Underground Knowledge — A discussion group discussion

Excerpt from GENIUS INTELLIGENCE: Secret Techniques and Technologies to Increase IQ:


While researching geniuses for this book, we were surprised to come across the following fact...

Many of history’s most renowned geniuses – intellectual and artistic giants such as Albert Einstein, Michelangelo, Nikola Tesla and Leonardo da Vinci – were physically ambidextrous (or equally proficient with their right and left hands).

Given that less than 1% of the population are truly ambidextrous, we immediately wondered if that was just a coincidence – or, were these individuals’ ambidexterity somehow crucial to the genius abilities they all had?

Although more research needs to be done and there are some scientists who have hypothesized undesirable traits from being ambidextrous, brain scans have revealed one telling statistic that may explain the seemingly high instance of geniuses in ambidextrous population. Unlike right handers who form approximately 90% of the population, ambidextrous people have almost completely symmetrical brains. Meaning they are naturally in the all-important whole brain state. Right handers, on the other hand, generally have strong left brain dominance.

You’ll recall throughout this book we have referred to whole brain learning being the ideal state for accessing higher intelligences.

So could being ambidextrous be a desired state for those wishing to bring out latent genius abilities?

Digging deeper, we found a Psychology Today article on the history and neuroscience of left-handed, right-handed and ambidextrous people. Published on August 12, 2013, and written by bestselling author and athlete Christopher Bergland, the article surmises that the ultimate state for high intelligence and genius is to create brain symmetry and to be as close as possible to ambidextrous with ones hands.

Another article, published in (e) Science News on October 4, 2013, may also offer some insights. Headlined 'Well-connected hemispheres of Einstein's brain may have sparked his brilliance', the article reports that “The left and right hemispheres of Albert Einstein’s brain were unusually well connected to each other and may have contributed to his brilliance, according to a new study conducted in part by Florida State University evolutionary anthropologist Dean Falk.”

So if Einstein-like interconnectedness of brain hemispheres is the ultimate goal, then it seems being ambidextrous or at least developing some ambidextrous traits may facilitate this brain state.

A few techniques to develop ambidexterity include: write and draw with the wrong hand (i.e. left hand for righties and right hand for lefties); do household tasks with the wrong hand; play musical instruments that involve both hands such as piano, guitar or flute; learn how to juggle.

Leonardo da Vinci was not born ambidextrous. He suffered an injury to his right (good) hand in childhood and forced himself to develop equal proficiency with his left hand. In adulthood he could write or paint equally well with his left or right hands and the theory expressed in this thread is this would have balanced his brain hemispheres...

but..then if that is true...most people can do certain things with their "wrong" hand....

Operative phrase in ambidexterity is equal proficiency with both hands
Most people, if you ask them to throw a ball or paint or write with their non-dominant hand, are much worse

A few techniques to develop ambidexterity include: write and draw with the wrong hand (i.e. left hand for righties and right hand for lefties); do household tasks with the wrong hand; play musical instruments that involve both hands such as piano, guitar or flute; learn how to juggle.


this does not state that you have to be proficient in every way...just that you should be able to some of these things.

"To develop ambidexterity" was what I wrote, you'll notice
Meaning those techniques are the beginnings of an attempt to eventually become ambidextrous (equal proficiency with both hands)

but by being able to simply do one of these things....you'd be ambidextrous...you don't have to be able to do every thing well with both hands.

That's incorrect,Catherine. Being ambidextrous means equal proficiency in all things. Those are suggested techniques to begin on the path of eventually achieving ambidexterity.
Clear now?

so someone who writes with both hands is not ambidextorus?

Feel free to research it independently yourself, Catherine. Remember I am not claiming to have all the answers and also we kinda seem to be going around in circles here a bit ;

circles are good! just kidding....but really...if someone is able to write with both hands...they are considered ambidextrous...likewise, if someone can do some other task...like painting(as your example) they are also ambidextrous.
I don't agree that you have to be able to do any and all things to be considered ambidextrous...I'll check it out...but I'm doubtful.

Catherine wrote: "circles are good! just kidding....but really...if someone is able to write with both hands...they are considered ambidextrous...likewise, if someone can do some other task...like painting(as your ..."

Official meaning of ambidexterity: "Ambidexterity is the state of being EQUALLY ADEPT in the use of both left and right appendages (such as the hands).

