The head brain (cephalic)
The prime functions of the head brain are obvious. They involve the mental cognitive functions of logical thinking and include the processes of reasoning, perception and how we make meaning. Thought processes involve mental imagery, language, expression, abstraction and symbol manipulation. The main job of the head is intellectually making sense of the world and to provide executive control.
As we know, the brain has two separate, but connected hemispheres, and has approximately 100 billion neurons. It is far more complex than the heart or gut brains. Like those two brains, its processing mode is also influenced by sympathetic and parasympathetic dominance so that the left hemisphere is dominant when the nervous system is under parasympathetic control, and the right hemisphere is dominant when the sympathetic arm is in ascendance.
Because of its primacy and massive complexity, the head brain is obviously involved in every aspect of human behavior.
The left hemisphere competencies are:
. verbal tasks
. logic and problem solving tasks
. analytical time sequence processing
. detailed processing
. positive or approach-related emotions
The right hemisphere competencies are:
. non verbal tasks
. spatial tasks
. discriminating shapes
. global/holistic processing
. understanding/processing metaphor
. music and tonal processing
. facial recognition
. negative withdrawal/related emotions
When your system becomes overly sympathetic or parasympathetic dominant, the related hemisphere of the brain becomes dominant and this can lead to ways of thinking and experiencing the world that are limited or restrictive through one mode of processing alone.
Just to give you some ideas about the different systems:
Predominantly Predominantly
Parasympathetic Balanced/Coherent Sympathetic
Despair Hope Desperation
Sadness Joy Delirious/Manic
Loneliness Connection Guarded
Uncaring/Apathy Appreciation/Gratitude Obligation
Indifference Love Hate
We can help you get into a more balanced/coherent state by some simple exercises – keep following this site and you will find out how.