Understanding Our Divided Mind: Part 1

While we may understand ourselves as existing as singular individuals, it often feels like our wants and needs are pitted against one another, as if there are in fact many individuals running the show behind the scenes. Maybe you are determined to be healthy and productive, but every night is a battle not to have dessert while binging Netflix. We somehow have varied and conflicting interests in our seemingly unified effort to achieve satisfaction and happiness. The truth is, we aren’t as holistic as we perceive ourselves. Taking a deeper look at our mind, we can understand it as divided in four distinct ways: Mind vs Body, Left vs Right, New vs Old, and Controlled vs Automatic. In this blog series, we will cover these four levels of division to explain our relentless experience of internal conflict and all its different manifestations of weakness and temptation. Let’s take a look at the first two:

Division One: Mind vs Body

The saying goes that the body has a mind of its own, but there is more truth to that than we give it credit. There are parts of our body that will function on its own volition despite independence or opposition from our mind. For example, our hair will stand on its ends, our hearts will race during a scary movie, or our facial expressions will give away our true inner thoughts. 

There is even a part of the body that has the power to influence our brain: our gut. Our gut is made up of a network of intestines equipped with an army of neurons designed to run the computations for digestion. While our gut operates based on commands from the brain, it also has a degree of autonomy to transmit its own signals to the brain. If the gut neurons detect an infection, it will trigger the brain to feel anxious and invoke cautious behavior to accommodate the body being sick. 

Division Two: Left vs Right 

Our brain is divided into two hemispheres that are linked by a bundle of nerves. Each side is responsible for different receptors that together help us perceive and interpret our world. The left side is designed for language processing and analytical thinking, while the right is specialized in understanding visual patterns in space. 

Furthermore, the left and right side control the way our body functions. The left side takes information from our right side (i.e. the nerve signals from our right retina, right arm, right leg, etc.) and translates the nerve transmissions into commands for right side movement. The right side works the same way in respect to the left, controlling left side bodily functions. 

Next week, we will cover the divisions that further explain our conflicting internal interests. In the meantime, if you have questions about your brain and how it affects your daily functioning, Dr. Gordon at Pathways NA specializes in understanding cognitive makeup and how it relates to our everyday experiences. Call today at 732-930-2242 to set up an appointment!

*Source: The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Heidt, Chapter 1