Chapter Three - Theory
Since there were no exercises associated with chapter three of The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, I though it would be fun to include this interesting little test to see which side of the brain you are currently utilizing. This is not included or included in the book, by the way. But it relates to the information mentioned in this chapter.
Depending on how you view this animation, if you see her turning clockwise then at this moment your right brain is in full swing. Conversely if she is going counter clockwise, you are in a left-brain mode. Now see if you can change modes and have her go the opposite direction. It is doable. If you find it difficult, come back to this image at another time and notice which direction she revolves.
Here is the run down, so you can in what ways your mind is functioning at the moment:
Here is the run down, so you can know where you are:
Left Brain Concepts
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe
Right Brain Concepts
uses feeling
“big picture” oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can “get it” (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking
Tags: NDRSB
March 2nd, 2008 at 11:29 am
dear,
i (female, 35) had to laugh so much doing the test with my lover. and i am a little bit angry i cannot switch my perception as easily as he says is able. i see the lady moving clockwise, i can do what i want, i cant change it by force or intentionally. but: both sides do a very good job for me. as a manager especially i am well balanced, my collegues can tell
veryheavenly greetings,
i enjoyed my stay here - 1,5 hrs
March 2nd, 2008 at 11:39 am
Glad you enjoyed it!
March 8th, 2008 at 3:31 am
I like this one so much and I envy other people changing modes =). Btw, i posted it in my blog.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Please keep in mind, Left/Right brain theory is NOT considered fact and is in the realm of pop psychology. Currently, no MRI scanning nor any established study has reinforced this theory. The disparity between direction perception occurs because of depth interpolation, and is not a phenomenon associated with any Left/Right brain neurology.
I don’t like to do this, but misconceptions about neurology has lead to widespread ignorance of the elegant mechanisms at work. In fact, Left/Right brain psychology is a GROSS oversimplification of a truly astonishing process, a bit like saying Monet just painted lilies. There is so much more to it than simple pop psychology. Please, respect your brain and don’t shorthand it.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Amazing. When I first stumbled here she was going clockwise. When I started reading, she changed to counter clockwise…so cool! I was able to change directions a couple of times.
Thanks!
Thought for the day:
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.
-Albert Einstein
March 11th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I have tried on sooo many occasions to make her spin both ways…i finally did it t-day1!!! woo-hoo
March 11th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Rotating the laptop monitor (or your head) clockwise and counter clockwise will help to switch the image almost at will.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
I first saw it turn clockwise, and couldn’t come to see it turn counter clockwise.
I know this sounds strange, but i’m able to select which eye i’m using to see, i can explain how you can achieve that later yourself if someone is interested. I’ve noticed that while switching for my left or right view, it takes half a second up to a second, I could see it turning counter clock wise.
Also, i noticed that if you look at the margin of the page, so not directly on the animation, and that you use the scroll bar to slowly move the picture up and down on the screen you sometimes see it change it’s rotation.
March 11th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
If you want to see her change direction just think about different things that require that particular side of the brain to function. For example if I want to see her spin counter clockwise then I have to use my left side of the brain. That requires me to use logic and math so why not count numbers from one to ten or just calculate something like 2+3. And if you want to change directions to clockwise then just stop your counting and do something creative. For example hum a melody or paint a picture in your mind.
Be careful not to mix these two things up for example calculate with a little melody added to it. (2 plus 2 equals 4 and a number was his name’o :D). Actually I found that it’s kinda fun to see which brain side wins by just doing that.
Have fun and experiment:)
March 11th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
I keep seeing her go to and from and quite rarely does she actually make a full circle to either way. It’s distressing to NOT see her go either direction. But thanks for the info!
March 11th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
wow this is so cool. i can make her go back and forth from one side to the other without going all the way around (switching from left to right quickly) its kinda neat. loved it.
March 11th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
yea i can change it too, but it’s not a voluntary or intentional act for me. it just randomly switches when i think about different things, but i can’t change it when i actually try. sometimes it’s like certain words trigger the switch, other times I’ll move my arm or something and it’ll switch. I don’t know, maybe I’m just weird X3
March 11th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
See this article:
http://greengabbro.net/2007/10/20/the-spinning-dancer-and-the-brain/
I believe it presents some insight as to the origin of this image. You can also see the image taken apart here:
http://ofb.net/~whuang/imgs/spin/
March 11th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
As a writer and sometimes artist it’s important for me to function in both parts of my brain. I loved this test. I was able to switch back and forth, but not with ease. Thanks for posting it!
René
http://www.workingauthor.com
March 11th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
I stared at this for about 10 minutes. Most of that time she was rotating clockwise. For about a minute or two, I was able to perceive her rotating counter-clockwise. I’m entirely right-brained.
Will the practice of changing modes improve the use of the opposite brain?
March 12th, 2008 at 1:14 am
I find that the easiest way for me to change my perception of which way she is turning is by focusing on her planted foot. Once i see that spinning one particular direction, the rest of the figure follows it. Once you can see the foot go in whichever direction you want, then you can do the same with the body.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:01 am
Okay, I am absolutely going insane. At first, when I saw it, I thought it was going clockwise. Imediately when I read Counter-Clockwise. I saw it Counter-Clockwise. I could not get it to go back Clockwise. Then when I just focused on her feet and put my hand over the rest of her body I was able to see it Clockwise. I have to just focus on her feet to switch it. I need to know how this works, it is driving me Insane.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:54 am
So strange. I can see her turning either way - but I don’t have control over it. She may be turning one way, and then I’ll look away and look back and she’s turning the other way. Does this mean my mind is in total chaos?
March 12th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
@ligernekoka:
I’m not sure it improve your use of the brain, in fact i really doubt it. Yet if you learn how switch from one mode to the other, you’ll get that aptitude for other things.
It’s like when i say i can choose which eye i use to look. When i was a child i got with a comic book glasses with red and green lens, to read the comics in “3D”… As i was wearing those glasses nearly the whole evenings sometimes i was choosing to see the world in green, other times to see it in red. And with some practice i was able to choose with which eye, the red or the green one, i see. It’s easier than one can think. I Doubt it improved my brain, yet i have this strange abilities to choose with which eye i see. Nothing more, nothing less.
Now that i come here for a second time, I can easily switch from one way to turn to the other.
March 12th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
i can see both ways take a minute to get it to change directions
March 12th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
when i first look at its going clockwise then i look at reflection of foot and look at it again its going counter clock wise
March 13th, 2008 at 5:04 am
Both directions are possible, and by eliminating half of the upper torso, a back and forth motion becomes apparent. Interesting!!
March 13th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
I feel that her body posture leads me to think of her spinning one way that feels natural. Although I can spin her the other way, that way is ungainly and does not seem to coincide with the way she is leaning.
j
March 13th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
I saw the girl turning clockwise first.
Then as I read the content, in my peripheral vision she turned counter clockwise.
As I glanced a little closer, she repeatedly turned from side to side facing forward.
March 13th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
I downloaded the gif to look at it frame by frame in adobe imageready
…And I still have no idea what’s going on.
!!!!!
March 14th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Like Krissie I can spin her any direction any time. When her extended foot is on one side she is spinning clock wise and then when it moves to then right side she is moving counter clocke wise. Wehn I look at different areas of her body I can see her spin most any direction. I guess I’m Rigeft Brain.
March 16th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I watched it for 5 minutes, and then I realized, “hey, she’s naked!”
March 30th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
I just realised i can switch side easily. I do notice at one angle It’s not Rotationg at all but just swinging left or right. That’s when I could motion it to swing to the direction I wanted.