It's commonplace to refer to "the left brain" as the rational mind and to "the right brain" as the intuitive mind. Popular psychology tends to position linear reasoning and language to the left hemisphere of the brain whereas processing of visual/audio stimuli and artistic ability appear to be functions of the right hemisphere. It's futile to debate that one side is more important than the other - each plays an important role and to excel in any subject one must value and balance both brain functions - but I love the quote from no less a thinker than Albert Einstein: "The rational mind is a faithful servant, and the intuitive mind is a sacred gift. We have created a society that honors the servant, and has forgotten the gift."

The yogis describe the mind a bit differently. They divide it up into thirds:

Negative mind (protects us), Positive mind (expands our possibilities), and the Neutral mind (provides clarity). This concept adds another facet to the brain's rational and creative functions, the spiritual or moral force we call soul. When the mind is aligned with the soul - the spiritual principle embodied in human beings - each thought originating from the intellect is perceived and acted upon with clarity and reality. And we acquire the power to control our decision-making. As the illustrious Yogi Bhajan observed, "The mind exists as a servant to the soul."

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