Subconscious (or right brain?) withholding info from conscious (or left brain?).

I remember a couple years ago (highschool, yuck) I was walking down the hallway of my school and needed to go to a specific room. I thought for a second and then intuitively knew how to get there. I then tried to put it into words in my brain. I found that I couldn't. I was so surprised I stopped walking. I smiled, attributing it to my right brain wanting a monopoly on it. I'm very left brained.

At the time, I think I might have been taking some bullshit psychology class (that's what highschool is) and studying left and right hemispheres. Today I might split it into subconscious withholding it from me (the conscious). I was most of the way there when I finally got it into words.

What are the right brain and left brain again? I always forget which is which.

The reason that I forget which is which is that it's a bullshit, pseudo-scientific distinction.

I don't generally understand your post. Are you asking how your brain figured out directions for you and why the process wasn't "conscious"?

Why is it pseudo science?

"Right brain" and "left brain" are a bit more of a metaphor than anything else, but you can think of your thinking activities as "modal" in a way. The left/linear thought and the right/rich thought are both important, and they need to work together, but you can't push both at the same time. The metaphor I really like (from Andy Hunt's great book, "Pragmatic Thinking") is that you have two CPUs (R and L), and one shared bus. :)

I call it a metaphor because physically, you have just one "brain" and we don't REALLY understand how it works. however, in terms of those metaphors, the R CPU thinks in terms of symbols, while the L CPU works in terms of words. It serializes the R stuff. :)

Well, I understood and could go there, but I wouldn't be able to tell you how to get there until I put it into words.

And it is real science (lol define real). Ever heard of a "split brain"? It's where the corpus callosum in the middle is cut so your two hemispheres are separated (At least partially). It's a treatment for some types of seizures. Scientists have flashed images into each eye (left eye for right side, right eye for left side [btw I'm right eyed]) and then respond with the corresponding hand. The left hand would probably point to a picture and the right arm would write it down or something. Or the person would feel something with their hands and would respond differently with each hand. Each hemisphere would process something differently.

Split-brain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's some interesting stuff.

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Originally Posted by juroara

Why is it pseudo science?

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pseudo science was harsh and inaccurate. I guess anything can be pseudo science when it's used to justify or explain things in such a manner that it doesn't actually justify or explain it and that's sort of what I smelled based on the title. Also, I'm incredibly prejudiced against psychology for some reason. Sociology and economics even worse. I just can't shake it regardless of how hard I try. Being stoned (as I was) brings that out even more.

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Originally Posted by Rawracookie

Well, I understood and could go there, but I wouldn't be able to tell you how to get there until I put it into words.

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So what's the problem? I wouldn't be able to tell you that the potato is on the cutting board until I put it into words if I was right in front of it. Are you trying to ask why you had trouble putting it into words? Why are you having a hard time putting your question into words? :P

Well, I got the sense that I wasn't able to like normal. Normally I think things through in my head via dialogue. Usually this occurs very easily.

And the subjectivity of psychology does sometimes cloud the objectivity science needs.

I wouldn't worry about that experience. It happens to everyone. You walk into a room, and you have no idea why the hell you went there. Then when you leave, and you return to where you were, it hits you and you go back to the room to grab what you went for originally. You're not "broken" if that's what you're asking.

Well I ''knew'' I wasn't broken. This happened a couple years ago. Just sharing and opening for discussion.

What do you mean you couldn't put it into words? Do you mean you couldn't translate where to go into "turn left, walk to the end of the hall, turn right, first door on the right"? Or are you saying that you forgot how you got there?

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Originally Posted by Dianeva

What do you mean you couldn't put it into words? Do you mean you couldn't translate where to go into "turn left, walk to the end of the hall, turn right, first door on the right"? Or are you saying that you forgot how you got there?

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The former. I knew exactly how to get there, but couldn't "go over it" in my mind with words.

Well anyways I was skimming through this and, from what I know, that isn't what the left/ right brains do (FROM WHAT I KNOW!).

I always thought that the right brain was in control of the creative part of you and left brain is the logical part of you.

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Originally Posted by gameoverlord345

I always thought that the right brain was in control of the creative part of you and left brain is the logical part of you.

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I believe you are referring to the prefrontal cortex. Left-brain/right-brain referencing is really just a lot of hooplah. Your PFC is what enables you to make decisions and control urges, many more stuff like that. Basically thinking. Certain areas of your PFC can show unusual waking-life activity when you are dreaming (hint hint). ;)

Also, all those gut-feelings and intuition people claim to have, is basically just a bunch of neurons firing behind your forehead.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

I just know it's beyond complicated. I hate the "we only use 10% of our brains" myth. We use every part of our brain, yes for other things not logic such as moving, hearing, seeing, etc. But it seems that according to some people, we only use it for logic and very little of it :roll:

Essentially, left brain is the verbal and logic side. Right is creative and intuitive. Your inability to think through it wasn't as much withholding information as delay in the translating process. As in, the right brain gave you the visual way to do it but the left brain tried to put it into words. I believe at least. But they are both your conscious. Just your gut instincts as compared to worded thoughts. I'm in a semester long psych course, so I may not be the most knowledgeable...

It might sound silly, but at the time I was all in left brain mode. As in I was cherishing my left side over my right. At the time, I thought my left brain was "jealous" and was "withholding" information from me.

I'm not sure it is possible in that way. Anyways, just an interesting anecdote I had that I was reminded.