Stroke of insight

[firecat]

This is a talk by a neuroanatomist about what she experienced when she had a stroke. There's an 18 minute video (I didn't watch it) and a transcript. Apparently she also wrote a book about it. The transcript is quite fascinating and beautiful. And/or you might look at it as woo-woo, the way some of the commenters do.

http://blog.ted.com/2008/03/jill_bolte_tayl.php

Comments

[opalmirror.livejournal.com]

Although this is just one person's experience, it is a fascinating read.

[wandra.livejournal.com]

That was interesting.

[betonica.livejournal.com]

Wow. Fascinating.
Now I get why I really like doing artistic or otherwise non-verbal stuff (knitting, drawing, long walks in the woods) that partially disengages that left-brain chatter for a while.
Definitely going to save that link for future reference. Maybe I should teach a class in right-brain / left-brain function. That could be interesting and fun.

[firecat]

I took a class on the brain in college and did a right brain / left brain project (it was an excuse to go through the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, which really works).

RHS of the brain

[betonica.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, that book is great. I was thinking about it when I posted. If I do teach that class, it will be a part of it. Amazing how well you can draw if you get your brain to stop trying to tell you how.

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

As a left-hander, I'm always a bit dubious about the leftbrain/rightbrain thing. I agree it was an interesting experience for her, but I don't trust its reality beyond that, just as I don't trust any other experience like that (including sense of self) beyond that.