The Four “You”s
Remember Jill Bolte Taylor? She’s the brain scientist who had a stroke and recovered over eight years. She wrote the book, My Stroke of Insight, and she did a TED Talk that explained what it was like for her to move from being a left-brain oriented person to suddenly being completely right-brained. Her description offered what she considered hope for humanity: she felt complete present-moment awareness, a sense of being one with the universe, and no attachment to past hurts or resentments.
She’s now written a new book that offers a more thorough examination of the physiology of her discovery and a corresponding guide to the four parts of the brain (two in the left hemisphere, two in the right) that make up who we are. Dr. Taylor writes that her intention in writing Whole Brain Living is to help individuals recognize that they can choose which part of the brain to access, rather than being at the mercy of one dominant part.
Dr. Taylor is careful to recognize, as we do in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, that each of these four parts of us is important to our full functioning and should be respected and appreciated. She advocates holding “BRAIN huddles” to get the four parts talking to one another, thereby making a more egalitarian internal world.
So, what are the four parts she describes? Remember, as a brain anatomist, she can identify physical tissue corresponding to these parts, which IFS therapists around the world are undoubtedly celebrating. Dr. Taylor calls the parts “characters” and suggests that each person name their characters themselves, so she offers generic names we can customize. Let’s take the thinking parts first, then the emotional parts.
Character 1: Left Thinking. This is the serial processor. Character 1 is analytical, focused on details, and linear. It is past- and future-based and judgmental; seeking differences. This part thinks in language and is concerned with being precise and concise. This part is busy, conscious, structured, and self-focused.
Character 4: Right Thinking. This is the parallel processor. Character 4 looks at the world holistically; it’s our big-picture thinker. This part is constantly in the present moment and oriented toward experiences, especially new ones. This part is non-verbal, thinking instead in images, and is body-based; kinesthetic. This part is naturally compassionate, rather than judgmental, and it is constantly looking for similarities. This is the part of us that flows, that isn’t oriented to time, and remains flexible and open to possibilities.
Character 2: Left Emotional. This character is rigid and constricted, focusing on safety and fear. It’s cautious and therefore loves conditionally, maintaining a stern (and sometimes bullying) stance in relationships, and can come across as righteous, critical, and selfish. This part tends toward black-and-white thinking, so can characterize themselves and others as good/bad, inferior/superior, and right/wrong.
Character 3: Right Emotional. This character is open and expansive. Fear doesn’t enter into this part, so it loves unconditionally and is willing to take risks. This part leads with openness, kindness, and friendliness, and experiences constant gratitude. There is a feeling of egalitarianism that results in a willingness to share and consider the collective. There’s also a sense of flow and ease here.
It’s likely that you’ll notice parts of yourself and loved ones that might emphasize one part or another. Maybe you tend to live more in one part than another?
Taylor’s assertion is that we all have all of these parts and that they are all valuable. While we might immediately think we’d prefer to be in our right brain all the time, she reminds us that it wasn’t completely satisfying for her to be there. She missed the ups and downs of the Character 3 and the discernment and identity of Character 1. She was also able to recognize how left-brain oriented she’d been prior to the stroke and was happy to gain access to the more expansive and flexible aspects of the right brain after the stroke.
This might be a useful book for all of us, as we gain skill consulting all our characters (our parts). For now, can you identify situations and circumstances that seem to bring out each of the above characters?
