Steve Witt sent this to me. Listen to brain scientist Jill Taylor’s 18 minute talk at the 2008 TED conference about what she experienced during her brain hemorrhage and see if it sounds familiar!
She mentions that any of us can ‘choose’ to live free from the mental chatter. I’ve ‘chosen’ this 6 times already today and the chatter continues. What gives Dr. lady?
Strange, since she had no choice in the matter.
I believe she is talking to the YOU that thinks it is separate .
Therefore, there is a YOU that can choose until it is seen that all is ONE.
Choosing happens.
in other words.
use the mind to know the mind to go beyond the mind.
Half of what she described is what most artists experience when drawing people or things.
Betty Edwards’ famous book, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” explains the left/right hemispheres – it came out back in the 70’s.
Artists use the right sides of their brain to see empty spaces as distinct shapes. (Imagine, for example, spaces between tree branches)
The left hemisphere thinks in terms of “symbols”. It has no patience for seeing (and drawing) maticulous details – jagged contours, spaces.
If you want to come close to experiencing the unity she describes without having a stroke, buy that book, do the “seeing” exercises in it, and the world will seem unified.
A last example:
When an artist paints a picture of a woman standing in front of a shipyard, he cannot distinguish between “woman” and “shipyard”. In order to create the illusion of the scene realistically on canvas, the artist must fit them together – lines, spaces, colors – on one plane.
Thanks for the video Cam (and Steve). Seeing that human brain with the spinal cord dangling beneath it somehow added a new dimension to my self inquiry. Where is this “me”?
Recall that the very first thing she said of the “left brain” was that it is the feeling “I am”, the birth of separateness.
All commensurate suffering as so-called individuals is the result.
Leave it to the Niz to put it this plainly and powerfully:
“Immortality is freedom from the feeling ‘I am.’ Yet it is not extinction. On the contrary, it is a state infinitely more real, aware, and happy than you can possibly think of. Only self-consciousness is no more……The death of the mind is the birth of wisdom.”
Freedom from the phantom, the mirage story the left side has built around us all these years.
Who could possibly not want that?
Only one answer: the left side.
love
Mike: I love what you said. That hunk of stuff, and what magical stuff indeed, the stuff of which dreams are made, is so clearly not what we are.
not sure we can “choose” to live solely from the right side of our brain.
in order to draw a person’s face, an artist must access the right side. Pure awareness and witnessing. Drawing purely what he sees. No judgement. Puts you in the NOW.
However, then the artist must step back and ask, “Yeah, but is what I’m drawing a good likeness of Matilda?” That’s the LEFT brain – the logical brain – in action.
To draw a nose is to draw abstract lines – no meaning. Right brain.
But then you need the left brain to ask, “yeah, but does it look like a nose?” The word Nose is a label. Left brain.
While not nearly as hopeful or entertaining, this reminded me a bit of an interesting episode of This American Life that aired several years back and recently re-aired entitled “Testosterone”. One can listen online at http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=220. The particular segment in the episode is the first, “Act One: Life at Zero” in which a man describes his life without desire when he loses his testosterone. It’s only about 7 minutes of the entire episode.
It’s an interesting contrast, I think. We often read that in order to “attain Nirvana” or “become enlightened,” you have to rid yourself of all desire. Here’s a guy who’s lost all desire but his experience is quite different from that of Dr. Taylor’s.
I don’t mean to diminish anything she said or experienced and what I’m going to say may sound terribly conceited, but I was not all that moved by the video. Maybe it’s just where I’m “at” right now, but I’m not interested in a big fireworks display of illuminating insight anymore. I’m just getting accustomed to being ordinary awareness and I don’t think I’m really cut out for much more than that. I’m not interested in scaling the mountain top anymore. I’ve tried that and it just wasn’t for me. Maybe that will change. Right now, I’d agree with Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when she said, “The best things in life are in your own back yard.” Of course, I’m talking as if I actually exist so take what I say with a grain of salt.
Bert…. your experience, do you diminish that too? Like the one you are having right now?
Your experiences and life, no matter what it is that you are doing, is an expression of that non conceptual reality.
They are both in the one. In here we call it non duality – and everything is that. To pick and choose means that there is a picker and a chooser.
Everything is that.
