No Self, No Problem: How Neuropsychology Is Catching Up to Buddhism

by Chris Niebauer

I will bet that you will not find her responsible at all, and it turns out that your right brain is critical in making this judgment. There is a section of the right brain called the right temporoparietal junction (RTPJ) that does nothing else except to think about other people's perspective. Saxe's research found that the more people can relate to the mind of Grace and understand that from her perspective she was innocent, the more active the RTPJ was. Alternately, when a magnetic pulse was applied to the RTPJ to disrupt its function, subjects were less able to consider the mind of Grace. As it turns out, the RTPJ isn't fully developed in kids, and they have a difficult time seeing things from others' point of view until this area matures. Anyone who has spent time around young children can attest to this, as it's virtually impossible for a two- or three-year-old to relate to the needs of his or her peers when it comes to sharing a coveted toy. Mythologist Joseph Campbell said this about compassion: “When real trouble comes, your humanity is awakened.” Consider that many of us will run into a burning building to save a total stranger without a second thought, which is illogical to the left-brain interpreter. Like it or not, our true self is more compassionate than the left brain can ever admit. Bringing the left brain's desire to be master into balance allows for extraordinary compassion and interconnection with others.