Foundational Principle for this article: To apply the knowledge that the right and left side of the brain serve different functions that, if integrated, can help us have greater love and freedom and happimness in our lives.   

Definitions:  Right Brain Thinking - A broad characterization of thought patterns attributed to the right cerebral hemisphere of the brain. Right brain thinking is described broadly as non-linear, creative, and imaginative.

 Left Brain Thinking – A broad characterization of thought patterns attributed to the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain. Left-brain thinking is described broadly as being linear, sequential, systematic and concerned with the details and steps that are involved in a particular process or event.   

Q. When you are in an emergency situation, what kicks in first: the rational, problem-solving left brain or the emotional, intuitive right brain?

A. Usually the right brain.  Unlike the left-brain, the right brain observes at an incredibly rapid speed and can immediately determine the spatial relationships of all the elements in the situation as they relate to the whole as in Holism, The right brain has a natural inclination to recognize patterns or to organize information systematically.  When we speak of out of the box thinking, what we are really talking about is right brain thinking. The right brain naturally flourishes when presented with creativity, complexity, paradox, and ambiguity.   

Q. This almost sounds like the way a Zen Master might think?

A. Yes.  A Zen Master has a complete intuitive and intellectual mastery and understanding of right brain and left-brain functions and how they interact – all done without "book learning."

Q. Is left brain or right brain thinking superior to the other?  

A. No.  Different ways of living and one's personal style will define which of the two becomes his or her dominant style.  In a crisis with just a few seconds to make a snap decision, the left-brain style of processing information is just too slow.  The right brain takes over, quickly assesses what has to be done and reacts accordingly.  When playing chess, the right brain moves too fast. A slower, more systematic approach is what will work best – a left-brain approach.  One thing we can all agree on is that every human being is in thought either consciously or subconsciously virtually all of the time. You might say that the full integration of the two, right-brain and left-brain is what separates a "dreamer" from a visionary who actualizes a vision.   

Q. If right brain thinking is closer to our core being, then why and how does left-brain thinking, the logical approach to being, arise? 

A.  As children we tend to express through right brain thinking. As we connect to others we will begin to form groups and create boundaries, rules of behavior etc.  These "new" intellect and logic automatically will bring the left-brain into play especially once a person understands the nature of how systems function.