Uncensored CMO The divided brain, attention and how we see the world - Dr Iain McGilchrist
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Nov 15, 2023 
Dr Iain McGilchrist, psychiatrist and former Oxford literary scholar, discusses the divisions between the left and right brain, the power of attention, and how our perception of the world is influenced. Topics include the changes in society due to right-brained dominance, training ourselves to be more right-brained, and the impact of the spiritual life on mental and physical health.
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Right Hemisphere's Strengths
- The right hemisphere understands implicit communication, like humor and metaphor, while the left takes things literally.
- The right hemisphere connects us to our embodied selves and understands unique cases, unlike the left's categorizing tendency.
Left-Brain Dominance in Society
- Societal shifts towards left-brain dominance prioritize logic, rules, and administration over individual cases and embodied experiences like wisdom.
- This shift leads to a decline in creativity, nuance, and the appreciation of values like beauty, goodness, and truth.
Poincaré's AHA Moment
- Henri Poincaré struggled with a math problem for weeks, then the solution came to him suddenly while boarding a bus.
- This "AHA moment" demonstrates how insights often arise during periods of incubation, not active striving.