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Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke of insight http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke...

A neuroscientist that suffered from a stroke talked about the experience and the interesting conclusion that came from it.



This is one of those talks you either love or hate. I was surprised to see it was one of the highest rated TED talks (on another site) because for some reason I found it rather irritating.


She's actually describing the archetypal enlightenment experience that many world religions (Buddhism in particular) attempt to convey.

As such trying to put the experience into words is going to be unsatisfying and even absurd. It's vaguely akin to describing the taste of a hamburger to someone who's never eaten beef or bread (or pickles, cheese, etc...). Words cannot suffice.


What I find irritating is that a neuroscientist would be so easily drawn into mysterious, magical thinking about what was going on in her head.

Of course, I suppose I might see things differently if a blood clot turned half of my brain off for a while.


It seems likely that most people would see things differently were they to have her experience. I like the talk, but I understand why some people do not. But I would not say she was "so easily" drawn into mysterious or magical thinking. She was drawn into it by a massive, life-changing medical event that attacked and damaged the organ which creates her mind. I think she's using the only words, metaphors, and ideas she has available to describe what is probably indescribable at base.


I just watched this one a few days ago... probably one of the best TED talks I've seen. It's amazing the way she could remember and understand what she was going through and explain it as she does in this talk.




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