This singular anatomical structure, composed entirely of organic compounds and locked for a lifetime in the darkness of the skull, makes possible everything we value about life.

Beyond the bodily and survival concerns of the brainstem, beyond the evaluative and emotional limbic functions, beyond even the perceptual processes of the posterior cortex and the motor functions of the posterior portion of the frontal lobe, we come upon the more abstract and symbolic forms of information flow that seem to set us apart as a specie

Our brains are divided into left and right hemispheres, the former concerning itself with order, structure, logic; the latter with imagination and creativity.

outer and higher cortex—we could call this “vertical integration.” The brain is also divided into two halves, left and right, so neural integration must also involve linking the functions of the two sides of the brain. This could be called “horizontal” or “bilateral integration.”