My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey

Taylor, a Harvard-trained brain scientist, experienced a massive stroke when a blood vessel exploded in the left side of her brain. She observed her mind completely deteriorate to the point that she couldn't walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life, all within the space of four brief hours. As the damaged left side of her brain--the rational, grounded, detail- and time-oriented side--swung in and out of function, Taylor alternated between two distinct and opposite realties: the euphoric nirvana of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace; and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized Jill was having a stroke, and enabled her to seek help before she was lost completely.