Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist in the Indiana University School of Medicine’s Kinesiology department, gives an emotional, informed, absolutely fascinating talk on how she studied her own (surprisingly euphoric) stroke as it was happening. The Harvard-trained professor explains how it changed her understanding of her life and her field.
The whole talk is fantastic, but if you’re pressed for time you can skip ahead to around 6:30.
“and then i realized what a tremendous gift this experience could be, what a stroke of insight this could be to how we live our lives. And it motivated me to recover.”
Her talk was delivered at the annual TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference, which aims to bring together “the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).” She has received widespread publicity for her remarkable lecture.
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7 responses so far ↓
1 NAT // Mar 13, 2008 at 5:21 pm
It is fascinating to hear survivors stories and (working in hospital setting) seeing their motivation to recover… and all their improvements. We can definitely learn from their courage.
Share this with your friends and family. Knowing and understanding stroke signs could save them.
2 SDC // Mar 13, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Thanks very much for sharing this; I’ve had 4 strokes (thankfully none of them as bad as the speaker’s, and only 2 of which I recognized as a stroke). However, I could definitely recognize parts of my own experiences in her presentation; the feeling of looking at my own arm and not being sure if it was part of me or part of my surroundings was bizarre in the extreme.
3 Rawda // Mar 13, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Wow. This was the most interesting and touching 18:21 minutes I’ve had in a long, long time… It’s important for us to know this to inform others or maybe simply to get the picture and “get into the brain” of those who go through it.
I really hope this experience has helped Dr. Bolte Taylor in her research.
SDC, I’m so happy your survived your strokes. I don’t know what it’s like to not be sure whether a part of your body is really a part of you or your surroundings, but I know what’s it’s like to sometimes wish that an organ doesn’t belong to you in moments of extreme pain.
May you have happy, healthy, long lives.
4 Jean Robinson // Apr 6, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I loved the speech. I have also had 4 strokes. I was not aware of the strokes until I had an MR last year. I knew I had been experiencing vision problems, but I was told by an opthomologist
that I had macular degeneration. I saw a specialist in macular degeneration and he told me I didn’t show any signs of that. He did a field of vision test and realized that I had suffered a stroke. I had no vision with either eye in the Iright upper quadranof my right eye. I had 4 strokes all together. I was found to have a clotting factor problem. I now take coumadin and am able to work as an RN with no disabilities. I am so thankful to God for my good health and that am able to work.I appreciated your lecture.
5 sancho23 // Apr 18, 2008 at 12:02 am
Her description is very similar in many ways to aspects of the psychedelic experience. The effects upon the language centers of the brain caused by psychedelics I don’t know have been thoroughly studied, but it is a common theme for people “coming back” from a trip to explain the experience in very limited, albeit emotionally and mentally dense, language such as “wow” “far out” “amazing”. Also, the experience she described as nirvana and the light and all of that universal perception of being is another notable aspect of psychedelic encounters. Not many people come off of a trip thinking anything less than the possibility of world peace if only more people were to have the same experience, another corollary to her talk. . .
6 Airykah // Jun 2, 2008 at 11:32 am
The New York Times Sunday Newspaper on May 25 had a great two page article on Jill Bolte Taylor and her book, “MY STROKE OF INSIGHT”. Her book is a must read and this NY Times article - called “A Superhighway to bliss” is worth checking out too.
7 Beth Grimes // Jul 3, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Fascinating account! Thank you. I have had at least two TIAs plus an event I believe may have been a stroke, although the doctors never gave it that designation. Became delusional and had to be hospital for 4 days. Sorry to say my experience was not like yours. It was confusing and frightening, but then it probably affected a different part of my brain.
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