Left and Right Hemispheres - Story of a Brain Scientist's Stroke Experience

A friend of mine shared a link to this 18 minute video clip of brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor, in which she describes her experience of a stroke that allowed her to study her own brain from the inside out. As I watched this video, I felt joy and hope, as my needs for meaning, understanding, inspiration, authenticity, and connection were met.

She describes her experience as her Left brain went dormant due to the stroke, and how her experience of reality changed as she lived solely in her Right brain.

She describes the Right brain as a "Parallel Processor", which builds a collage of pictures of the present moment, and how she experienced herself and everything around her as energy. (I find it helpful to call this side of the brain the symbolic "heart").

She describes the Left brain as a "Serial Processor" in which linear thought takes place, worrying about the past and the future. The Left brain picks out details and details and details about the world, then categorizes, organizes, and associates them with each other. The Left brain thinks through language, and thinks of itself as separate from others and the world. (I find it helpful to call this side of the brain the "mind". This is the place where judgment, criticism, evaluations, and "jackal thoughts" come from).

I was excited to hear her confirm that I have the ability to choose the hemisphere, and that we all have this freedom to choose the side of the brain that will dominate our experience of life and how we relate to each other. She challenges us to discern which hemisphere we choose to live by.

I encourage you to view the video and to comment on your experience or any insights that were stimulated by it.