In my research on brain anatomical functions and structure, I discovered that the human brain appears to love opposites, and like so many things in Nature our brain can be viewed from a dualistic perspective. The brain’s dualisms come from our evolutionary origins and inherited foundations and are:  mind-body dualism, 2-hemisphere dualism, brain’s rigidity-plasticity, and emotional-cognitive (EQ-CQ) dualism. In posts to come, I will detail these various dualisms.

Cerebralization –  I support the brain research that indicates Neocortical pruning and myelination makes possible higher reasoning and information processing, and thus allows for increased learning, creativity, and decision making. We have the ability to think, and significantly the ability to think about our thinking (meta-cognition). We have the ability to have feelings and thoughts about our emotions (meta-emotions). The Neocortical hardware (energy-matter) through software (consciousness) transforms  words, language, and thinking to generate awareness, comprehension, and the acquisition of useable knowledge (review CACK Model). In my discussion of the CACK Model, I referred to the interaction of consciousness, words, cognition, and language. For Julian Huxley the evolution of consciousness, “went hand-in-hand with the evolution of language – the invention of words as symbols for things, in place of sounds as signs for feelings, and was made possible by the expansion of the association areas in the cerebral cortex of the first ancestral man.”  (1964)

The human brain’s temporal lobe is the lower lateral lobe structure of each hemisphere. Functions include:  general memory, the retrieval of long-term memory, some generation of emotion, and some visual and auditory involvement. Damage to this lobe can cause aphasia.

The human brain’s occipital lobe is the posterior lobe structure for each hemisphere.  Functions include:  interpretation of vision and some speech.

The human brain’s parietal lobe is a structure at the end of the brain hemispheres below the parietal bone.  Functions include:  interpretation of sensory input and some control over bodily movement.

The human brain’s  frontal lobe is in front, largest, and most anterior structure of the cerebral hemispheres. Functions include: thinking, speech, problem solving, decision-making, some mood involvement, and some motor (movement) involvement. The frontal lobe is the most cognitive part of our brain and doesn’t fully develop until ages 21-22. It is our frontal lobe that allows us to ask deep questions and to deeply think.

The Neocortex encompasses most of the two brain hemispheres14 along with subcortical brain tissue. The 2-hemispheres make up that convoluted outer tissue of many brain folds. The folds somewhat resemble the wrinkles of a walnut and if the folds were rolled out they would be about the size of a large pizza. The Neocortex is our think- ing cap that contain 4 lobe structures.15 Neocortical brain functions depend on brain structure.