And Jills experience may have been a mind blower that will make her seek unity in the appearance… but at some point. She will see that she is already one, and that seeking oneness in the world is merely an act of duality.
And that should not diminish her experience at all.
Here’s what Annette Nibley, student of John Wheeler has to say:
The Jill Bolte Taylor Video
Many people have sent me the video of Jill Bolte Taylor and asked me to comment. I really don’t have anything to say about it. It’s not related to what I talk about. She is talking about experiences – phenomena – and though she relates a feeling of “nirvana” in being connected to all, it’s still just an experience. Who you really are is before all experience.
It’s tempting and juicy. Brain science is a tempting place to go to look for the “seat” of consciousness, especially when somebody says it’s really pleasurable. But it’s only fancier stuff in the story of the personal self-center. Taylor seems like a good scientist and scholar, but what I’m communicating is so much simpler than all that.
Here’s what she doesn’t ask: WHO is experiencing these different things when parts of the brain are stimulated? Is there really an individual someone there to whom these experiences happen?
Here’s what Annette Nibley, student of John Wheeler has to say on her website:
The Jill Bolte Taylor Video
Many people have sent me the video of Jill Bolte Taylor and asked me to comment. I really don’t have anything to say about it. It’s not related to what I talk about. She is talking about experiences – phenomena – and though she relates a feeling of “nirvana” in being connected to all, it’s still just an experience. Who you really are is before all experience.
It’s tempting and juicy. Brain science is a tempting place to go to look for the “seat” of consciousness, especially when somebody says it’s really pleasurable. But it’s only fancier stuff in the story of the personal self-center. Taylor seems like a good scientist and scholar, but what I’m communicating is so much simpler than all that.
Here’s what she doesn’t ask: WHO is experiencing these different things when parts of the brain are stimulated? Is there really an individual someone there to whom these experiences happen?
Yes. How is the book coming, Steve? Believe it or not there are actually people eagerly waiting to read it. Particulary if you do not mention the work “absolute’ as Cam suggested.
yeah, so much for Eliot and Gilbert!! They were supposed to be taking over. Steve and I have been talking about doing a show for the last few days actually, so perhaps we’ll get our shit together soon!
Since we’re sharing interesting links, here’s a link to a free book online. It’s also for sale on amazon. I’d like to hear people’s thoughts. It’s called: ” The Most Rapid and Direct Means to Eternal Bliss”
Having found no self that is not other, the seeker must find that there is no other that is not self, so that in the absence of both other and self, there may be known the perfect peace, of the presence of absolute absence.
Wei Wu Wei
I hope Steve will be including some of the writings of Wei Wu Wei in his book! Cameron, are you going to be publishing it? Where can we buy it?
I read “My Stroke of Insight” in one sitting – I couldn’t put it down. I laughed. I cried. It was a fantastic book (I heard it’s a NYTimes Bestseller and I can see why!), but I also think it will be the start of a new, transformative Movement! No one wants to have a stroke as Jill Bolte Taylor did, but her experience can teach us all how to live better lives. Her TED.com speech was one of the most incredibly moving, stimulating, wonderful videos I’ve ever seen. Her Oprah Soul Series interviews were fascinating. They should make a movie of her life so everyone sees it. This is the Real Deal and gives me hope for humanity.
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.
33 Comments
Hello,
I have undergone similar kind of experiance 12 years back
while chanting Hare Krishna Mahamantra,scared and discontinued but it was very pleasent experince
Thank you for posting that clip,
she said it so beautiful !
Great video!
She mentions that any of us can ‘choose’ to live free from the mental chatter. I’ve ‘chosen’ this 6 times already today and the chatter continues. What gives Dr. lady?
Strange, since she had no choice in the matter.
thanks for the link,
corey
Thanks for the link posting, excellent video.
We have a scentist confirming WHAT IS.
LOL
But she still thinks there’s a YOU that can choose.
I believe she is talking to the YOU that thinks it is separate .
Therefore, there is a YOU that can choose until it is seen that all is ONE.
Choosing happens.
in other words.
use the mind to know the mind to go beyond the mind.
Cam,
Half of what she described is what most artists experience when drawing people or things.
Betty Edwards’ famous book, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” explains the left/right hemispheres – it came out back in the 70’s.
