A Stroke Of Insight
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist, suffered a stroke in 1996. She survived her experience and in a moving online video, she describes her ordeal in detail. She discusses everything she learned about herself, her brain, and the nature of reality itself. Her captivating presentation is all the more powerful because of her scientific background as a neuroanatomist. She discusses the relation of the human brain, and human conciousness as it interacts with physical reality. Her story goes beyond the scientific, and into the spiritual realm of universal conciousness. This video is truly inspiring.
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- 4-17-08
- Bill Machon's blog
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Left vs. Right?
In the TED talk, the neuro anatomist talks about how the right side of the brain gives her that sense of unity and compassion for the world. It should be noted that she supports "increasing" the understanding of that feeling, not wholly discarding what the left brain has to offer.
In recent studies on meditating Buddhist monks, researchers found that focusing on positive emotions took place on the left side of the brain. In tandem with the TED talk, this could suggest that peace and happiness may not be exclusively rooted in unitive or individualist concepts.
It is key to note that while infusing more of the unitive property into our understanding of the world (a world where the unitive property is quite sparse), to not discard or forget that which makes us each diverse, creative, and unique. They must work in tandem, much like the enlightened brain does.
It is a complex relationship between the different portions of the brain (not just left and right), more complex than her short talk can espouse. For more info, research "brain lateralization" in neuroscience literature.
TED Talk