Left Brain - Right Brain

[ggarrett]

After a full day at the office, I went to to pool to unwind with my daily swim. Even after my customary stretch, my mind was still spinning with work. In particular, I focused on some numeric calculations to solve a certain problem. As a pushed off for a maximum dynamic without fins, I was still adding, substracting, multiplying and dividing in my mind. Normally, I clear my head of most everything except the swim and focus on my stroke and body. A lot of times, the first 50m is the hardest mentally. However in this state of mind, before I knew it I was halfway through my maximum without knowing it.

Upon reflection, I used my left brain to execute the numeric problems in my head while stroking. Conversely, at the end of a maximum dynamic I try to use the left brain by calculating my distance by measuring armlengths along the lane lines. So, I have to multiply armlengths times armspan. Even, after a minutes of recovery, I find it sometimes hard to do multiplication of numbers like 1.8 x 5.5 in my head.

So, I wonder how apnea, dynamic apnea in particular, interacts with the left and right brain functions. These instances seem to suggest that the left brain affects the preception of time. Hypoxia probably affects both left and right brain and the end of a maximum. I will have to investigate some right brain excercises. Know of any?

The typical differences ascribed to right brain and the left brain, include—
Left Brain: Logical, Sequential, Rational, Analytical, Objective, Looks at parts
Right Brain: Random, Intuitive, Holistic, Synthesizing, Subjective, Looks at wholes
In addition to these, I am curious about more body based differences like which side of brain interacts more with the heart, muscles, organs, etc. or do they interact equally.

Anyway, it's food for thought... If anyone has similar experiences, thoughts, or references, I would welcome your ideas.

In peace,
Glen

P.S. I had read that humans alternate breathing through left and right nostrils on an approximate 90 minute cycle. This raises a question that we may also alternate use of our right and left brains on a similar cycle. ... just a thought...

 

[land shark]

I was once told by a psychologist that is why computer games are so addictive.
All the properties you mentioned can be involved in a good game design. When they have all the right properties and you become sucessful, both sides of the brain become gratified. This can lead to addiction. I can only assume he was discussing theory.
Exercise is a great stress reliever. When I enter the pool for my workout I will often be thinking of a problem that must be solved at work. At the end, the problem either disolves to an easy fix or totally insignificant matter. Must be all that right left coordination

jim

 

[BennyB]

I listened to some reggae on the way to work this morning. Got to work thinking everythings gonna be alright

Serious though, i'm not joking. 40 minutes of positive affirmation does the world of good. This morning I had Bob Marley telling me how everything was going to be alright for 40 minutes and dagnam it, I got to work believing it. Work issues melt away into the "can do" pile.

I think similarly, when you exercise your head picks up that you getting a benefit from exercise and you have a similar positive affirmation that is enhanced by the flow of endorphins after a workout.

Either way, it gives you perspective that your problems aren't really that bad.

Sorry to take this thread off on a tangent...

Can't really help on the left side/right side debate, but I know that at work, if I have to prepare a powerpoint presentation and spend all day looking at spreadsheets and numbers, by the time I put them in the Powerpoint i've lost all use of my right side of the brain and can't actually make the presentation look remotely exciting or creative, I usually end up coloured bubbles around the numbers which looks rubbish. And those people in the Marketing dept always have the funkiest looking graphs....

 

[lizardland]

Don't know if it is of interest but a lot of people with dyslexia, dyspraxia, etc are right brain dominant.