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©Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc
 Brain scans have greatly expanded an understanding of the functions that are housed within the cerebrum. To quote Rita Carter, editor of Mapping the Mind,
Almost every mental function you can think of is fully or partly lateralized.
In other words, the cerebral hemispheres are hard-wired for very specific skills that, under normal circumstances, usually develop on one side of the brain or the other. While it is true that certain areas are specialized for specific purposes, the brain can only be understood as one highly complex and integrated functional unit.
Dr. Restak, author of Mysteries of the Mind, wrote:
The great majority of its neuronal connections involve cross talk among neurons rather than the transfer of information to and from the rest of the body.
Evidence for lateralization can sometimes be observed in a brain scan (e.g., shows the side of the brain that is in charge of the particular function or task), although functions/systems can overlap or be involved in the same process, such as the memory system and the emotional system. A region in the hemisphere that is in charge of a specific task glows more brightly when compared to the matching region in the opposite hemisphere. Testing modalities have identified areas of the cerebrum that control or primarily direct specific functions (e.g., Broca’s Area for uttering audible speech, Wernicke’s Area for decoding audible speech).
Following is a summary of the basic functional purpose of each cerebral division.
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 Left Frontal Lobe
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Right Frontal Lobe
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- To set and achieve goals
- To make and objective and timely decisions
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- To anticipate and make changes
- To visualize, innovate, and meditate
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 Left Posterior Lobes
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Right Posterior Lobes  |
- To supply services (dependably) needed for maintaining life
- To run routines and habits
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- To build trust, connection, and peaceful foundations
- To assess for harmony
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Specific Skills Correlated with Each Cerebral Division
Basic cerebral functions are important as they permit human beings to learn skills and develop competencies that are critical to life on this planet as we know it. Following are examples of ways in which the cerebral functions (based on innate brain lead) enable individuals to develop specific skills.
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Left Frontal Lobe |
Right Frontal Lobe
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The purpose of the left frontal lobe is to enable you to develop skills that will help you to set and achieve goals, and to make objective and timely decisions, which include:
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Inductive/deductive reasoning (logic, the researched view)
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The ability to set goals, make decisions, prioritize the actions necessary to achieve goals, analyze everything for functionality (bounded shapes as well as abstract ideas)
- Data-driven problem-solving (comparing, analyzing, summarizing)
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The purpose of the right frontal lobe is to enable you to develop skills that will help you to anticipate and make changes, which include:
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Active three-dimensional internal mental picturing
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The ability to take in huge amounts of data (balcony view) second for second, notice when things are changing, identify trends, and compute context
- Intuitive, innovative problem-solving (e.g., brainstorming new ideas, processes, products; meditating)
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Areas of Unique Giftedness
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Left Frontal Lobe
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Right Frontal Lobe
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Exploring the unknown (entrepreneurial)
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Finding new solutions (inventions, creativity, problem-solving intuitively)
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Imagining (visioning, visualizing)
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Inspiration (may be charismatic)
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Mimicry
- Creativity in a variety of artistic endeavors (e.g., painting, composing, sculpture)
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Unique Challenges
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Left Frontal Lobe |
Right Frontal Lobe
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May be viewed by others as insensitive, a people user, and a workaholic; may have limited access to the Right Posterior Lobes and can blow up easily when frustrated or crossed (e.g., Mt. Vesuvius). Tasks or activities that require use of the other three divisions (especially the diagonal division) are much more energy-exhaustive, such as:
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Helping others to get along with each other and/or feel comfortable
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Learning to speak foreign languages
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Dressing (selecting colors, styles)
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Direct spiritual experiences
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Learning complicated dance routines
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May be viewed by others as unpredictable, unrealistic, and undependable (due to penchant for spontaneity); dislikes details and routines and can quickly become bored with them. Task or activities that require use of the other three divisions (especially the diagonal division) are much more energy-exhaustive, such as:
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Routine self care (e.g., brushing teeth, washing face, applying makeup, styling own hair)
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Detailed and repetitive routine procedures
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Sequenced details (spelling)
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Accuracy in addition (balancing check book)
- Following rules and regulations precisely
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Validation Suggestions
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Left Frontal Lobe
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Right Frontal Lobe
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Validate an individual with a left frontal lobe preference for an ability to:
- Exhibit an inductive/deductive reasoning style
- Make objective decisions in a timely manner
- Set and achieve goals
- Prioritize steps required to achieve goals
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Investigate and solve problems based on data
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Engage in analytical investigation (research)
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Use tools effectively and efficiently
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Validate an individual with a right frontal lobe preference for an ability to:
- Anticipate and make changes by recognizing abstract patterns and trending
- Be spontaneous
- Problem-solve intuitively, be imaginative
- Be entrepreneurial (if Extraverted)
- Be artistically creative (if Introverted)
- Exhibit a sense of humor
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Functional Specializing and Specific Activities
