My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor

“Everything in my visual world blended together, and with every pixel radiating energy, we all flowed en masse, together as one. It was impossible for me to distinguish the physical boundaries between objects because everything radiated with similar energy. It’s probably comparable to when people take off their glasses or put eye drops into their eyes – the edges become softer.” – Chapter 7, pg. 69

“In this shifted perception, it was impossible for me to perceive either physical or emotional loss because I was not capable of experiencing separation or individuality. Despite my neurological trauma, an unforgettable sense of peace pervaded my entire being and I felt calm.” – Chapter 7, pg. 70

“Recovery is often derailed by hopelessness.” – Chapter 11, pg. 95

“Peace is only a thought away, and all we have to do to access it is silence the voice of our dominating left mind.” – Chapter 13, pg. 111

“Feeling deep inner peace and sharing kindness is always a choice. Forgiving others and forgiving myself is always a choice. Seeing this moment as a perfect moment is always a choice. I’ve often wondered, if it’s a choice, then why would anyone choose anything other than happiness?”
– Chapter 19, pg. 172

“Knowing that I am a part of the cosmic flow makes me feel innately safe and experience my life as heaven on earth. How can I feel vulnerable when I cannot be separated from the greater whole? My left mind thinks of me as a fragile individual capable of losing life. My right mind realizes that the essence of my being has eternal life. Although I may lose these cells and my ability to perceive this three-dimensional world, my energy will merely absorb back into the tranquil sea of euphoria. Knowing this leaves me grateful for the time I have here as well as enthusiastically committed to the well-being of the cells that constitute my life.” – Chapter 19, pg. 160

So those were some of my favorite book quotes from My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor.

Basically, this smart-as-hell Harvard brain scientist has a stroke (irony at its best). A malformed blood vessel ruptures and screws up the part of her brain responsible for discerning the physical boundaries of where our bodies end

and the rest of the world begins (this part is called the orientation-association cortex or OAC). She tries to describe what this feels like, giving the expression ‘at one with the universe’ a whole new meaning. I really like this idea: We are nothing more than our cells, which are nothing more than molecules, which are nothing more than atoms, which all spin with similar energy in this place we call the universe. Our cells actually have to trick us into believing there are boundaries that separate “us” from everything else. In fact, a whole part of our brain is dedicated to this trickery. Who knew! Now my lack of coordination makes sense. I blame my OAC.