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Part II: Page 5 of 10

The conclusion of Roger Sperry was that the brain consists of ”two separate realms of conscious awareness; two sensing, perceiving, thinking and remembering systems”. One of these structures were able to use language, the other one could not.

 

Roger Sperry received the Nobel Price in 1981 for his contribution to science, and others have likewise contributed with further research.

 

The difference found between the two structures of consciousness can be described with the following keywords:

Based on the arguments above and other material I have read on the subject, I assume that the consciousness of the child starts with a focus in the right hemispere. Then, as language evolves, the focus moves more and more towards the left hemisphere. At some point the ‘steering stick’ are handed over to the left hemisphere. By ‘steering stick’ is meant the focus of consciousness, or the one of the two structures of consciousness that are in control. In the adult it is typically locked in the left hemisphere, and are only occasional returned to the right hemisphere (e.g. after a few cocktails).

 

Hence, the development that occurs from stage one to four,  also shows the change from using the right conscious structure, which are free, impulsive, truthful and without words to using the left structure which is controlled, realistic, untruthful and linguistic.

Jekyll & Hyde

Now, a just question at this point, would be to ask if the split in consciousness, that were discovered in splitbrain patients, didn’t exist exactly because the two hemispheres were cut off from mutual contact? The purpose of the connection that we normal people has, is exactly to avoid this split, one could argue.

 

The answer is that the connection represent the possibility for bridgebuilding the two structures, but for most people this possibility has yet to be made conscious. The schism is still there.

 

Lets take an example.

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