TOW #20- My Stroke of Insight

            Oftentimes, we hear people describe themselves as strictly “right-brained” or “left-brained.” Right brain thinking is non-verbal and intuitive while left brain is verbal and analytical. Although we may identify with one hemisphere of the brain more than the other, they work together in our everyday lives to process information. Chronicled in Jill Bolte Taylor’s discovery and enlightenment in My Stroke of Insight, there is great importance in having a balanced brain.

            In 1996, when Taylor was a thirty-seven year old Harvard-trained brain scientist, she experienced a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. As she observed her mind deteriorate, Taylor alternated between the euphoria of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace, and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized she was having a stroke and enabled her to seek help before she was completely lost. Taylor’s stroke was a blessing and a revelation for her. It taught her that by "stepping to the right" of our left brains, we can uncover feelings of well-being that are often sidelined by "brain chatter."

            The right and left sides of the brain focus on different skills which, when combined, enable individuals to be rational and spontaneous, analytical and creative. It wasn’t until experiencing the stroke that Taylor’s consciousness shifted and found deep inner peace. This was an eye-opening experience for her because it was the first time that she was really able to see the power of the right hemisphere. She came to the realization that the two sides must be balanced in order to maximize our quality of life, believing that “the more time we spend running the deep inner peace circuitry of our right brain, then the more peace we will project into the world, and ultimately the more peace we will have on the planet.”