Happiness Is In The Left Hemisphere

Contrary to popular belief,  our feelings and sensations are not located in our hearts, but in our brains. Recent studies show that much of our happiness is in the left hemisphere. Every time we feel excited, energetic, positive, and hopeful, the area of ​​our left forebrain that represents the greatest neural activity.

The subject is very interesting. Daniel Goleman spoke about this in an article in the New York Times  , in which he explained that disciplines such as psychology, Buddhism, and spirituality work together to find answers to many people-related questions.

In May 2000, a gratifying and productive meeting was held. The Dalai Lama met the best psychologists and neurologists of that time with only one goal in mind. It was a difficult but practical goal: to learn how to deal with negative emotions in Buddhism. They also wanted to find out what happens in the human brain when a person meditates and focuses on goodness, selflessness and happiness.

The meeting lasted five days and was held in Dharamshala, India. The meeting was very fruitful for one of the scientists, Dr. Richard Davidson. He is the rector of the Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin and the author of The Emotional Life of Your Brain . He left this meeting with the following assumption:

Happiness is located in the left hemisphere

Dr. Davidson is known for his research in affective neuroscience. He repeats one sentence in each of his conferences: the secret of a healthy life is a healthy mind. Today, he is part of the Commonwealth Center at the same university.

In 2008, he focused one of his research on demonstrating the relationship between neuroplasty and meditation techniques. He wanted to see if people who practiced much of their lives had more electrical activity and better concentration.

We can read about his most interesting theories in the book  The emotional life of your brain , published in 2012. In it, he reveals that happiness lies mainly in the left hemisphere.  Let’s dive a little deeper into this idea.

Forebrain block and emotions

Many studies have been done on the mass of billions of nerve terminals inside the skull. When it is said that happiness is located in the left hemisphere of the brain, it is a way of expressing that positive emotions have also developed over time.

• Until recently, for example, people have assumed that sensations and emotions were located in the most primitive area of ​​the brain, also known as the reptile brain. This is where the oldest structures, such as the limbic system, can be found. This part is responsible for regulating all emotional processes.
• However, neuroscience made another observation more than 30 years ago. We already know that emotions are not located exclusively in a deep area of ​​the brain that we call the “limbic system”. In fact, this structure is directly related to the forebrain block, structures that involve more complex thought processes.

Pain, stress and anxiety are located in the right hemisphere

Dr. Richard Davidson already had this in mind. He already knew about the relationship between the limbic system and the forebrain block. After many years of research and some magnetic resonance imaging, something caught his attention:

• Practical images revealed that when we feel anxious, stressed, or depressed, the most active areas of the brain are the circuits that connect to the almond nucleus and the right forebrain.
• The right forebrain is related to the over-vigilance we experience when we are very stressed.

Left hemisphere and positive emotions

Happiness is located in the left hemisphere of the brain, or more precisely in the left forebrain. When we feel calm, optimistic, relaxed, and hopeful, the right brain block begins to show less activity due to the intensity of neural activity going to the opposite brain block. This is a very important and striking fact that neuroscience has proven.

If happiness is in the left hemisphere, how can we stimulate this area?

Dr. Davidson came up with the idea that in order to shape our brain activity, the best thing we can do is improve our thoughts and overall mental activity. This is something that the cognitive behavioral approach ensures, as it is widely used to treat anxiety, depression, phobias, and stress.

Likewise, if happiness is located in the left brain block and you want to “calm down” the overactivity of the right forebrain, we recommend that you practice the following dimensions:

• Meditation
• Friendliness
• Altruism
• Give yourself time to rest
• Cultivate your friendships
• Keep goals in mind (stay motivated)
• Be excited
• Be positive and hopeful

Regardless of where certain processes, quality, or competencies are located, there is one aspect that we must always keep in mind. No one can modify or optimize our mental activity except ourselves. We ourselves should want to live a happier, more flexible and open life. We should give ourselves the opportunity to solve the authentic neurological basis of happiness.