The Brain & Culture: A Symbiotic Relationship
All in Nature is interconnected: all processes are interactive. The brain and the world (which it exists to bring into being for us) are no exceptions to this. Our brains mould the world and the world moulds our brains. Given the capacity for each hemisphere to attend to the world differently, and therefore make some aspects of the world stand forward at the expense of others, different cultures may come to emphasise different ‘takes’ on the world. I will consider some ways in which this has worked itself out historically in the West, and whether seeing this can help us get a new perspective on what we see happening around us in the world today.
Reading Recommendations:
- The Matter With Things – Dr Iain McGilchrist
- The Master and His Emissary – Dr Iain McGilchrist
- Ways of Attending – Dr Iain McGilchrist
About the Speaker:
Dr Iain McGilchrist
Dr Iain McGilchrist is a Psychiatrist and Writer, who lives on the Isle of Skye, off the coast of North West Scotland. He 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 was formerly a Consultant Psychiatrist of the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley NHS Trust in London, where he was Clinical Director of their southern sector Acute Mental Health Services.
Dr McGilchrist has published original research and contributed chapters to books on a wide range of subjects, as well as original articles in papers and journals, including the British Journal of Psychiatry, American Journal of Psychiatry, The Wall Street Journal, The Sunday Telegraph and The Sunday Times. He has taken part in many radio and TV programmes, documentaries, and numerous podcasts, and interviews on YouTube, among them dialogues with Jordan Peterson, David Fuller of Rebel Wisdom, and philosopher Tim Freke. His books include Against Criticism, The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, The Divided Brain and the Search for Meaning, and Ways of Attending. He published his latest book: The Matter With Things, a book of epistemology and metaphysics. You can keep up to date with his work at https://channelmcgilchrist.com
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Next Event:
- Online Conference
- 27/02/2022
Upcoming at TWU
This episode is sponsored by our upcoming Day on Burnout Online Conference, taking place on February 27th, 2022.
Burnout is a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion, affecting 57% of the UK population. If it’s not managed properly, it can lead to feelings of detachment, cynicism, and ineffectiveness – many of the symptoms associated with clinical depression. Recent years have seen sharp increases in those experiencing it, with one survey reporting a 9% increase in 2021, compared with pre-Covid numbers in 2019.
So for this event, we’ve brought together three world-leading experts who will share with you:
— Science-based strategies for working with burnout and compassion fatigue (Françoise Mathieu)
— Dopamine: the secret mechanism underlying almost all addictive behaviour, and how to get it to work for you, rather than against you (Dr Anna Lembke)
— The Productivity Trap: why we have to stop, and how a healthy amount of ‘doing nothing’ can lead to heightened levels of creativity, wellbeing, and a more fulfilling existence (Professor Josh Cohen)
By attending live, you can interact with the speakers in the Q&A sessions, connect with like-minded participants during the conference, get CPD certification and lifetime access to the recordings from the sessions.
You can get a discount on your ticket, if you go to http://bit.ly/burnout-twu, and use the discount code: POD when registering.