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Left Frontal Lobe
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Right Frontal Lobe
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The functional specialization of the Left Frontal Lobe is designed to help accomplish specific activities, such as:
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Make decisions and/or delegate
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Set goals
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Prioritize the best options
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Be objective/single-minded in pursuing goals
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Achieve social and organizational power by managing time and money effectively
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Abstract and analyze data of every type
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Be competitive and try to win
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Utilize tools of every type
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Research and problem solve based on data
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Speak audibly and laugh aloud
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Develop and use conscience
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Manage willpower
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Understand numbers and signs
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Manage emotions (e.g., happiness, joy)
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The functional specialization of the Fight Frontal Lobe is designed to help accomplish specific activities, such as:
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Anticipate and make changes
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Absorb the big picture, the balcony view
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Scan for trends, patterns, global perspective
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Meditate, daydream, imagine, envision
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Innovate - travel, write, compose, design (entrepreneurial activities if Extraverted, artistic activities if Introverted)
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Compute context
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Gesture expressively and expansively
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Be spontaneous (unconstricted due to a dislike of rules/routines)
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Appreciate, develop, and use a sense of humor
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3-D internal mental picturing
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Risk doing something in a new way
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Think in pictures and symbols
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Manage emotions (e.g., anger, fear, sadness)
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Environments or Accessories
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Left Frontal Lobe |
Right Frontal Lobe
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Desirable environments or accessories for the Left Frontal Lobe include:
- Uncluttered space
- Colors: black, white, gray, and navy
- Machines and mechanical tools
- A computer for research projects
- Scales, gavel, calculator
- Charts containing numbers and percentages
- Framed awards
- Abstract photographs of arrows
- A list of goals and objectives
- A five-year plan
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Structured music (e.g., slow movements of Bach, Mozart, baroque compositions). If used as background music, typically works best for male brains and more Extraverted female brains
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Desirable environments or accessories for the Right Frontal Lobe include:
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Posterior Lobes
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Left Posterior Lobes |
Right Posterior Lobes |
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The purpose of the left posterior lobes is to enable you to develop skills that will help you to produce and supply services (dependably) for maintaining life and work, which include:
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The ability to sequence a set of actions into a routine (a set of pre-made decisions) and follow it accurately
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The tendency to more easily absorb information that is perceived as linear (e.g., rectangles, squares, lines, angles)
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Occipital lobe (vision): sees and identifies details
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Temporal lobe (auditory): listens for nouns and verbs (labels/directions)
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Parietal lobe (kinesthetic): grasps and manipulates bounded shapes, tends to line up objects precisely
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The purpose of the right posterior lobes is to enable you to develop skills that will help you to build trust, harmony, connection, and peaceful foundations, which include:
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The ability to compare everything to assess for the presence or absence of harmony
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The tendency to more easily absorb information that is perceived as harmonically related (e.g., color, smiles, body language, oval or circular or rounded shapes)
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Occipital lobe (vision): sees colors and reads nonverbals
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Temporal lobe (auditory): listens for nonspeech sounds and the music of speech
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Parietal lobe (kinesthetic): assesses touch connection and relational position of bounded shapes in the environment
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Areas of Unique Giftedness
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Left Posterior Lobes |
Right Posterior Lobes
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Performing routine and repetitive self-care activities (e.g., brushing teeth, washing face, applying makeup, styling own hair)
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Following detailed routines and step-by-step procedures
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Achieving accuracy in repetitive sequenced tasks
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Legible hand writing and accurate spelling
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Operating machines
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Unique Challenges
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Left Posterior Lobes
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Right Posterior Lobes
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May be viewed by others as boring, stuck in a rut, and lacking spontaneity or an ability/willingness to make changes.
Tasks or activities that require use of the other three divisions (especially the diagonal division) are much more energy-exhaustive, such as:
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Drama
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Coping with novelty
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Inspiration or brainstorming
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Trending or imaginative forecasting
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Innovation (hates change and tries to maintain the status quo)
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Dealing with interruptions
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May be viewed by others as overly sensitive and overconforming or overcomplying in their effort to maintain harmony.
