AN EXCERPT OF THE EXCERPT

The Tee Off: A Stroke… of Good Fortune 

Once, not so long ago, there was a neuroscientist, Jill, who was working in a lab at Harvard Medical School. She experienced a rare and life-altering event that profoundly affected her understanding of the brain and consciousness. In 1996, at the age of 37, she suffered a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain, which left her unable to walk, talk, read, or remember her past.

What made Jill’s experience unique was that she was able to observe her own Consciousness and brain functions during the stroke, and later, recall it. As a scientist, she had a deep understanding of the brain’s inner workings and, as the stroke was underway, she noticed that her Consciousness was progressively shifting, causing her to lose certain of her mental functions. 

As her left hemisphere, responsible for language and detailed thinking, became more and more impaired, Jill’s right hemisphere took over. As it did, she noticed that time seemed to slow down, and her perception of reality changed. Her normal sense of boundaries dissolved, and she felt a profound Unity with the universe. She experienced an incredible sense of clarity and interconnectedness with the world, describing a feeling, a sense of euphoria and a deep connection with everything around her.  It was as if her mind had expanded beyond the limitations imposed by her brain.

Jill’s stroke and subsequent….