1 Hemispheric Asymmetry and REST ‘Thomas H. Budzynski Restricted Environmental StiniTation Technique (REST) has been found to be somewhat difficult to classity in terms of any one theoretical model (SuedFeld, 1980). Yet the usefulness of a given procedure is enhanced by its inclusion within the context oF a mode] that fairly well describes the ' phenomenon. In the last 15 or so years a nodel of the brain based in part | on the work of Roger Sperry and his associates has evolved to the point ; Where one might attenpt to apply it to REST. The Dynamic Hesisphevic Asymetry Medel The early studies of split-brain patients by the Sperry group at Cal Tech showed that the nondoninant (NO) cerebral cortical hemisphere possessed Functions significantly different than the dominant (0) side (Sperry, 1969) These starting observations captured ths imagination of scientists and lay public alike. The left/right or hemispheric asymetry sodel seemingly as applied to every aspect of life by educators, social scientists, psycholagists, religious leaders, and salespeople, to mention but @ few. This widespread uncritical adoption of the "sodel angered certain of the scientific community wha do not enjoy such creative leaps by Taynon. The scientists realized of course that the available data were not so ‘unambiguous as to permit these generalizations. Perhaps too, there was sone fear that the enthusiastic lay pronouncenents actually might prove to be reasonably accurate. In any case a great deal of peer disapproval was levied at those scientists «to supported the left/right brain model. Tt is the writer's persona inpression however, that the basic model, with a few modifications, = of considerable utility in general, and specifically with regard to. the Dhenotenan of REST. Cortical Hemispheric Funct ional Differences Im the 70°s there were many lists of D and NO hemisphere Function characteristics based on the split-brain research, Table 1 is @ partie sting of the 0 and NO functions, It 1s presented here to emphasize surprising differences that have been uncover eras a researchers suggest, such a dichotomy, or dower ut Lateral eats abe 1 Cortical Hestspheric Funct fons Domina Speech Language conpretension (ostract/Conerete) Words Logic Less emotional expression Right side sketetal muscles Tine sense (past, present, future) Sequential Detail oriented Tenporal yt Math, e.9., algebra Convergent Evolutionarsly recent Discrete Objective Focal Directed, plodding Secondary process Narrow arousal Tevel range Known st mT Verbal cormunicat for Facts Conscious (primarily) NaN Voice intonation contours Language comprehension (Concrete Only) Images Intuition Wore esotional expression Left side skeletal muscles Present oriented Parallel Gestalt (whole) oriented spatial Netody, pitch Spatial aspects of math, e-g., geometry Divergent, Evolutionarily older Cont iouous subjective Diffuse Spontaneous, creative Prinary process Wide arousal TeveT range Novel, degraded stimuti Nonverbal communication Faith Facial recognition Hunor 31 NOE or OBE experiences Uunconsefous (primarily)represents only the extrene found in the human se ies. However, the backlash of ‘damnation by anbiguity", or ‘we just don’t know enough yet", should not preclude the offering of a brain lel based on these eifferences 1K very recent review by Joseph (1988) in tact, focused on the Gifferenco in function between D and ND homispheres. This review is authored by a clinician who maintains a private practice nourobehavioral- seuropsychological assessment. One might tend to bel ie that the view From the trenches is reasonably accurate ‘Joseph noted that the right oF ND henisshere appeurs Lo be dominant. In the percent ion and identification of environmental ani! nonverbal sounds; the analysis of geometric and visual space; somesthesis: stervognosis; the nnaintenance of body image: the production of dreans during REM sleeps the perception of aust aspects of musical stimuli: and the conprehension and expression of prosopic, melodic, visual, facial, and verbal emotion. Ke concluded that, it also appears that the right hemisphere maintains a highly developed socfal-enotfonal mental systen and can independently perceive, recall, and act on certain nenories and experiences without the 2id or active reflection of the left, This leads to situations in which the right and left hulves of the brain somatines act in an uncooperative fashion, which given rises to inter-manual and intrapsychic conflict” (1988, p. 620) Me can now sample sore other of the contenparary thinking on this subject, such as, for example, that of the noted brain researcher Efran Taide who notes that, * | surprising anount of clinical dato desonstrates modularity in the cognitive-cerebral system, both funct ona) and structural. Wemispheric specialization probably represents the nost general modular systen in the brain, The UM and RH have sharp anatonieal boundaries and sone apparently sharp functional denarcat ions as wel" (1985, p. 54) Taidel concludes by stating, “The anatomical conectionist models of laterality effects in the normal brain are oversimplified, but heuristically Useful and theoretically ‘Tluninating (1385, p. 60) The language was a 1ittle stronger in 1974 when Nobe Laureate Sir Joho Eceles boldly stated that the minor hemisphere could be regarded as, very superior animal brain, It displays intel igent react ans and priaity earning responses and it has a great mary ski1Ts, particularly in thi spatial and auditory domains, but it gives no conscious experience to the subject. Moreover, there is no evidence that this brain has sone residual consciousness of its own" (1974, 9. 