Lance wrote: "Catherine wrote: "circles are good! just kidding....but really...if someone is able to write with both hands...they are considered ambidextrous...likewise, if someone can do some other task...like..."

Footnote: I can write with my left hand, but it is but a scrawl...which means I ain't remotely ambidextrous.

Lance wrote: "Catherine wrote: "circles are good! just kidding....but really...if someone is able to write with both hands...they are considered ambidextrous...likewise, if someone can do some other task...like..."

I understand that...but people that can write are ambidextrous whether or not they can paint or play ball, are they not?

Lance wrote: "Lance wrote: "Catherine wrote: "circles are good! just kidding....but really...if someone is able to write with both hands...they are considered ambidextrous...likewise, if someone can do some oth..."

well...if you could write well...you'd be ambidextrous...my point is that you do NOT have to be able to do everything to be ambidextrous...simply being proficient at writing would give you that

ok...so I can juggle, play violin, play a little piano, but I can't write well with my left hand....does that mean I'm ambidextrous? I don't think so!

Catherine wrote: "ok...so I can juggle, play violin, play a little piano, but I can't write well with my left hand....does that mean I'm ambidextrous? I don't think so!"

Probably not. (I'm exhausted now so I think I'll take a nap)...

Lance wrote: "Catherine wrote: "ok...so I can juggle, play violin, play a little piano, but I can't write well with my left hand....does that mean I'm ambidextrous? I don't think so!"

Probably not. (I'm exhaus..."

I wiped you out? :(

Catherine wrote: "Lance wrote: "Catherine wrote: "ok...so I can juggle, play violin, play a little piano, but I can't write well with my left hand....does that mean I'm ambidextrous? I don't think so!"

Probably no..."

Yep...and not for the first time.

Lance wrote: "Catherine wrote: "Lance wrote: "Catherine wrote: "ok...so I can juggle, play violin, play a little piano, but I can't write well with my left hand....does that mean I'm ambidextrous? I don't think..."

aww... :( am I driving you and James to insanity?

Thanks for all your comments, Catherine.
Now looking forward to hearing comments from others in the group.

Returning to the original post - to summarize (in case I didn't state things clearly enough first time around) this is all I was saying:

1. It's an interesting fact that many of the top geniuses in history were ambidextrous (which means able to use both hands equally well).

2. Might this fact have something to do with their genius abilities given that studies have shown those who are ambidextrous have a perfect balance of brain hemispheres?

3. Might there be some way that the average person can somehow achieve that brain synchronization (for whole brain learning) by either becoming ambidextrous or having shades of ambidexterity.

Again, I am not claiming to have any answers here, just asking questions.

Thanks guys.
James

My grandfather on my mother's side was ambidextrous. He was an artist and a tradesman and he could write and paint with both hands. Sometimes he would use both hands at the same time when he was painting. I inherited his ambidexterity but I didn't find out until I injured my right wrist leaving me to use my left hand. I am a logical and spatial person, but I also have a creative side.

Kelly wrote: "My grandfather on my mother's side was ambidextrous. He was an artist and a tradesman and he could write and paint with both hands. Sometimes he would use both hands at the same time when he was pa..."

So you never knew you were ambidextrous until you got injured? That's amazing, but I guess it makes sense. How old were you when you injured your right wrist?

About 12-13

Okay, interesting. I guess we don't know what skills we have until we are stretched by different events in life.

I have an ambidextrous friend, hmmm\

Being ambidextrous means you can write equally. So if you wrote the same word or sentence with both hands they would you would see no dominant hand. They would have similar types of handwriting. My grandfather could paint equally with both hands. If your friend has a clear dominant pitching hand (even if he can pitch with both) then he is not ambidextrous.

I don't believe it is necessary to be ambidextrous. It can be useful, but it does not make it easier to get a job or decide what to buy someone for Christmas.

You can try and make more use of your less dominant hand, but if you want to use more of your brain you should look up what each area does. Then work on small things for a specific area.

Edward wrote: "Not wanting to sound contentious with my good friends, I am still compelled to ask a few questions. When I was a kid I had a friend who loved to play baseball. He was a lefty, and one summer he broke his left arm. He started to throw righty, and by the next year he pitched a no-hitter, half lefty and half righty. However, he was clearly better lefty.

