Jill Bolte Taylor, My Stroke of Insight
I think, after watching this recollection Taylor has of her stroke I can safely say the answer to the question, "are there multiple versions of us at various times and places," is yes, there are. Taylor describes in immaculate detail the morning of her stroke. The pain she felt in her head, seeing herself in a completely different way, almost as if she was looking down on herself from above. She talked about no longer being able to distinguish her arm and how it blended in with everything around her. She said, "I was an infant in a woman's body."
How amazing it would be to have such an out of body experience such as this one. To lose even the most basic information and still be able to step beyond it and realize how incredible it is.
To answer the question, an example that comes to mind is when Taylor talks about each hemisphere of the brain and the specific function of each. She says "Our right hemisphere is all about this present moment." This is the part of the brain we use to understand, appreciate, and enjoy where we are right now. We aren't thinking about the past or the future, just being where we are. The left hemisphere takes the past and the future and dissects the details of details of events that have occurred or will occur. When you are at a party with friends, you generally won't sit in a corner and mull over every single thing that happened that day; you'll want to be up and enjoying where you are and who you're with. That is one version of you. After the party, you go home. Things are much calmer and the scene isn't so intoxicating. Here is another you. The reflective side of your brain has been switched on and you begin to relive the events of the day. You appreciate the little things that made you smile. Yes, there are multiple versions of ourselves but ultimately, as Taylor says "Right here, right now, we are brothers and sisters on this planes, here to make the world a better place."
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ReplyDeleteThis TED talk was amazing, like seriously it blew my mind. The cliché answer to the question would be inside. In truthiness it comes from how we see our selves like Jill Bolte Taylor says "I am...I am" ranging from how we see each other. We go through this judgment process daily, judging and making observations. For example saying things like "She's pretty" or "He has a nice body" these judgments come in forms of compliments and insults, negative or positive whether you realize you do it or not...it happens. This judgment is not only enforced one another but it is also self inflicted, as we think of ourselves as "fat" , "sexy" or "ugly" we even judge ourselves. Looking in the mirror seeing our reflection staring back at us, we either think negatively or positively about ourselves. This sense changes over time, like our legs get longer and our hair begins to grey, our sense of self grows and ages [for the way we see the world changes as we get older]. There are multiple versions of ourselves at different places and times. A CEO business man would act differently at a Business Brunch where the scene is more formal and professional, than at a Sunday night football party where the atmosphere is more relaxed and calm. We are both separate and tied to the relationships around us for we still engage with the world, yet we are our own person free to act as we please, but we must still follow the rules of society. "Our right hemisphere of the brain unites us and the left side sets me apart." Granted we are all connected in some type of way, we still differ vastly.
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