Let the left brain tickle the right brain

In a previous post I talked about the rising interest in paper and pen as a replacement/complement to computers and PDAs. The idea was that it is tangible things in a world thats has gone more and more virtual.

Today I found another explanation that could be even better. I stumbled across a webpage called "Abacus and the Right Brain", in there Dr. Toshio Hayashi says:

The left brain is also referred to as the digital brain. It controls reading and writing, calculation, and logical thinking. The right brain is referred to as the analog brain. It controls three-dimensional sense, creativity, and artistic senses. These two work together to allow us to function as humans.

I think that we, by using computers and PDAs, doesn't use the right brain as much. The machines take care of most of the creative stuff. By using paper and pencil for keeping the To Do lists, the Calender and making notes the right brain gets stimulated, and thats why we think it's more fun but can't quite explain why.

This may also be the reason why it is so fun to create Hipster PDAs, personal hPDA clones (like the Zipster) or GTD Templates. Our right brain loves the creativity that goes into it, and the left brain gets its share of logical thinking.

Come to think of it, a understimulated right brain can be the source of the unconscious doodling that I mentioned previously.

So, keep your right brain stimulated by having paper and pencil at hand by the computer! As Dr. Toshio Hayashi says, "These two work together to allow us to function as humans."