The Brain as Peacemaker (In the 21St. Century)Das Gehirn Als Friedensstifer after the, March For Science’ 2017

Insights of Nobel laureates in brain research like Roger Sperry or John Eccles are considered here in their pursuit of a peaceful sustainable education. ‘Weltentöchter’, daughters of the world, “New Frontiers in Science” projects, ‘The little Prince and the Magic Flute’, supported by children, respect not only potentials of the dominant but also of the sub-dominant hemisphere of our brain. They are based on a harmonious cooperation of our cerebral hemispheres to resolve problems, for ‘Life is problem solving’ (Popper). Weltentöchter encourage to preserve life’s beauty, grace and dignity, its values and deeper meaning. They are inspired by role models and Pau Casals ‘song of the birds’ in front of the United Nations, which helps to understand the impact of peaceful science, art and music on the human brain.

For this purpose the author refers as adviser of the research performance Weltentöchter to the split-brain researches of Roger Sperry, which seem to confirm Ute Frevert’s, Tania Singer’s and Richard Davidson’s research on emotion and empathy in our history, inspiring Welten-töchter. They also use neglected potentials of the subdominant sphere of the brain, which helps them on the way to more beauty, wisdom and peace, feeling deep in their heart love, care and responsibility for all living beings. (Translations into English come from the author). The split-brain experiments of Nobel laureate Roger Sperry influenced Nobel laureate John Eccles in his research and Nobel laureate Manfred Eigen was paying homage to them in his article “Mozart oder unser Unvermögen, das Genie z u begreifen“ (‘Mozart or our inability to understand the genius’ ) in his book, Jenseits von Ideologien und Wunschdenken’ (‘Beyond ideologies and wishful thinking’ ). The localisation of the different capacities of both hemis-pheres of the human brain, according to Sperry’s split-brain researches, was summarized by Eccles. Eigen uses Eccles overview in his book, translated from German by the author:

In, Naturwissenschaft und Wertentscheidung’ (Science and Moral Priority) Sperry writes, translated from German by the author (Table 1).

Table 1

“Returning to our main concern, the impact of a creeping materialism in the Neuro- and Behaviour Sciences as well as elsewhere, we can say summarizingly, that we have today an objective model of explanation of the brain function, that does not deny or degrade humanistic values, ideals and the meaning of the human endeavour but rather confirms them” (Figure 1).

Figure 1: The “Weltentöchter“ Charis Nass and Jennifer Münch after visiting the Bibelhaus Museum Frankfurt, 28th of November..2016.

The “Weltentöchter“ Charis Nass and Jennifer Münch after visiting the Bibelhaus Museum Frankfurt, 28th of nov..2016.

“For all, who are waiting for a message to take along, we have a simple and natural one, which is equally valid for the researchers in natural science as in the humanities: Never underestimate the power of an ideal.” For Prof. Preiser, head of the Psychological University Berlin, the Corpus callosum, the anatomical and functional connection of the brain hemispheres, is “prompting us to act with humanitarian and social responsibility.” He confirms our view.

The ideal of Weltentöcher, presented on the 1st of June and 2nd of June 2017 in Frankfurt, Landungsbrücken, seems to be to related to the two hemispheres of the human brain to create more peace, grace, beauty and harmony encouraging an education for peace. In their work the innate genius of every human being is supported through a harmonious cooperation of both hemispheres of the human brain in the individual development of the personality. Role models like Cassandra, Antigone, Jeanne d’Arc, Alexandra David Neel, Bertha von Suttner, Jane Goodall, the muses, the graces and the beauty of our earth, called our mother by Pope Francis, are reinforcing them. So they see in all living beings, needing support or help, brothers and sisters close to Whitman, praising dignity and democracy of the United States due to religion. Preparing and initiating interdisciplinary “New Frontiers in Science” events in the beginning 21st century with leading internationally respected researchers in Munich, the former Capital of the Nazi-movement, the author felt reinforced by the anti-Nazi-movement Die Weiße Rose. This helped him to motivate the Nobel laureates Werner Arber, Richard Ernst, Robert Huber and Wolfgang Ketterle to hold lectures in “New Frontiers in Science” events like the DAAD Summer-Academy “New Frontiers in Science”, www.ehims.de, or the IMPRS Interdisciplinary Symposium “New Frontiers in Science”. Die Weiße Rose is the name of the student movement in Munich for peace during the Nazi regime. Sophie and Hans Scholl and friends were members of Die Weiße Rose as well as their mentor Prof. Kurt Huber, who wrote the book

Figure 2: The “Weltentöchter“ Charis Nass and Jennifer Münch after visiting the Bibelhaus Museum Frankfurt, 28th of November..2016.

“Leibniz the philosopher of the universal harmony” before he was murdered by the Nazi regime. Prof. Huber wanted to recall good Germans into the memory of future generations. Die Weiße Rose and Kants writings on perpetual peace can be considered as source of peace, likewise Albert Schweitzer’s and Goethe’s reverence for life, culture and poetry, incl..that of Iran, in‘ West-Eastern Divan’ and Ibn Rushd-Goethe Moschee (Figure 2).

To support healing potentials of the human language, considered as creative energy in honor of Wilhelm v. Humboldt, approaches of logo therapy of Prof. Viktor Frankl, who survived concentration camps of the Nazi regime, are recommended here to the Weltentöchter. The neurologist Viktor Frankl was honoured 2015 by the foundation of the first Viktor Frankl Museum in Vienna.

One of the most important brain researchers of our time, Nobel laureate Eric Kandel, supported the international movement in favour of Viktor Frankl’s therapeutic work and the neurologist Roger Walsh is referring to Frankl in his book Staying Alive. Linus Pauling, Nobel laureate of chemistry and peace, wrote in his preface of this book, that our survival may depend on our cooperation to resolve the problems of the world and recommended this book. The collage of Ch. Nass, written with stones ‘Be gentle’ recalls the Gentleman Ideal within us. ‘Edel sei der Mensch, hilfreich und gut’, ‘Man be noble, helpful and good’ Goethe, (Thomas Mann wanted Goethe’s view to be completed by Walt Whitman’s view. See also the film ‘Dead Poets Society’, Gerty Spies, Boris Cyrulnik, Sonia & Daniel Levitin. Raum der Stille, Berlin.