Iain McGilchrist ‘The Divided Brain’ Interview By Iain McNay

Iain McGilchrist ‘The Divided Brain’ Interview By Iain McNay
Author of The Master And His Emissary - The Divided Brain And The making Of The Western World and The Divided Brain And The Search For Meaning. Iain McGilchrist is committed to the idea that the mind and brain can be understood only by seeing them in the broadest possible context, that of the whole of our physical and spiritual existence and of the wider human culture in which they arise: the culture which helps to mould, and in turn is moulded by our minds and brains. He argues that the division of the brain into two hemispheres is essential to human existence, making possible incompatible versions of the world, with quite different priorities and values.
The transcript of this interview is available to view here.
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[@BrianODonohue]

Grateful for both halves (unequal though they may be) and the explanation. Brilliant man. Very informative.

[@peterpenrose4215]

Balanced, subtle, smart excellent. So much better than the average offerings on TED, which seems largely a branch of the entertainment industry.

[@peterspeight2880]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who gets that from TED Talks. There's something really off about TED, but I haven't quite put my finger on it yet.

[@rlaltk]

Yes, not nearly as shrill as your average TED Talk.

[@cesteres]

@@peterspeight2880 they are all the same.

[@perrywidhalm114]

Well-written.

[@greenbeans6253]

@@cesteres exactly. almost uncanny

[@vaishalivaidya7978]

This was such a beautiful enlivening conversation... Reconnected to the similar thoughts portrayed by Jill Boylte Taylor on her Stroke of Insight... It's a beautifully profound platform you have created and brought forth

[@rudolfboukal1538]

Simply brilliant explanation of the brain's hemispheric distinction and relationship! McGilchrist does a much better job of communication his ideas from the "armchair" versus from the "lectern". Really enjoyed this. Thank you for taking the time and effort to post this!!

[@conscioustv]

The transcript of this interview is available to view here. www.conscious.tv/text/57.htm

[@marcellalog2236]

thanks a lot for this conversation and also for the transcript (it's quite difficult for an italian speaker to understand exactly all the words without subtitles..). You are doing a great job for all us. Iain McGilchrist has very, very interesting and helpfull insight. I hope his book could be translated in italian, like many Ramachandran's books, anyway I will read it for sure.

[@SamLamingWingsuit]

What an absolute gift to have Dr Mcgilchrist in the world. I really wish everyone in the world could hear and grasp what he's saying, it's unendingly important.

[@KevinOroszSpeaks]

Glistening clarity of science & philosophy combined 🖌

[@celestialteapot3310]

Nice to encounter a thoughful psychiatrist, as opposed to the target driven automata the currently exist in the profession.

[@Skolotoi]

I owe Dr. McGilchrist and his book my life. That is how profound the insight on my condition was that I have received through his work during a critical episode of my life. He is the real deal.

[@tothelighthouse9843]

Amazing. I am chewing over the idea that it's 'the in between' where the value & joy of life resides. The space of connection between us & the people & things we CHOOSE to surround ourselves with & engage with. That it's the engagement itself. The whole discussion is fascinating, but my goodness the final 12 or 13 minutes regarding spirituality are so evocative & stirring. Sometimes the way to talk about a thing really is to talk about the thing **beside** the thing.

[@altalt839]

Thanks for this.

[@PoetDoc8]

Fascinating. Thank you.

[@fransmith4740]

This SOOO explains much about our sad world atm... :-(

[@bellezavudd]

Great stuff. !! 💗☺💗 Haven't yet read "The Master and the Emissary " but listening to his interviews fits the bill until. So 7 yrs later now have you 2nd interview w him?

[@semi-charmed-kinda-life3027]

One sentence in this conversation. Ill never forget. 🙏🏻

[@MSTheDev]

And what is that sentence ?

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

"asymmetry pays" - an adage in biology. Excellent

[@anhumblemessengerofthelawo3858]

McGilchrist is love at first sight. For love = gravity, and his heart, but aided by his mind, encompasses the cosmos. Feel the tug upon your soul. Finally, a Logos who knows the Word.