Artists use the right sides of their brain to see empty spaces as distinct shapes. (Imagine, for example, spaces between tree branches)
The left hemisphere thinks in terms of “symbols”. It has no patience for seeing (and drawing) maticulous details – jagged contours, spaces.
If you want to come close to experiencing the unity she describes without having a stroke, buy that book, do the “seeing” exercises in it, and the world will seem unified.
A last example:
When an artist paints a picture of a woman standing in front of a shipyard, he cannot distinguish between “woman” and “shipyard”. In order to create the illusion of the scene realistically on canvas, the artist must fit them together – lines, spaces, colors – on one plane.
Thanks for the video Cam (and Steve). Seeing that human brain with the spinal cord dangling beneath it somehow added a new dimension to my self inquiry. Where is this “me”?
Recall that the very first thing she said of the “left brain” was that it is the feeling “I am”, the birth of separateness.
All commensurate suffering as so-called individuals is the result.
Leave it to the Niz to put it this plainly and powerfully:
“Immortality is freedom from the feeling ‘I am.’ Yet it is not extinction. On the contrary, it is a state infinitely more real, aware, and happy than you can possibly think of. Only self-consciousness is no more……The death of the mind is the birth of wisdom.”
Freedom from the phantom, the mirage story the left side has built around us all these years.
Who could possibly not want that?
Only one answer: the left side.
love
Mike: I love what you said. That hunk of stuff, and what magical stuff indeed, the stuff of which dreams are made, is so clearly not what we are.
not sure we can “choose” to live solely from the right side of our brain.
in order to draw a person’s face, an artist must access the right side. Pure awareness and witnessing. Drawing purely what he sees. No judgement. Puts you in the NOW.
However, then the artist must step back and ask, “Yeah, but is what I’m drawing a good likeness of Matilda?” That’s the LEFT brain – the logical brain – in action.
To draw a nose is to draw abstract lines – no meaning. Right brain.
But then you need the left brain to ask, “yeah, but does it look like a nose?” The word Nose is a label. Left brain.
The left side or the right side of the brain is a good description but it falls short to describe the undescribable.
The seeing is simply seen.
All thoughts including matter appears on the face of nothingness.
Fascinating and very moving. Thanks, Cam!
While not nearly as hopeful or entertaining, this reminded me a bit of an interesting episode of This American Life that aired several years back and recently re-aired entitled “Testosterone”. One can listen online at http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=220. The particular segment in the episode is the first, “Act One: Life at Zero” in which a man describes his life without desire when he loses his testosterone. It’s only about 7 minutes of the entire episode.
It’s an interesting contrast, I think. We often read that in order to “attain Nirvana” or “become enlightened,” you have to rid yourself of all desire. Here’s a guy who’s lost all desire but his experience is quite different from that of Dr. Taylor’s.
So beautiful….
…it made me cry.
I always suspected that “enlightenment” was simply a defect in brain function.
I don’t mean to diminish anything she said or experienced and what I’m going to say may sound terribly conceited, but I was not all that moved by the video. Maybe it’s just where I’m “at” right now, but I’m not interested in a big fireworks display of illuminating insight anymore. I’m just getting accustomed to being ordinary awareness and I don’t think I’m really cut out for much more than that. I’m not interested in scaling the mountain top anymore. I’ve tried that and it just wasn’t for me. Maybe that will change. Right now, I’d agree with Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when she said, “The best things in life are in your own back yard.” Of course, I’m talking as if I actually exist so take what I say with a grain of salt.
Hey guys,
Byron Katie emailed the woman – Dr. Jill – after seeing her video, and Dr. Jill responded. Seems they’re kindred souls!
Here’s a link to Katie’s website to read their email exchange about The Stroke / The Work!
http://www.byronkatie.com/
Hey guys,
Byron Katie emailed the woman – Dr. Jill – after seeing her video, and Dr. Jill responded. Seems they’re kindred souls!
Here’s a link to Katie’s website to read their email exchange about The Stroke / The Work!
http://www.byronkatie.com/
Bert…. your experience, do you diminish that too? Like the one you are having right now?
Your experiences and life, no matter what it is that you are doing, is an expression of that non conceptual reality.
They are both in the one. In here we call it non duality – and everything is that. To pick and choose means that there is a picker and a chooser.
Everything is that.
And Jills experience may have been a mind blower that will make her seek unity in the appearance… but at some point. She will see that she is already one, and that seeking oneness in the world is merely an act of duality.