Is this ambidextrous?..."

There's nothing contentious about asking questions or disagreeing with things in this group, Ed.
It's a public discussion forum after all, so don't be shy in speaking your mind!
I agree with Kelly's summary. Being ambidextrous, she'd know more than me obviously.

But I'll add that to qualify as ambidextrous it's about being equally as good with both hands not just being able to use the other hand fairly well. And not only has my current research revealed a high percentage of the world's greatest geniuses in history were ambidextrous (which surprised me given less than 1% of the population are ambidextrous), but also that recent brain scan technologies have revealed that those who are ambidextrous have very balanced brain hemispheres (which has been shown to be the ideal state for super learning).

So does this mean developing ambidextrous or semi-ambidextrous skills (which can be achieved by training) might be one possible way to increase greater connectedness between the left and right brain hemispheres (ala Einstein's brain which was shown to have total brain symmetry)? Some brain researchers believe training the other hand is indeed a way to achieve this. I personally don't know for sure as I'm not a scientist - plus it's still a subject that I'm researching at present.

My instinct tells me there is something to this though.

In fairness, I should also add that some neuroscientists actually believe being ambidextrous is a bad state to be in for intelligence. Such neuroscientists have hypothesized that ambidexterity comes loaded with a lot of brain problems and increased mental challenges.
Then again, great historical ambidextrous figures like Einstein, Michelangelo, Tesla and da Vinci are pretty hard to undermine or ignore...

Edward wrote: "The context of the conversation was that women make better use of both hemispheres. I said that if men wanted to not use half their brain, their loss. I think that traditional male traits are associated with the right. But, don't confuse them. They seem to have enough trouble making use of that.
..."

I think I've read the same about women making better use of both hemispheres - which may explain why we men have trouble multi-tasking!
However, I'm pretty sure you'll find that traditional male traits are left brained (analytical, logical) not right brained (creative, instinctive). So I think you just proved your own theory by confusing the brain hemispheres yourself!

Anyway, there are also a lot of men who have a dominant right brain (especially those in the arts) and many women (like scientists for example) who have dominant left brains. So it ain't entirely a gender thing as most of the population actually have dominant left brains.

interesting! i wasnt born ambidextrous, i was right handed then after age 6 or 7 started using my left hand, then decided for some reason to be equally skilled with both. my handwriting is still crappy with either hand lolz though i write english with my left and japanese with my right. if you were to tie up one of my hands, i'm still equally skilled with the other. i wonder what this really means... lolz

K.P. wrote: "interesting! i wasnt born ambidextrous, i was right handed then after age 6 or 7 started using my left hand, then decided for some reason to be equally skilled with both. my handwriting is still cr..."

It means you're completely messed up, K.P.!
No, just kidding. It probably means you are using more parts of your brain than the average individual and that the two hemispheres in your brain are more connected than most people.
Which is possibly why you joined this group!!

lolz, i am seriously messed up though (like for real). after battling The System(tm) for 20 years, i decided to quiet down and write. i was very vocal and critical of the status quo. it spooks folks when some punk kid spouts stuff about the evils of The Man(tm) and various conspiracies... after drugging into compliance dint work and waking up from my own self destruction (more drugs!), i just lurk and try not to say much (since somehow i find myself in arguments...) i was tested and was told i was genius level, but then again insanity is up there as a close contender... im not about flashing how smart i am (i have grave doubts, leftover conditioning from the power structure not wanting smart brown folks. they tend to kill them off ya know...)
but that is an interesting concept nonetheless...

James Morcan wrote: "K.P. wrote: "interesting! i wasnt born ambidextrous, i was right handed then after age 6 or 7 started using my left hand, then decided for some reason to be equally skilled with both. my handwritin..."

I have just started reading this thread and, whilst I love and have read the Leonardo story, I don't recall any mention of his injury and becoming a left handed painter. I really think the beauty of our brains is that they can adapt to whatever our physical challenges we may have. That must be why people who are dedicated and practice movements with intense discipline eventually can do the things that come naturally to others.

K.P. wrote: "lolz, i am seriously messed up though (like for real)..."

Me too!

