An epiphany

[reeay]

I have sometimes struggled with my rational or analytical mind usurping my intuitive mind, overriding the experience of right-mind engagement with over-analysis and rational explanation. However, I personally wouldn't consider completely dismissing the rational mind an effective step for working in our realm and consciousness. This type of rational analysis can help us understand our experiences and inevitably grow. For instance, if someone who is completely ruled by impulse becomes enraged by something, they will express this rage fully and completely without rational analysis of what is good or healthy for the individual or others. Once this rage passes, since there is no longer impulse, there is no rational analysis of why this rage was conjured from our mind. The person will continually and always be enraged by the same catalyst without rational analysis, never understanding the part of the self that became angry, and never growing from that station.

Ra has this to say:

49.4 ...The entity ruled by intuition and impulse is equal to the entity governed by rational analysis when polarity is considered. The lobes may both be used for service to self or service to others. It may seem that the rational or analytical mind might have more of a possibility of successfully pursuing the negative orientation due to the fact that, in our understanding, too much order is by its essence negative. However, this same ability to structure abstract concepts and to analyze experiential data may be the key to rapid positive polarization. It may be said that those whose analytical capacities are predominant have somewhat more to work with in polarizing.

Edited for clarification.

Emotions aren't necessarily 'right brain' function it's part of the limbic system in the amygdala which is the older part of the brain below the neocortex where the rational 'center', the frontal lobe is located. Information is processed much faster in the limbic system than it is in the frontal lobe, thus emotions are much more likely to 'spill' (i.e., have emotional reactions) rather than be able to moderate that with one's rational functions. I believe this is so to ensure our survival. When emotions and rational functions do not work in balance the possibility of not being able to process emotional information rationally occurs. Add: works the other way too - some people will attend to rational information rather than to emotional information thus they appear 'unemotional'.

In 52.2, Don asks Ra about the sling-shot effect and if that is a left-brain type understanding and Ra responds, 'We prefer not to utilize the terminology of right and left brain due to the inaccuracies of this terminology. Some functions are repetitive or redundant in both lobes, and further, to some entities the functions of the right and left are reversed. However, the heart of the query is worth some consideration.'

But this right/left brain myth stems from understanding the brain in terms of personality traits instead of neurological functional characteristics. As a personality train, 'right' and 'left' brain does occur and altho there is dominance in one type of action, the other side is also at play at any time, I think. Intuition also involves the use of past experiences to come to conclusions. These past experiences have become so second nature that the processing does not quite involve rational functions. Kind of like being able to see patterns rather than to reducing it logically to few details.

Too much indulgence in 'right brain' functions (which is not quite non-rational functions either) such as use of intuition would probably have the same effect of a hyper-active limbic function.

The one interesting info is that the corpus callosum is highly important to bridge the right and left brain functions, and it's thicker in women, meaning women are more able to integrate information using both hemispheres of the brain. However, if your limbic system (emotional center) is highly active this function gets drowned out so you become emotionally reactive.

Added: Dr. Siegel talks about emotions, right/left brain integration