Today, interesting findings from UT-Dallas and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reveal cultural difference in how our brains are organized and the way they function.
The differences fall in the prefrontal cortex and perceptual areas of
the brain. In Western thinkers, the prefrontal cortex is thicker, and
in Eastern brains the perceptual centers are larger. This means that
when people of different cultures look at this:
They notice and remember different things. Western viewers may look
at the fish (called coy), and Eastern viewers may notice the water
ripples, the light spectacle, and only modestly pay attention to
smaller, individual elements in the scene. It is unclear if these
differences are purely cultural or biological in a more pure measure
(dietary, genetic, environmental) or a mixture of both. Additionally,
this holds some value to those designing for media that reaches
globally, for example, media on the internet.
As a side note: How can we use this kind of thought processing to our advantage in society?
Well, another study showed zen meditation helped people from suffering too much from pain.
It is because exercising the brain tends to thicken areas of the brain
responsible for those tasks. In the case of zen, researchers guess, the
awkward sitting position and the activity of focusing on something else
in zen meditation builds pain tolerance. So, going on a business trip
to the Orient and you need to fit in? Take five minutes a day to look
at photographs and attempt to see the image holistically. Having
trouble being a detail oriented person in fast paced Western society?
Take a moment with single minded focus on a candle flame, or a rose, or
other object. Sit and just take it in, notice the details. Try to
relax, and after five minutes of this exercise a day for a few weeks you
should be a better student, worker, and pain bearer than you were
before. Western or Eastern, meditation sits here to stay.
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