Tasks or activities that require use of the other three divisions (especially the diagonal division) are much more energy-exhaustive, such as:
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Functional Specialization and Specific Activities
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Left Posterior Lobes |
Right Posterior Lobes
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The functional specialization of the left posterior lobes is designed to help accomplish specific tasks or activities, such as:
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Develop and run internal brain “software” (habits) dependably
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Be sequential, practical, and predictable
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Honor and maintain traditions
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Learn the rules and follow them
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Repeat routines/procedures accurately
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File and track data, labels, details, objects
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Develop skills for reading, writing, spelling
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Utilize fine motor skills for grasping and manipulating bounded shapes, for data entry, word processing, and typing (prestidigitation)
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Store and track non-emotional memories
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Develop complex rhythmical skills (music, data entry, typing, marching)
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Decode speech sounds (although can decode nonspeech sounds)
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Maintain the status quo
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The functional specialization of the right posterior lobes is designed to help accomplish specific tasks or activities, such as:
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Promote relatedness, connectedness, and harmony (among sounds, colors, bounded shapes, the environment)
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Be sentimental
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Be in tune with nature
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Celebrate everything (e.g., holidays, anniversaries, deaths, national events)
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Enjoy potlucks
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Pursue relational and collegial connectedness
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Take in information via touch (hugs)
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Sing and play musical instruments by ear (native musical ability)
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Entertain, act, dance, sing, cook, teach
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Process spiritual experiences, counsel
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Read nonverbal body language
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Recognize faces, store emotional memories
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Decode nonspeech sounds (although can decode speech)
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Environments or Accessories
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Left Posterior Lobes
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Right Posterior Lobes
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- An upbeat, colorful space
- Photos of family members and close friends
- Plants, pine cones, candles, stuffed animals
- A computer for personal use
- A chair with a cozy afghan or blanket
- Inspirational books and pictures
- Smiley stickers and colorful crayons
- Sounds of nature
- Musical instruments
- Rhythmical, melodic music, and music that tells a story. If used as background music, typically works best for male brains and more Extraverted female brains
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Validation Suggestions
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Left Posterior Lobes |
Right Posterior Lobes |
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Validate an individual with a preference for using the left posterior lobes for an ability to:
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Validate an individual with a preference of using the right posterior lobes for an ability to:
- Build trust, harmony, and peaceful foundations
- Verbalize own feelings
- Observe and acknowledge feelings of others
- Connect with others (e.g., smiles, hugs)
- Harmonize sounds, colors, the environment
- Be a peacemaker, help others to feel welcome and comfortable, especially in new situations
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Following is a Pictorial Summary of Selected Functions
Frontal Lobes
Left Frontal Lobe
Functions in the left frontal lobe enable you to set / achieve goals and make objective / timely decisions, including an ability to:
- Reason inductively/deductively (logic) and engage in data-driven problem-solving
- Analyze for functionality (e.g., people, machines, or ideas) and prioritize actions necessary to achieve the goals
NOTE: Those with a different brain lead may think individuals with a lead in the left frontal lobe are insensitive, workaholic, people-users, who don’t know how to have fun.
Right Frontal Lobe
Functions in the right frontal lobe enable you to anticipate and make changes, which includes an ability to:
- Visualize - three-dimensional internal mental picturing, pondering, and meditating
- Notice when things are changing, identify trends, and compute context (the balcony view); engage in innovative and intuitive problem-solving such as brainstorming new ideas, processes, and products.
NOTE: Those with a different brain lead may think individuals with a lead in the right frontal lobe are unrealistic, unpredictable, and disrespectful of rules.
Posterior Lobes
Left Posterior Lobes
Functions of the left posterior lobes enable you to produce / supply services for maintaining life and work, including an ability to:
- Sequence a set of actions into a routine (a set of pre-made decisions) and follow it consistently and accurately
- Develop habits (brain software programs)
- Absorb linear information easily (lines, angles, squares)
Note: Those with a different brain lead may think individuals with a lead in the left posterior lobes are stuck in a rut, not very innovative, and way too concerned with maintaining the status quo and/or avoiding change.
Right Posterior Lobes
Functions in the right posterior lobes enable you to build trust, harmony, and connection, which includes an ability to:
- Assess everything for the presence or absence of harmony
- Absorb information perceived to be harmonically related (e.g., sounds, color, rounded shapes, nonverbals)
NOTE: Those with a brain lead in one of the other these divisions may think individuals with a lead in the right posterior lobes are over-sensitive, over-conforming, over-complying, and way too concerned with harmony and/or conflict avoidance.
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Brain Lead 
