Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened — as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding — she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.
This is a fascinating and powerful talk. I will warn my normal readership that the content drifts from the interestingly scientific into what some would call… well, I’m not sure what some might call it, but if you don’t consider yourself a spiritual person, you may scoff at Dr. Taylor’s interpretation of her experience.
Still, if I had felt I had achieved Nirvana and lived to tell the tale, I would probably share it in quite the same way.
TED releases this video under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives License. Please download and share this video freely in its entirety.