How it feels to have a stroke

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Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened -- as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding -- she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.

Channel: Science & Technology
Uploaded: March 13, 2008 at 10:44 am
Author: TEDtalksDirector

Length: 00:20:11
Rating: 4.88
Views: 629460

Tags: Jill Bolte Taylor Ted Tedtalks science global issues biology brain consciousness illness

Video Comments:
roachroast24 (January 7, 2009 at 1:01 pm)
god this scared me because for a year or two and still today im paranoid about having a stroke and this made it worse.oh well i guess we all have to die.
SNap15 (January 7, 2009 at 10:06 am)
Damn this sounded better than any acid trip
Bennis83 (January 7, 2009 at 9:20 am)
I am only 25 and have had 2 major strokes already due to lupus/aps in my right hempsphere and I,ve also had one in my left(minor )The one on the left side was after I had gotten the diagnosis and was able to recognize it for what it was, and what she said about the floating and the molecules blending and all seems to match approx. my experience. It's an experience i'd rather be without ofcourse,but saying that she's a performer and that it's an lsd trip is BS unless you've actually had a stroke
glenkarma23 (January 6, 2009 at 6:49 am)
Good insight from another perspective..
As far as I can see - Dr Jill is just relating an experience to us.
There is no hard sell of any belief system
If there is a message then it's
"Stop hating" it really can be that simple.
By the way what is "wrong" with LSD exactly?
Can anyone explain please?
crystallic85 (January 6, 2009 at 6:45 am)
That's AMAZING. This woman is one of the most communicative people I have ever seen in my life. She is at the right place. THANK YOU for sharing this remarkable story!
coconutretriever (January 4, 2009 at 6:21 am)
What she is describing is the alternate reality that is revealed when we perceive ourselves through our right brain hemisphere.This reality is obtainable at will and does not involve 20 years of mediatational practice.
Try an hour in a floatation tank - sensory input is dramatically decreased, which "forces" the left brain to quiet down and allows right brain thought processes to prevail.

Try an hour in a tank and see how great you feel when you emerge!
BfSkinnerPunk (January 4, 2009 at 6:08 am)
This was performance art. That's all. A wee bit of physiological factoids with interpretive dance. Entertainment meant for those who fall for it.
leitermann (January 3, 2009 at 7:34 pm)
magnificent story & performance!
BfSkinnerPunk (January 3, 2009 at 6:53 pm)
This lady is taking GREAT liberties with her interpretations of what happens within our skulls. She is speaking well beyond our current level of understanding in science. She sounds no different than someone naively staring at the clouds and claiming to know the details of cloud formation.
johnnyharpe (January 3, 2009 at 6:11 pm)
This lady is describing LSD, lol. It strips away all delusions, very frightening, but you don't lose the ability to put things together.