Your thoughts reflect mine about smart/successful people of color being attacked.
Not sure if you've studied the history of eugenics, but it's a real eye-opener to see how Western governments have tried to suppress their non-white citizens over the years.
Check out this section of the group called "Eugenics: The racist science" https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

Even though eugenics programs have long since ended, I suspect some of our world leaders and royal families still adhere to the ideology in secret...

Of course, those ignorant people (usually wealthy white people born into privileged circumstances) who do not know the history of eugenics or racist regimes, call any person of color paranoid or else playing "the blame game" whenever they raise such theories...

ooh already on it about eugenics. my dad told me about it (since he never trusted hospitals. The Man(tm) did their nefarious tests there). I really got in knuckle deep after getting the Mosbys medical enclyopaedia tossed at me at 12 for vd class and wondered why the syphillis cases were always black. then it went from there...

Another thing I've noticed, K.P., is that people of color are often much more open to the sorts of theories we discuss in this group. Usually much more open-minded.

Reason for this is probably many have witnessed such crimes against them in their own (minority) communities...They understand it's not just conspiracy theory but rather conspiracy FACT...Purposefully infecting black men with syphilis (the Tuskegee experiment) over decades is a documented fact and Hillary Clinton apologized to African-American communities on behalf the US govt for all those deaths.

But I suspect that's the tip of the iceberg. Some in minority communities have reported their votes not being counted at election time...Or things like new diseases targeting their race specifically...Or the CIA purposefully releasing certain drugs in their communities that turn their youths into drug addicts...

Again, others would call these rumors paranoia, but do those others know their history well enough to comment?

Laureen wrote: "I have just started reading this thread and, whilst I love and have read the Leonardo story, I don't recall any mention of his injury and becoming a left handed painter...."

Here's an essay that may interest you, Laureen:
The handedness of Leonardo da Vinci: a tale of the complexities of lateralisation. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15...

And here's an excerpt from the essay on the subject at hand (no pun intended!): "The handedness of Leonardo da Vinci is controversial. Although there is little doubt that many of his well-attributed drawings were drawn with the left hand, the hatch marks of the shading going downwards from left to right, it is not clear that he was a natural left-hander, there being some suggestion that he may have become left-handed as the result of an injury to his right hand in early adulthood."

I also found this about Da Vinci's ambidexterity: "Leonardo could draw forward with one hand while writing backward with the other, producing a mirror-image script that others found difficult to read—which was exactly the point."

And this on Wikipedia: "Although most artists have a favored hand, some artists use both of their hands for arts such as drawing and sculpturing. It is believed that Leonardo da Vinci utilized both of his hands after an injury to his right hand during his early childhood."

that's why i study history as much as i can, looking for info from all sides not just the victors or agreed upon "established facts". my dad was big on education and knowing history. learn all you can to defeat The Man(tm) and uncover all you can because The Man(tm) will erase and whitewash to cover The Truth. i find history fascinating...

Krishna wrote: "wow! I'm also ambidextrous :)"

I wonder if dinos were ambidextrous?

But on a serious note, does anyone know if animals like say monkeys favor one hand or leg over the other like humans do?
Probably not likely in the case of centipede, I guess!!

K.P. wrote: "that's why i study history as much as i can, looking for info from all sides not just the victors or agreed upon "established facts". my dad was big on education and knowing history. learn all you..."

Your dad sounds like a smart guy.

James Morcan wrote: "Krishna wrote: "wow! I'm also ambidextrous :)"

I wonder if dinos were ambidextrous?

But on a serious note, does anyone know if animals like say monkeys favor one hand or leg over the other like h..."

That's a very interesting observation James. Now all we need is an animal guru, I think. Someone, anyway who has studied animal behaviour closely.

Laureen wrote: " Now all we need is an animal guru, I think. Someone, anyway who has studied animal behaviour closely.
..."

Well, I've studied a lot of animal behaviour in humans...Does that count, Laureen?

Oh, yes James, you would make a great animal guru, I'm sure.

I wouldn't say that being ambidextrous is ideal for developing intelligence but a natural offshoot of having that balanced state of mind (no attempt at suppressing one side of the brain, to the detriment of the other but allowing both to grow independently).

How Does Training Yourself to Be Ambidextrous Affect Your Brain? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/quora/h...

Excerpts:

"One possible benefit is improving communication between our left and right brain hemispheres which might improve creative and abstract thinking.