And that should not diminish her experience at all.
Here’s what Annette Nibley, student of John Wheeler has to say:
The Jill Bolte Taylor Video
Many people have sent me the video of Jill Bolte Taylor and asked me to comment. I really don’t have anything to say about it. It’s not related to what I talk about. She is talking about experiences – phenomena – and though she relates a feeling of “nirvana” in being connected to all, it’s still just an experience. Who you really are is before all experience.
It’s tempting and juicy. Brain science is a tempting place to go to look for the “seat” of consciousness, especially when somebody says it’s really pleasurable. But it’s only fancier stuff in the story of the personal self-center. Taylor seems like a good scientist and scholar, but what I’m communicating is so much simpler than all that.
Here’s what she doesn’t ask: WHO is experiencing these different things when parts of the brain are stimulated? Is there really an individual someone there to whom these experiences happen?
As always, that’s the key question.
Here’s what Annette Nibley, student of John Wheeler has to say on her website:
The Jill Bolte Taylor Video
Many people have sent me the video of Jill Bolte Taylor and asked me to comment. I really don’t have anything to say about it. It’s not related to what I talk about. She is talking about experiences – phenomena – and though she relates a feeling of “nirvana” in being connected to all, it’s still just an experience. Who you really are is before all experience.
It’s tempting and juicy. Brain science is a tempting place to go to look for the “seat” of consciousness, especially when somebody says it’s really pleasurable. But it’s only fancier stuff in the story of the personal self-center. Taylor seems like a good scientist and scholar, but what I’m communicating is so much simpler than all that.
Here’s what she doesn’t ask: WHO is experiencing these different things when parts of the brain are stimulated? Is there really an individual someone there to whom these experiences happen?
As always, that’s the key question.
How’s Steve’s book going?
Yes. How is the book coming, Steve? Believe it or not there are actually people eagerly waiting to read it. Particulary if you do not mention the work “absolute’ as Cam suggested.
Is the Advaita Show dead again?
How about another round with Cam & Steve?
yeah, so much for Eliot and Gilbert!! They were supposed to be taking over. Steve and I have been talking about doing a show for the last few days actually, so perhaps we’ll get our shit together soon!
Regarding the lack of shows… I’ve floated an idea for a moderated group chat at AdvaitaNow.. you might chime in:
http://groups.google.com/group/AdvaitaNow/browse_thread/thread/ac2dfce4145f9dc4?hl=en
Best,
Gary
I’ve been recommending “My Stroke of Insight†to everyone I know. It’s the best book I’ve read all year! You can get Jill’s book from Amazon for a good discount.
Here’s the link:
http://www.amazon.com/My-Stroke-Insight-Scientists-Personal/dp/0670020745/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210709205&sr=8-4
Since we’re sharing interesting links, here’s a link to a free book online. It’s also for sale on amazon. I’d like to hear people’s thoughts. It’s called: ” The Most Rapid and Direct Means to Eternal Bliss”
http://www.albigen.com/uarelove/most_rapid/contents.aspx
To busy for me
Pull up an arm chair and listen to Jeff Foster http://www.lifewithoutacentre.com
Having found no self that is not other, the seeker must find that there is no other that is not self, so that in the absence of both other and self, there may be known the perfect peace, of the presence of absolute absence.
Wei Wu Wei
I hope Steve will be including some of the writings of Wei Wu Wei in his book! Cameron, are you going to be publishing it? Where can we buy it?
VIRA, I would *love* to publish Steve’s book! I’ll try to lock him down on a deal today.
SNEAKY BASTARD……
love
I read “My Stroke of Insight” in one sitting – I couldn’t put it down. I laughed. I cried. It was a fantastic book (I heard it’s a NYTimes Bestseller and I can see why!), but I also think it will be the start of a new, transformative Movement! No one wants to have a stroke as Jill Bolte Taylor did, but her experience can teach us all how to live better lives. Her TED.com speech was one of the most incredibly moving, stimulating, wonderful videos I’ve ever seen. Her Oprah Soul Series interviews were fascinating. They should make a movie of her life so everyone sees it. This is the Real Deal and gives me hope for humanity.
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.
here’s Jill chatting with Oprah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUNBD4z8RiE
the rest of the show is under the same user that posted this.
enjoy.