Wednesday, July 30, 2008

A Stroke of Luck

My good friend Pedro sent me this video. Anyone who has taken a beginning psychology class knows that the brain's patterns of failure give tremendous insight into how it works (this actually goes for most things, I think). It is fascinating to hear a neuroanatomist, someone with a lot of academic training on how the brain works, describing in great detail the breakdown of her own mental functionality.

The best part is her descriptions of the overwhelming feelings of harmony with the universe she experiences in the course of her stroke manifesting itself, which remind me of my first experience with LSD back in the mid-90's. However you feel about her ideas, it is quite inspiring to hear someone talking about having reached that pinnacle of divine contentment that I believe we all are seeking.

1 comments:

spf said...

So you watched it, eh? I'm glad! Pretty freakin amazing, yeah? I was talking to Mary about it and we worked out that Dr. Taylor's experience and results mirror the Buddha's.

Specifically, the Four Noble Truths:

Suffering exists. => Your left-brain programming exists.

Suffering is caused by attachment (identification) => Suffering is caused by programs in the left-brain that activate the so-called "negative" emotional circuits in the Limbic system et. al.

Suffering can cease => You can deactivate the left-brain circuits at will, once you learn how (it's as easy as those "magic eye" 3D illusions, exactly the same kind of neurological "shift").

There is a way, a vehicle, leading out, the "Eightfold Path" => There are several modern practices (to say nothing of the tried and true ancient ones) that can lead to normal healthy deactivation and de-emphasis of the left-brain "samsara-generating" circuits.