published over 600 research. He was quoted in other research 36,000 times. I am not talking about inspiring Monday kind of quotes. But rather referencing his work in a search.
Michael Gazzaniga studied people with split brains for forty years. In an experiment, he would show one-eye paintings by Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
The significance of those paintings is that Giuseppe Arcimboldo used a unique style of creating faces with fruits or vegetables within the facial features. An example is seen below.
When Gazzaniga shows his patients similar paintings through their left eyes (The right side of the brain) they'd only see vegetables and fruits. That's because it's the left side of the brain that's in charge of defining facial features. Since Gazzaniga didn't show them the paintings through the right eye (The left side of the brain), patients were unable to see the faces in the paintings.
Further Conclusions
Gazzaniga had more interesting conclusions. The way our brains usually operate is that they communicate everything that is between them before doing something. That's why you can't text your boss in detail while fully focusing on a sexual conversation happening in real life with your loved one without accidentally telling your boss you like butt-stuff.
You can't paint on two canvases at the same time without overlapping. People with split brains can actually do that. So if you'd show the right side of the brain and the left side of the brain two different things. They'd both be able to answer you at the same time.
The left side of the brain would be able to describe what it sees verbally or it can paint/write it with the right hand. While the right side would only be able to do so by painting/writing with the left hand.
That sounds astounding, obviously. But, it's not the thing that shocked me the most.
What Shocked Me The Most
If you were to instruct the right side of the brain to hold something (with the left hand) and then proceed to ask the left side of the brain why they're holding it. Instead of saying "I don't know", the left side of the brain would come up with a story behind that action despite not being the one behind it.
For example. If you were to whisper into the left ear (The right side of the brain) a request to hold an apple and then whisper into the right heart (The left side of the brain) a question about why they were holding it. The left side of the brain would say that they were hungry.
The Reason That's Astounding
There was no authority compelling the left side of the brain to come up with a justification for holding the apple. Yet, it did come up with one.
The left side of the brain can find a justification for its action despite not being the reason it happened. It comes up with a reason after the action.
This opens up a hell gate of philosophical questions, including whether there is free will. Maybe we don't have free will or have as much logic behind our actions and we just happen to have a left side of a brain good at justifying our primal actions after committing them.
Let's Not Get All Existential About It
Let's take a step back and just appreciate these researches and scientific works. It's surrealism, and let's face it, narcissism as well since we're using our brains to study the brilliance of our brains. And if you ask me, it doesn't get more narcissistic than that.
In Conclusion
This was the most democratic post I have ever written. It's of the brain, by the brain, for the brain. I hope this was an interesting read for all of you. Below, you will find the sources for this post as well part 1
Split brain with one half atheist and one half theist
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😂😂😂You said it brutha...
Everytime I see post like these, I am always so astounded at how complex the brain really is...
I mean the science is difficult enough to grasp, but when you bring philosophy into this matter,
You get a whole different ball game. or erm.. brain game.
These scientists really deserves big ups. The efforts they put into their work is unreal.
There was a time I wanted to be a psychologist... but fortunately/unfortunately I've given up on trying to understand humans...
I don't even understand myself😩
i must give it to you...nicely written dear.... the brain is really ver complicated lol...i love your write ups...looking forward to seeing more of you here on listnerds
Another good Brain Post, Amir.
I have not had a lot of exposure to those with split brains, But I have definitely seen that not everyone uses their brain to its potential.
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Ahaha the story of the left/right hands is a really cool one. I didn't know about those facts, and learning about them is very amazing. In particular:
I was drinking a cup of coffee while reading your post and was actually holding the cup with my left hand. I would have loved to be able to instruct a particular side of my brain to hold the cup and make the exercise with the other side.... I just don't know how to do it (I tried to play the trick with the eyes, but it does not work (at least with me).
I am wondering how Gazzaniga managed to find patients to make his tests and have those tests working. It does not seem I would have been a good patient ;)
Cheers!
:)
Our brains are so weird and it is crazy how most of us are barely even using them to full capacity.
My 5th-grade teacher was one of those people who could draw a picture with one hand while solving a math problem with the other. I don't remember which hand did what (I think it was the left hand that drew, and the right hand did the math.) but it was amazing to watch. Every time she would do it, the classroom was dead silent. Thanks for sharing on ListNerds.