[@rexdrabble4988]

Left and right.balance is ALL important Being able to move your perspective Allowing your self to be imperfect Know that you cant know every thing Seeing your self above what the world would like you to be. We cant all agree but that doesnt mean some one is wrong.Believing is the key,no matter what it is. It is yours,If you can act as you believe,then no more can be expected of you.

[@Kikuye]

That 5 minutes or so is really important and relevant to today. 😶

[@isamelbousserghini]

Nice book

[@lingham9]

So brilliant a man, and so pleasant a person. A remarkable combination! He offers up the completion of the humanist approach and it brings us back to certain fundamental spiritual truths. In a very real sense, very Jewish too in its philosophical and embodied conclusions.

[@rlaltk]

Fascinating. The scariest part of 2001: A Space Odyssey is when HAL shifts from being task oriented to being aware of a threat to "his" existence. It's the right brain thinking that makes him dangerous and the left brain thinking that imposes the danger.

[@jackolinemilne5697]

Just marvellous interview! This conversation made me wonder about some of the metaphors in the bible, so e could be about the two sides of the brain! The various two brothers at odds plus the famous one about peace on earth comes when the lion and lamb or wolf and kid lay down together. Hmmm this could be about an evolutionary event where the two sides enter more into cooperation rather than conflict.

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

thankfully he pointed out that porcupines do climb trees.

[@TheMoSsyEXcaVation]

24:12

[@BirthingPower]

The division is what consciousness is. You can not know yourself if you were one thing. You need 3 -Two sides of the brain, and then Conscious is created as the third emanation. This is why there is a holy trinity, the watcher has to know itself somehow. "The Father, Son and Holy Ghost", "Third person prose..."

[@alhawaritalbi6371]

Where autism stands in all of this?

[@kimthomas8870]

Oh my goodness, the porcupine is a monkey!! Computer models dictating health policy. We are here now several years later when this wise man’s warning has reached a pinnacle. I hope he is right and people start to see the bigger picture and step into the new paradigm as whole beings.

[@KRGruner]

Funny. He has all the elements in place to give a proper answer, yet ultimately gets it wrong. Fascinating. The problem with the world today is not too much logic, but quite the contrary! It's become all about emotion, intuitionism, empathy, and so on, with zero critical analysis of what's really going on. I guess he failed to see the holistic picture on this one!

[@smartcatcollarproject5699]

More like emotions used to manipulate gullible masses...

[@KRGruner]

@@smartcatcollarproject5699 Nope. You have the relationship backwards. The masses WANT their emotions to be validated AND subsidized. Latest twist, they also want them to be legally protected!

[@smartcatcollarproject5699]

@@KRGruner Masses are played like kids by a minority of covert narcissists and other dark triad types. You can argue which comes first the egg or the chicken. Saying it's their choice is a bit like saying worker ants chose to obey soldier ants... It's an evolutionary process, in the case of human it's an archaic social bug which is clearly showing its limits today.

[@smartcatcollarproject5699]

@@KRGruner @Karl Gruner Masses are played like kids by a minority of covert narcissists and other dark triad types. It makes no sense to argue endlessly about which comes first, the egg or the chicken, the manipulator or its victim. Saying it's their choice is a bit like saying worker ants chose to obey soldier ants... It's an evolutionary process, in the case of humans it's an archaic social bug which is clearly showing its limits today. Empathy in itlsef is a good thing, although excess of it or total lack of it are both sign of mental illness.