92) Evidence for the in th The idea that the brain functions with both conscious and unconscious processing appears to be making a comeback after being banished for aleost 50 years by behaviorism. Notable quotes by two influential psychologists MMustrate this impression: First, Bryan Welch, chair of the APA Board of Professional Affairs, *] think that the psychodynamic approach and psychoanalysis will experience 2 resurgence’ (1986, p. 5). Moreover, A Eugene Shapira, a forser mexber of the APA Board of Directors, stated, “I think we are going to nove back to more psychodynamic therapy. Behavioral rodification will always have a rule, but it doesn’t answer all the problems" (1386, p. 5) Another indicator of a changing attitude toward brain functioning in general and the unconscious in particular #s the Fascinating book edited by Bowers and Meichenbaun entitled, The Unconscious Reconsidered (1988) in ich the case for unconscious processing is buttressed by, anong other phenomena, subliinal percept ion The dynanic Hemispheric asymmetry (DHA) model, as it 1s defined here, inplies an unconscious factor which say operate on speeded and reversed speech, speech absorption during general anesthesia, and subliminal or wreconscious process. It is suggested that the primary processor for these shenarena is Ube ND hemisphere: Implications from Split-Brain Research The research of psychologist Roger Sperry along with neurosurgcon ‘Joseph Bogen praduced the wost complete body of work ever on the functional characteristics of both cerebral cortical hemispheres. Many other scientists came along to continue the intriguing series of studies. One of then, David Galin, in an article entitled, "Implications for Psychiatry of Left and Right Cerebral Specialization: A Neurophysiolagical Context for Unconscious Process", Tooked at the hypothesis that the ND homisphare was Amdcod the site of the unconscious as Freud described it (1974). His provocative effort helped ignite a renewed interest in psychodynamic process ti th aman brain alin noted that certain aspects of right hemisphere functioning are comravat with the wade of cognition psychoanalysts have termed prisaryprocess, the form of thought that Freud originally cat Ted the unconscious: » 2 5) 4” 5) 5) n The MD hemisphere primarily uses a nonverbal mode of representation, presumably images: visual, tactile, kinesthetic, as well as auditory ‘The ND brain reasons by a nonlinear mode of association rather than by syllogistic logic. Its solutions to probleas are based fon multiple converging determinants rather than a single causal chain, It is much superfor to the D homisphere in part-whoTe relations (i.e., grasping the concept of the whole fron just 2 part) The MD hexisphere is less involved with perception of tine and sequence than the D side Although it does possess vocabulary, words are not organized for Use in propositions. For example, a patient without 2 0 hesisphere may be able to sing a song but cannot use the same words in a sentence Lesions affecting the O hemispiers result in probless of exotional ity and inpulse control, an observation that supports the interpretation that the 0 brain is important to normal inpulse control. Hall, Hall, and Lavoie (1958) suggested that the D nenisphere performs the role of censor in personality controlling and inhibiting the mare Toosely structured ideation fof the ND side of the drain. ‘The 1 hemisphere is sore involved than the D in the mediation of emotion. As Tucker (1981) noted in his extensive roview "The inportance of enotion oF the right henisphere’s cognitive functions suggests the possibility that the right cortical regions may be particularly well connected with subcortical process* (p. 22) GaTin also noticed the coapelling similarity between certain issociative phenonena seen in the split-brain patients and Freud's early model of the mind in which repressed mental contents functioned in a separate realm that was Inaccessible to consciaus recall or verbal interrogation, "functioning according to its own rules, developing and pursuing its ow goals, affecting the viscera and (nsinuating itself in the stream of ongoing behavior" (p. 574) 8) Finally, Galin felt that the two hemispheres sight develop conflicting prograns under certain circumstances, In this event ‘the 0 henisphere would probably inhibit the carrying out of the No vrain’s plan. Potential for conflict Mes in the fact that the D hemisphere uses sylogistic lagic to solve grobless whereas the 1 side relies more on emotional programing as it processes facial expression, body posture, gesture, tone of voice, and past history of enotional experiences in arriving at solutions Is later-Her|spheri¢ Conflict Possible in the Intact arain? Because the D hemisphere is a different sort of computer than the NO and because each operates on slightly different aspects of the inconing and stored data, there exists the possibility that in a given situation the two brains could arrive at two very diverse prograns of action. The neurosurgeon Joseph Bogen suggested that the possession of two independent problen-solving organs increased the chance of a successful solution to a novel situation, but it had the hazard of conflict in the event of different solutions (Bogen and Bogen, 1968) Researchers Dimond and Beaunont (1974) believe that each hemsphere is an information processing system that works its own idiosyncratic: way through the information it receives. At this stage, no facility appears to exist for passing unanalyzed information across to the opposite hemisphere fach therefore, appears to act independently of the other. The process of integrating the products of the work of ach hemisphere presunably occurs at 4 late stage Following the completion of visual analysis, Nichael Gazzaniga, who worked with Sperry in the investigation of the First split-brain patients, feets that conflicts develop because our brains are organized in terms of independent modules, each capable of carrying out activities that test and re-test the beliefs that are maintained by our D brain’s language and cognitive systems. The conflict fs produced by a rental module eliciting a behavior which conflicts with the behavioral tendency of the O brain. Such a sodule can Function independently from the dominant, language-based systen of the O half-brain (1985) Gazzaniga also believes that the ND hesisphere 1s able to set-up the side and Ht dees so in 2 way that Teaves the O brain unconscious of the process, Thugs the ND hemisphere at tines carries out its program without the knowledge of the more conscious brain