You’ve probably never asked yourself…, How come you don’t bite on your tongue while you are eating? You don’t really think about it, do you? You just eat away at your pizza and take for granted that your tongue is intact once you’re all done. Your ability to move from one place to another without falling over or not chewing on your own tongue while you eat is all thanks to a part of your brain called the parietal lobe.
Your parietal lobe is what’s responsible for the connection between you and your environment. Understanding how this part of the brain works is pretty important.
The more you know about how your parietal lobe works, the better you’ll understand the inherent connection between your mind and your senses.
What Is the Definition of the Parietal Lobe?
Before we dive into how the parietal lobe works, let’s first define what it is.
The parietal lobe is one of the four major lobes of the brain. It sits behind the frontal lobe and above the occipital lobe. It is closely associated with our sense of touch and interpreting bodily sensations.
What Is the Main Function of the Parietal Lobe?
The main function of the parietal lobe is to give consciousness to our body about our body and our surroundings.
You know where your limbs are without looking at them, right? That is a basic example of how it works, giving you some degree of awareness without you really thinking about it.
Want another example in action? Try closing your eyes and walking around your living room. Even with your eyes closed, you roughly know what the distance is between you and the sofa or coffee table.
Found within the parietal lobe is the somatosensory cortex. It is essential for processing touch sensations and identifying the location of where we’re when being touched. It also helps us distinguish between different sensations such as temperature and pain.
Your parietal lobe determines the sensitivity of your body. Not everyone’s sensitivity is the same, however. We each have unique, varying degrees of sensitivity in our bodies.
Functions associated with the parietal lobe
- Interpreting language and words
Giving you the ability to read, write and speak. - Spatial and visual orientation
Responsible for visual-spatial perception, which helps us navigate through our environment. - Touch sensation
Responsible for our body’s perception of touch, temperature, and pain. - Coordinating movement
Gives you an auto ability to identify the location and movement of your body and its separate parts. - Mathematical calculations
The ability to compute and deal with numbers.
Learning is not a spectator sport.
– Jim Kwik, trainer of Mindvalley’s Superbrain Quest
How Can I Improve My Parietal Lobe?
What Jim Kwik means when he says “learning is not a spectator sport,” suggests that there are many ways to improve the functionality of your brain and you have to take action to intentionally put it into practice.
What are some of the best ways to improve the parietal lobe?
Playing chess, reading maps, arranging furniture — even juggling!
The best way to take care of your brain is to exercise it, maintain a healthy life, and keep active. After all, a working brain is a happy brain.