[@KRGruner]

@@smartcatcollarproject5699 Some of what you say is pretty much correct (regarding the exploitation of masses by the corrupt elites), but IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS VIDEO SPECIFICALLY what I wrote is ENTIRELY on point and far more relevant than your comments. McGilchrist wants us to believe there is an excess reliance/confidence on Reason and objectivity (with associated cognitive properties) and that's total BS. The issue has been a rejection of Reason, period, at times overtly so, at other times unwittingly (for example, guys like Sam Harris THINK their are the voice of Reason when in fact they are spewing nonsensical garbage. All pure materialists/physicalists are in that basket). Comparing human choice with worker ants shows which side you are on. I reject your side. It is proven wrong by the fact that our current woes have NOT always been there (though there were different woes, to be sure). The entire woke movement was NOT invented by the political elites, it came from academia (NOT part of the elite, but instead falling into the category of "useful idiots") praying on the young and yet-undeveloped minds of college-age students and citizens. Sure, it has been a windfall for the progressive political and financial elite, but they did NOT invent it. Bottom line is the woke movement absolutely kills McGilchrist's argument, period. He is wrong. end of story. If you want a better take on thing, to to Jonathan Haidt, although he is far from perfect. But at least he gets some of it right.

[@elliotttcanimationandfilms9750]

Great interview. We need more individuals like Iain. His research and conclusions are much needed in this modern era.

[@clearwavepro100]

Thank you Iain and Iain! Your conversation somewhat reflected the very example of what could be achieved in a single brain, even the arrangement of the seats was kind of apres peau. Thank you for creating and sharing this!

[@LikeItDeep]

Fascinating interview. Thanks.

[@marekdrzewiecki3780]

Excellent. Insightful. Thank you.

[@Gelameable]

Right brain before Left, ability to see the hole picture before chosing particular and getting attached with it is the goal of every human. Perception before action, and i think actions have tendancy to replicate mechanicaly and interfear with receptive process. Harmonize Right and Left brains or hands, thats what living in heare and know must be all about, seing the world for a new each time and forgetting the past.

[@theantiredneck]

Two brains, it's how bilateral symmetry works in humans! Each side of the body! Sever the link and you become two people! We learned this in the 70's! who do you think your talking to when you talk to yourself? This is something most people don't figure out about themselves and why most people don't rise intellectually!

[@1mind1body4spirit]

Absolutely awesome.

[@jguenther3049]

Best interview ever! McNay did a marvelous job of staying out of McGilchrist's way, yet reacting appropriately, subtly punctuating the flow of the material.

[@kevintyrrell9559]

An absolute gentleman and scholar...this guy should be up there with Peterson, Harris etc...but he is actually probably much to humble and reserved to ever want to be. This mans ideas are what should be thought in modern psychology, social studies, theology and philosophy. He has such a complete picture that it is applicable to all of these areas...while more often than not individual psychologists, philosophers and scientist's just narrowly obsess about their small part of the world...all are emissaries playing at master...this guy is the master.

[@Mart-Bro]

He's been getting bigger recently! :)

[@renemckay5118]

he is humble - and big enough..

[@bodhisattva4080]

Outstanding & life changing interview. Thank you.

[@JohnCoughlan1]

So much sense and intelligent human thought from such an articulate man.

[@Gelameable]

Does this mean, right hemisphere perceives holiness and by left hemisphere forms itself in peculiar manner, but such formation or learning if you like influences farther identifications. From one hand I perceive music, from another hand I learn how to play and musician becomes part of my awareness. If that is so, we are learning the world, and what we learn becomes our karma until two hemispheres reunite by developing third eye of frontal cortex to identify own light before external world. That is enlightenment:)

[@user-lu9hq6jv4v]

Iain, is fantastic❤️!

[@helenperala3459]

A wonderful conversation, thank you so much. I totally concur with all Iain says, no doubt about that! :)

[@cheri238]

Empathy ❤ The territory we live in. Being aware of what we are getting wrong. This has been out for 9 years and for only 3 months I have dove into Dr. Iain McGilchrist books and discussions. Thank you both.❤ Delicious

[@kyleinthought]

Fantastic interview. Iain is a gift to us all, not nearly known enough.

[@stephenwarren64]

Terrific interview! Much much better than TED talks.

[@susydyson1750]

Fascinating ! I’ll have to listen again thank you

[@trishrogers7928]

I’m left handed. Is that helpful?