Einstein is often cited as an example of unusual brain development. He was observed to be right-handed, but his brain hemispheres were nearly symmetrical which is the case in some left-handed and all ambidextrous persons. Other examples are Tesla and DaVinci, both ambidextrous/left-handed and both considered creative geniuses.

Imaging studies show our brain will adapt in shape and size in response to training. Training the non-dominant side is going to help increase the connections on that side and develop and grow the brain in general."

This is such a cool topic. I believe I have some really interesting thoughts to add based on some independent research I've done in the past 10 years. I've been using my right hand since I can remember. I've also been an artist since I can remember. Portraits are my favorite, but since I was 9 or 10 years old, I remember doing an art project in school...writing backwards and upside down...then I got obsessed with it and practiced whenever I had time on my hands (particularly the left one ;)). I'm 32 yrs old today, and I can write equally well with both hands. I fill out forms/applications with my right but I prefer to journal and write notes with my left. Even before I started writing with my left, I had tendencies to do certain things with my left. It gets more interesting....around that same time when I started to practice writing with my left, I decided to become a vegetarian. I just wanted to be different and I was already a bit health conscious so I thought it was the best decision. I lasted 15 years and transitioned into a pescatarian. The diet took a toll on my memory and focus, I was always anxious, and I believe I had ADHD as well even though I was never diagnosed with it. A year after eating fish and other seafood, I felt so much better about myself and life overall. I decided to introduce other meats in my diet and I have never felt better. I take a ton of fish oils and I read a few articles a couple years ago...I can't remember the references exactly, but I basically put 2 and 2 together and I'm positive that fish oils/eating fish/seafood help with motor skills, dexterity. Before I found this out, I had been practicing drawing using both hands and was able to pick up the skill quickly. The component of fish oil which is DHA is the one responsible for improving the speed at which brain cells communicate with each other. I've also done a little research on famous geniuses. If you google any genius you can think of, 9 out of 10 times they were born near or around a body of water like a river or the sea. I figured they diets consisted of lots of fish. I mean consider this, most geniuses lived in Europe and ate the Mediterranean diet. The oldest and healthiest people live in Okinawa, Japan. I believe they all ate/eat fish/seafood. I believe anyone can train themselves to become more creative just by using their less dominant hand. I read on this site....http://mentalfloss.com/article/30667/... that ambidexterity is associated with a gene that has to do with schizophrenia. That's scary. I consider myself weird and quirky and whenever I experience PMS, I guess I get a little taste of what it's like to be schizophrenic, I am quick to anger...it's weird because that was one of the characteristics of ambidextrous people....anyway, I try to stay as grounded as I can with my faith...yes I'm Christian and it keeps me humble. God's given me lots of talents and skills and passions, and I'm still figuring out how I can combine all of them and be a success. My brain is always bombarded with ideas but I have a hard time finishing projects. I believe I'm special in a way that I'm one of those people that make only 1% of the population, that's pretty cool. It would be awesome to see the activity I have between both sides of my brain one day. Here's my Christian blog/websites http://www.godfirstgodalways.tumblr.c... can also watch me drawing Mila Kunis or Ryan Gosling using both hands on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DD3Z...
I'm currently working on a diet I've started to develop for the past year and a half. I've lost 10 pounds in the first week. If you're a female who gets her period regularly, and you're looking to lose weight this year, I am looking for guinea pigs :))......check out my before and after pics......https://starttodayrepeattomorrow.tumb...
I'm glad that I went through what I went through because I wouldn't be this passionate about health today. My goal is to help as many women as I can get their life back through a healthy eating lifestyle.
EMAIL ME: sheelaleigh@gmail.com

By His Grace, Sheela

It is very interesting. My SO is interesting example about a persob who does certain things with left hands and other things with right hand. Is there word for that kind of thing, too? And what could it mean? That if these ambitrxtrous people use their brain sizes equally, then he jumps on one side to an other?

Sheela wrote: "The oldest and healthiest people live in Okinawa, Japan. I believe they all ate/eat fish/seafood...."

A predominantly seafood has a lot of positives going for it, I sense.
Interesting observations all round, Sheela.

Once I gave a talk in a lecture hall, back in the days when chalk and blackboard was the way to go. I stood in the centre of the blackboard and started writing with my left hand until I got to the centre then switched to my right hand. What annoyed me was nobody seemed to notice :-(