Brief Summary
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard neuroscientist, shares her insights on brain function and mental health, stemming from her research and personal experience with a stroke. The conversation explores the four distinct parts of the brain and how understanding them can lead to better control over thoughts, emotions, and behavior. It emphasizes the importance of balancing the dominance of the left brain with the right brain's capacity for joy and connection.
- Understanding the four parts of the brain can help individuals choose how they want to be in any moment.
- The left brain focuses on logic, analysis, and the individual, while the right brain is about the present moment, connection, and being part of a whole.
- Trauma and addiction reside in the left brain, and healing involves acknowledging and integrating these experiences rather than trying to eliminate them.
- Lifestyle choices like sleep, nutrition, movement, and hydration are crucial for maintaining a healthy brain at the cellular level.
Intro
The host introduces Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard neuroscientist, who will discuss how understanding the brain can transform one's thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Dr. Taylor's research and personal experience with a stroke have given her unique insights into unlocking the potential of every part of the brain. The conversation aims to teach the host and viewers how to consciously choose how they want to be in any moment, effectively manifesting their own mental health.
Understanding Your Brain Will Help Improve Your Life
Dr. Taylor explains her fascination with how the brain creates our perception of reality and emphasizes the wonder of human biology. She believes that most people are too focused on external factors and miss the beauty of their own biological makeup. Understanding the brain cells, their functions, and how to care for them is essential for manifesting mental health. She became interested in the brain due to her brother's schizophrenia diagnosis, which led her to question the differences in people's interpretations of experiences.
Can You Choose What Part of Your Brain to Use?
Dr. Taylor asserts that people constantly choose which part of their brain to use, often without realizing it. She illustrates this with an example of a business call where one might shift from a logical, analytical mindset to a gentler, more open state upon seeing a pet. She explains that the four neuroanatomically structured parts of the brain allow individuals to consciously select who and how they want to be in any given moment, provided they are aware of their choices. However, society's skew towards the left-thinking portion of the brain often leaves the other parts running on automatic.
A Real Brain with a Spinal Cord
The host opens a gift from Dr. Taylor, which is a real human brain with a spinal cord, donated for educational purposes. The brain belonged to a person in their 40s who passed away from brain cancer, though the cancer isn't visible without dissection. Dr. Taylor explains that having both the brain and spinal cord is rare in dissections, but it's important because together they form the central nervous system. The brain is preserved in rubbing alcohol.
The Central Nervous System
Dr. Taylor explains that the brain and spinal cord together form the central nervous system. Nerves exit between the vertebrae of the spinal cord, extending around the body. Vagus nerves also come off the brain stem, reaching down into the abdomen to care for the viscera. She emphasizes that brain health depends on the cells that make up the brain, focusing on how to interact with, care for, and nourish these cells for a healthy, whole-brain life.
The Event That Changed Your Brain Forever
Dr. Taylor recounts waking up on December 10, 1996, experiencing a major hemorrhage in the left half of her brain. She describes a pulsing pain behind her left eye and a sudden feeling of weakness. Light was intense, and she felt detached from her body. She realized every movement was rigid and precise. The sound of water amplified in her brain, disturbing her pons region, which made her realize the gravity of the situation.
When I Realised It Was Life or Death
After realizing the severity of her condition, Dr. Taylor mechanically dressed, still intending to go to work. Her right arm became paralyzed, leading her to recognize she was having a stroke. She then thought about the opportunity to study her own brain from the inside out. She knew she needed help but struggled to communicate due to the hemorrhage affecting the language center in her left brain. She drifted in and out of consciousness, experiencing blissful euphoria in the present moment.
Damage to the Left Side of My Brain: I Couldn't Speak or Remember Anything
Dr. Taylor explains that the stroke in the left side of her brain left her unable to speak or remember anything, including her own identity. She describes waffling between the present moment of blissful euphoria and the realization that she had no sense of self. The hemorrhage was impacting the language area of her brain, making it impossible for her to access numbers or call for help.
The Importance of Having Fun and Being Present
Dr. Taylor emphasizes the importance of being present, noting that joy, love, and laughter reside in the present moment, a state wired into half of our brain. She advocates for whole-brain living, balancing the analytical left brain with the present-focused right brain. She discusses how the left brain's constant chatter can make meditation difficult and how past arguments can take one away from the present moment. She also touches on how the brain is divided into four categories, each resulting in specific skill sets and personalities.