[@spotonlevel5629]

Thankyou both...

[@TheMoSsyEXcaVation]

31:13

[@vovaduhniak9827]

Good interview

[@pradeepdadlani2414]

Wow

[@HussainFahmys]

Our mind is a garden, our thoughts are seeds. We can either grow flowers or weeds.

[@fishybishbash]

or in my case, vegetables.

[@LikeItDeep]

Or in my case, trees.

[@PoetDoc8]

Or in my case porcupines. :) Hussain, you might want to listen to the interview, if you've not.

[@peterspeight2880]

I would love to hear his thoughts on Julian Jaynes' "The Origin of Consciousness: The Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind". Iain McGilshrist's interesting take on Jaynes' "consciousness is NOT necessary for learning": kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2PQhJ9tmspreqsm54s

[@Blickdastardly33]

This explains my so called ADHD. My right brain 🧠 is very dominant so when I don’t take my medicine I just bite and snap. I’m so up close the subject that I have no time to take in the data. I only react!

[@herbspencer4332]

Brain = Structure, Mind = Interactive brain structure. SIMPLE. LIVING.ne.DEAD.

[@herbspencer4332]

McGilchrist is right as in "Philosophy in the Flesh" (1999) bt Lakoff & Johnson.

[@smartcatcollarproject5699]

So how would you train or reinforce the right side to correct this tendency, or the left side to be able to function in this society ?

[@Sharedcare]

Very interesting and I felt profound, good to share as I have done

[@Milestonemonger]

I absolutely love this conversation

[@softfocus87]

Silence is the answer to all thinking.

[@Finne57]

Really interesting and clear

[@Trotskisty]

McGilchrist is describing a dialectical-materialist -- that is, marxist -- Worldview. Here, involving the vertebrate brain. Has he spent his whole career avoiding this connection..? That would be unfortunate. But very bourgeois. :)

[@QED_]

Sorry, comrade. It's a dialectical but not materialist -- that is, Hegelian idealist -- worldview. The form of Consciousness evolving by repeatedly transcending and including it's previous structure . . .

[@herbspencer4332]

The Parts are inert unless they are interacting, thus, WHOLE.NE. Sum(Parts). This is another of Plato's TIMELESS errors. Interactions are dynamic.

[@shaundixon222]

Rule of thumb, left for losers, right for problem solving and correct thinking(non intrusive thought)

[@anhumblemessengerofthelawo3858]

"Questioner: Could you tell us the purpose of the frontal lobes of the brain and the conditions necessary for their activation? Ra: I am Ra. The frontal lobes of the brain will, shall we say, have much more use in fourth density. The primary mental/emotive condition of this large area of the so-called brain is joy or love in its creative sense. Thus, the energies which we have discussed in relationship to the pyramids - all of the healing, the learning, the building, and the energizing - are to be found in this area. This is the area tapped by the adept. This is the area which, working through the trunk and root of mind, makes contact with intelligent energy and through this gateway, intelligent infinity. ~*~ Ra: I am Ra. The spiraling energy [of the pyramid] is beginning to be diffused at the point where it goes through the King’s Chamber position. However, although the spirals continue to intersect, closing and opening in double spiral fashion through the apex angle, the diffusion or strength of the spiraling energies, red through violet color values, lessens if we speak of strength, and gains, if we speak of diffusion, until at the peak of the pyramid you have a very weak color resolution useful for healing purposes. Thus the King’s Chamber position is chosen as the first spiral after the centered beginning through the Queen’s Chamber position. You may visualize the diffusion angle as the opposite of the pyramid angle but the angle being less wide than the apex angle of the pyramid, being somewhere between 33 and 54°, depending upon the various rhythms of the planet itself." Ra: 61, 13; 56, 6

[@Ungtartog]

Hopeful pessimist eh? Try on Optimistic Nihilisim. "Nothing matters, so let's do the coolest thing we can think of!"

[@hexonatapeloop]

Look at the links on the right of the page. Not sure he should be linked to all this stuff!