Jill Bolte Taylor

This TedTalk by Jill Bolte Taylor is a testimony to the power of presuming competence and importance of a nurturing, positive environment when learning.

Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor woke up one morning and realized she was having a massive stroke. Bolte Taylor details her experience as her left brain slipped away and she was left without language, awareness of time. But, instead of being terrified she was intrigued and serene.

As her left brain’s stopped functioning she experienced the wonders of her right brain. She was fully present, connected to everything, thought in pictures, was inundated with sensory information and keenly aware of the energy of others.

Bolte Taylor touches on the role caregiver attitudes and energy played during her recovery. Every caregiver, medical professional and educator should read  My Stroke of Insight, in which she details the importance of positive energy for learning and healing.

Bolte Taylor’s mother placed this sign on the door of her hospital room:

“Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.”

Her recovery took over eight years and Bolte Taylor consciously worked to retain the faculties of her right brain which she experienced because of her stroke.