Understanding Your Left and Right Hemisphere
“The brain is not a machine; it’s a relationship.” - Iain McGilchrist
Whole-Brained Faith
Understanding Your Left and Right Hemisphere
“The brain is not a machine; it’s a relationship.” -Iain McGilchrist
Have you ever been told that you’re left-brained (logical, analytical) or right-brained (creative, emotional)? Maybe you even took a quiz that told you which side you favour. Neuroscience however has moved far beyond that idea. Both hemispheres of your brain are always active - what really matters is how they relate to each other.
Why This Matters for Faith and Everyday Life
Many of us live mostly from the left hemisphere: thinking, analysing, striving to get things right. Faith, however, invites us into a more right-hemisphere posture, relational, embodied, open to mystery. We really are incredibly fearfully and wonderfully made.
Neither side is wrong and both sides have God’s fingerprints all over them. The left brings clarity and order; the right brings connection and wonder. But when we over-rely on one, we lose balance. Wholeness comes when we learn to integrate both-to be whole-brained and whole-hearted.
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.
May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:23
What Happens Under Stress
When life feels overwhelming, our left hemisphere tends to take over, trying to control, fix, or make sense of everything. Meanwhile, the right hemisphere- the part that helps us feel grounded and connected, can go offline, maybe you have felt it?
That’s why embodied practices like deep breathing, movement, prayer, time in nature, and rest are so powerful. They calm the nervous system and reopen communication between both hemispheres, the bridge between logic and love.
This month I recorded a podcast with Perrianne Brownback, where we explored the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Perrianne brings a wonderfully scientific perspective, while also connecting it to faith and everyday life, helping us understand how the brain shapes the way we think, feel, and relate to God and others.
Her work, particularly around noticing how our hemispheres influence our perception, attention, and connection has strongly informed the ideas in this guide. The podcast is currently available exclusively to members of the Faith-Filled Collective, but I’m planning to release it publicly next year.
You can purchase her book ‘Mind The Spirit-A Tale Of Two Hemispheres’ here
This podcast is exclusive to members of The Faith Filled Collective via my monthly subscription, if you are part of that then just keep scrolling for the audio and video links to the conversation as well as an accompanying PDF.