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An inside-out view of a stroke

Ten years ago, neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor suffered a stroke in her brain’s left hemisphere. As someone who studies the brain, she found herself in a unique position to experience and describe what she’d only studied before. Her story is fascinating, compelling, and deeply moving.

Take 18 minutes today to listen to her talk about her stroke at last month’s TED conference [self-playing Flash video]. You’ll be glad you did.

(hat tip, O’Donnellweb)

(I note Dr. Taylor sells her book on Lulu.)

  1. I recommend Amazon as the place to get Jill Bolte Taylor’s book MY STROKE OF INSIGHT because they have a wonderful interview with her on Amazon that offers new content I haven’t seen anywhere else – that link is: http://www.amazon.com/My-Stroke-Insight-Scientists-Personal/dp/0670020745/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211471755&sr=1-2

    The book is an absolutely wonderful journey by a brain scientist who suffered a stroke. She recovered fully, back to teaching at Medical School no less (and she gives great tips on how and what to do to recover from a Stroke or help others recover).

    Dr Taylor also learned to fully be present in the part of the brain/mind where we experience full inner peace and Nirvana. SHe teaches that too, and that’s why everyone should read this book.

    This story is as inspiring as The Last Lecture or Tuesdays with Morrie – and it has a Happy Ending!

  2. I read “My Stroke of Insight” in one sitting – I couldn’t put it down. I laughed. I cried. It was a fantastic book (I heard it’s a NYTimes Bestseller and I can see why!), but I also think it will be the start of a new, transformative Movement! No one wants to have a stroke as Jill Bolte Taylor did, but her experience can teach us all how to live better lives. Her TED.com speech was one of the most incredibly moving, stimulating, wonderful videos I’ve ever seen. Her Oprah Soul Series interviews were fascinating. They should make a movie of her life so everyone sees it. This is the Real Deal and gives me hope for humanity.

  3. Thank you for that. Jill Bolte Taylor’s My Stroke of Insight is one of the most incredible stories I’ve heard in a long time. Her TEDTalk video blew my mind wide open to new possibilities. On the one hand, there’s what she went through and how she emerged from it. On the other hand, there’s what she can teach all of us.
    I saw the 4 part Oprah interview on Oprah dot com Soul Series and I did learn a lot from that, but I’d like to find our more of how to do what Dr. Taylor did, without having a stroke of course!
    Thin how many of us are living too much in the head, and not the heart. And of course, you can’t get more left brain than a Harvard Brain Scientist. Isn’t it ironic that she should be the one to have the stroke and transform from the quintessential left brainer into this “”seen the light”” disciple of finding inner peace?
    I hope this movement keeps going. Maybe there will be My Stroke of Insight classes where we can practice what Jill Bolte Taylor is preaching.

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