Stroke of Insight

 If you haven’t seen the video of Jill Bolte Taylor, go here and check it out: Jill Bolte Taylor’s Powerful Stroke of Insight

I highly recommend it. It is almost 19 minutes long but well worth it. Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist, describes what she experienced during a massive stroke. With her intimate knowledge of brain physiology she relates the deterioration of her abilities and senses to parts of her brain as they were damaged from the overflow of blood in the left hemisphere. Even more wonderous is her description of the way her right hemisphere experiences the world.

In the video and in her book, Stroke of Insight, Jill’s description of how she experienced the right side of her brain when so much of left side was incapacitated is remarkable. It shows us that the peace and sense of well-being that most of us spend our life chasing is within us at all times. It confirms quantum physic’s description of all matter as energy and places us as part of the cohesive whole that is the universe. Jill describes the feelings of bliss, perfection, beauty and connection to the “eternal flow” she experienced with her left brain “off line”.

Despite the pure joy her right brain offered, Jill chose to take the challenging journey through recovery in order to share her incredible experience and message with the world. In addition to the message of wonder and hope, Jill’s insights into what helped and harmed her during emergency treatment and recovery offers valuable lessons for medical professionals and caregivers of individuals suffering a brain injury. Broader than that, her message reminds us of the importance of compassion for all individuals and confirms that we have the choice to tap into the right side of our brain to reconnect with the joy and peace at any time.