How Do We Know Our Brains Are Different?
Behind the scenes, your brain is reacting to the world in ways you can't see.
The differences between us are deeper than ideas, opinions, or beliefs. We’re learning that the wiring of our brains is part of who we are. Each of us is unique in this way, and understanding these differences is part of understanding our vibes.
How We Know We’re Different
Your brain is physically reacting to everything you do. As I type this sentence, I’m using parts of my brain that control how I move my fingers and think about what word comes next. These reactions are automatic.
For my brain to work, it needs energy. That energy comes from blood flowing to parts that are being used. As I type, blood flows to the part of my brain that controls my movement. As I think about lunch, blood flows to parts of my brain involved in planning and hunger.
The simple idea that blood flows to active parts of the brain is one of the foundations of neuroscience. Measuring these flows is now an essential part of studying the brain and understanding our differences.
How it Works
In the early 1990s, researchers discovered that changes in blood flow in the brain could be detected using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine. They found the MRI could detect when a part of the brain is active or “functioning”. This led to the development of a new use of MRI: functional MRI, or fMRI.
This was a revolution in neuroscience. For the first time, brain function could be measured in real time without breaking the skin.
It works like this… A patient lies in the MRI machine, often with a screen in front of their face. The researcher asks the patient to view photos, solve problems, listen to sounds, and perform other tasks. This creates a cause-and-effect reaction where parts of the brain “light up” as the person completes the tasks, moment by moment.
For the first time, there was a reliable way to see, in real time, how the brain reacts.
Example 1: Do Babies Feel Pain?
For decades, some doctors believed that babies didn’t feel pain in the same way as adults. According to them, infant nervous systems were not as developed and may not require anesthesia for surgeries, for example.
Researchers at Oxford used fMRI to test this idea in 2015. They placed babies and adults in an fMRI machine and scanned their brains while giving them a soft poke on the foot. The fMRI study revealed that babies and adults experience pain in a remarkably similar manner. 18 of the 20 brain regions were activated in both adults and babies. This research led to an increased awareness of the infant experience and how pain management can be utilized in neonatal care.
Example 2: Emotional vs Rational Decision Making
Imagine being in a situation where you have to decide the fate of others. You have two options: to save your mother and not ten strangers, or to save ten strangers and not your mother. This is called a “moral dilemma,” and there is no right answer.
Thanks to fMRI, we know that people think about this dilemma in different ways. Some used the emotional parts of the brain while others used the rational parts of the brain. Culture, upbringing, and life experience all play a role, but some aspects of who we are appear to be innate, shaped by biology and beyond a person’s conscious control. More here.
The next time you disagree with someone, keep this in mind: your brain may be wired differently from theirs. The root of the disagreement might not be a choice, belief, or opinion, but a deep difference in how your minds respond to the same information.
The Vibes Connection
My interest in vibes relates to these deep parts of us, the things that make us who we are, and don’t change easily. We now have evidence that the wiring of our brains is part of what makes us different. Some people naturally tune into emotions more than reason, or sensitivity more than detachment.
We can learn and adapt. We can consciously choose to change. But deep down, our brains are at the wheel, and in some cases, learning about these authentic parts of us can lead to greater understanding of why we are the way we are.