Reaching for Help During the Stroke
Dr. Taylor recounts her struggle to get help after the stroke, explaining that the language and number centers in her left brain were non-functional. She couldn't remember 911 and had to rely on matching shapes on her business card to dial her office number. When she finally made the call, her speech was garbled, sounding like a golden retriever. She reflects on how valuing only the left brain leads to selfishness and a focus on "me and mine."
What Did the Scan Show?
The scan revealed a major hemorrhage in the left half of Dr. Taylor's brain. Two and a half weeks later, a golf ball-sized blood clot was removed. Upon waking, her mother urged her to speak, fearing the loss of her language cells. Dr. Taylor whispered, "I'm better," meaning she felt bright and alive. Despite being unable to walk, talk, read, or write, she was grateful to be alive, which gave her the potential to grow and heal. She emphasizes that mental health depends on the health of brain cells and nurturing them to live a joyful, connected life.
Where Do These 4 Personalities Exist in the Brain?
Dr. Taylor explains the evolution of the mammalian brain, starting with the spinal cord and the formation of the medulla, which controls information processing. The pons and cerebellum contribute to fluidity of movement. The limbic system includes the hippocampus for learning and memory, and the amygdala for threat detection. She notes that every ability is tied to specific brain cells performing that function.
Where Addiction Lives
Dr. Taylor describes the two emotional systems in the brain, one in each hemisphere. The right hemisphere focuses on the present moment and safety, while the left hemisphere has linearity across time and remembers traumatic events. Trauma and addiction reside in the left hemisphere, with the insular cortex being the area where craving lives. She also discusses the two thinking systems, with the right hemisphere being present-focused and the left hemisphere being ego-centered and focused on the individual.
What Are the 4 Personality Types?
Dr. Taylor describes the four personalities associated with different parts of the brain. Character one, associated with the left-thinking brain, is named "Helen" and is focused on facts, details, and fitting into society. Character two, associated with the left emotional brain, is named "Abby" and stores past pain, constantly seeking to protect from new information. Character three is the emotional content of the right hemisphere, playful and immature, focused on the present moment. Character four is the thinking portion of the right brain, representing wisdom gained from knowledge and experience, focused on peace and gratitude.
The Odds of a Single Human Being Born
Dr. Taylor emphasizes the preciousness of life, highlighting the incredible odds that each person had to overcome to be born. She describes the formation of the egg cell during the mother's gestation, the journey through the fallopian tubes, and the multiplication of cells during pregnancy. She emphasizes that humans are mass and energy working together, and this realization should inspire awe and gratitude. She believes that loving and supporting one another is humanity's number one job, leading to growth and a recognition of the need to nurture the planet.
How to Shift Between the 4 Characters
Dr. Taylor introduces glasses that can stimulate different hemispheres of the brain by controlling the light entering the eyes. By blocking light from the lateral portion of the visual field, one can stimulate the opposite hemisphere. She guides the host through an experiment, having him wear the glasses in different configurations and describe how he feels. He reports feeling more focused when stimulating the left hemisphere and more relaxed when stimulating the right hemisphere. She emphasizes that this is due to the anatomy of the brain and the specific cells being stimulated.
Emotions Only Last for 90 Seconds
Dr. Taylor explains that emotions are designed to last only 90 seconds from the moment a thought is triggered. During this time, the brain cycles through a thought, emotion, and physiological loop. Lingering emotions are the result of rethinking the initial thought, restimulating the emotional and physiological responses. She celebrates the capacity for a full range of emotions, including anger and grief, viewing them as essential parts of the human experience.
How to Heal Trauma from the Past
Dr. Taylor explains that healing trauma involves acknowledging and valuing it rather than trying to eliminate it. Trauma serves as important information, alerting one to potential danger. The key is not to let trauma become a lifestyle, dominating one's thoughts and actions. Instead, one should acknowledge its purpose, express gratitude for the information it provides, and then shift energy to other parts of the brain. Character four can self-soothe and hold the trauma, transforming it into a source of strength and advocacy for others.
Lifestyle Choices for a Healthy Brain
Dr. Taylor provides advice on lifestyle choices for maintaining an optimally healthy brain at the cellular level. She emphasizes the importance of sleep for cleaning up waste and refreshing brain cells. She recommends consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, avoiding preservatives and excessive sugar. Movement, hydration, and learning are also crucial. She also notes that alcohol is detrimental to brain cells, causing dehydration and damage. She advises taking responsibility for the energy one brings into a room and living as a whole person to master the moment.
