Elsevier

Cortex

Volume 41, Issue 5, 2005, Pages 695-704
Cortex

Special Issue: Original Article
The Right Hemisphere and the Dark Side of Consciousness

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0010-9452(08)70286-7Get rights and content

Abstract

Self-awareness and Theory of Mind comprise the main elements of higher-order consciousness. In attempting to localize these abilities, it appears that regions of the right hemisphere including fronto-temporal regions are capable of sustaining a sense of self-awareness. The right hemisphere appears dominant for tasks involving Theory of Mind as well as deception, which may be important for understanding the brain and laterality in terms of evolution. These findings are critical for our understanding of hemispheric differences in terms of higher-order consciousness.

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