Whole Brain Living Review
Whole Brain Living Review. Whole Brain Living is Jill Bolte’s latest book, written since Jills TED TALK video that took us through the day she was experiencing a major let brain stroke. The story of the minute-by-minute happening, from her inside her mind thoughts the day of her stroke. Her TED Talk, Stroke of Genius is the top -watched TED Talk ever. Viewed 27.9 MILLION times.
Both her TED Talk and Whole Brain Living drastically change what we humans have taught and believed about our brain, mind, and human psychology. They are truly a game-changing, paradigm shift thinking of the human brain, mind, and consciousness.
I have studied philosophy, metaphysics, and science for forty years. From Taoism. to Hinduism and from ancient mystics to Carl Jung. To me, Whole Brain Living is a first-time-ever actual experience-based explanation versus philosophical-based theories.
If you seek peace. If you seek Joy. If you seek Nirvana on earth you will enjoy and be fulfilled by immersing yourself in “Whole Brain Living”. I also highly recommend her first book “Stroke of Insight”.
Whole Brain Living Review
This year I had three strokes. Somewhat ironically while deep in my left brain Type A personality producing my own TEDx live event for 2021. With the first stroke, my left side thinking area brain was destroyed. From these strokes, [ three in a time period of three months] I experienced, and still experience today, many of the same right and left brain experiences Jill writes about.
When I experienced each stroke I had no pain. But in an instant, I was changed.
Stephen Monahan
Although I lost sight in one eye, lost my speech, and had memory gaps, But, I was still alive. I could still walk. Considering all the trauma to my brain and body I oddly was not down. I was feeling joyful, serene, and unbelievably blessed.
With the calming of my usual incessant Type A mind I was in a serene peace beyond words. With my thinking brain partially shut down, my physical sense of my body started to feel strangely erased at the edges, however. My body became somewhat light and vague. I could dream while totally awake. The “I AM” ego aspect of me was still conscious, aware, and alive. Most of my circuits were shorted yet I felt calm and serene experiencing an awakened sense of wonder and awe.
I have been an avid seeker of knowledge so since my stroke, I have been reading to learn and understand what happened to me and how to hopefully remake myself. In my search, I came across and read both of Jill Bolte’s amazing books. Her new book, Whole Brain Living is a wonderful and insightful read. It is an inspiring, upbeat, and easy to grasp guide for everyone, who has had a major stroke, or who is on a path of self-improvement. Whether we know it or not we humans naturally search for happiness and joy and an end to unhappiness or suffering. To find meaning, and purpose in our lives and perhaps find the way to Nirvana on earth. We all seek to get back home.
Totally confused at the time of my stroke, and in the months since I did not understand or know what was happening to me. Secretly I thought I was going mad or having an emotional breakdown. Fifteen years earlier I had open heart surgery and also the removal of the outside of my heart. While the 12 hours of surgery was difficult, life threatening, and took time to heal I knew what to expect and just pushed through it all. A physical operation is common and we pretty much know what to expect and the prognosis for healing and eventual return to normalcy.
But nothing prepares us for the loss of our thinking brain and mind. On the outside people see us as healed or normal. But in the inside of our head, brain and mind we are totally confused, uncertain, and somewhat lost on our own. As an example, I dreaded going to sleep at night. Most every night I was trapped in a constant dream of being lost in an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar people and no way to get home. Yet in the morning I would wake up with joy in my heart, peace in my mind, and a love for life stronger than I had ever experienced before the stroke.
Every morning I now step outside, do simple yoga stretches, talk to the birds, touch the flowers, and stroke the leaves, thanking them for being alive, greeting me, and being with me on this beautiful morning.
Steven Monahan
After watching Jills TED Talk and then reading her story of what she experienced and what happens to some people with a left-brain stroke I now understand what was happening to my mind and brain. But, while I was living this nightmare I had no words to explain it. But now I have them. My stroke has been a priceless gift. A gift of life. A gift of awakening, joy, and understanding.
Eckhard Tolle shares in his best-selling book, “The Power of Now”, shares that “the secret to life is to die before you die” Years ago when I read that line I did not rationally understand how that could happen. Now since experiencing the quieting of my left brain and the full opening up of my right brain Nirvana brain I do! The right expansive, collective, holistic, and all-understanding right brain, knows what the constricted, rational, closed-loop, linear thinking left brain does not know, and cannot even comprehend. When I experienced each stroke I had no pain. But in an instant, I was changed.
With a calm balance and love for our gift of conscious mind and two brains, we can go back and forth from Nirvana to earth by a mere shift of thought.
Steven Monahan
As I heal my left thinking brain gets denser, heavier, and active again I become more in the world. Frankly, I prefer my new right brain, and consciously use my left brain only to navigate this earthly plane. However with an intention, then slowing of the waves of my mind by deep meditation and a letting go I can still reach that Nirvana Place in my now opened right brain again. With a calm balance and love for our gifts of mind, we can go back and forth from Nirvana to earth by thought.
Nirvana is a place of perfect peace and happiness, perhaps like heaven. In Hinduism and Buddhism, Nirvana is the highest state that someone can attain. In that state or plane of consciousness, our material desires and suffering go away. And we are in a realm of peace, joy, wonder, and awe.
We can stay there for a while, still in this body, but we must renter our left brain-mind to accomplish things, and to feel the ups and downs and in this current life. But Nirvana is always here, accessible at any moment. All we have to do is calm our left brain and surrender our ego. Remember: “Nirvana is only just a thought away”.
Both of our brains have their purpose. Both are miracles and in this physical realm, both are to be lived through and loved.
link to Jill Bolte’s amazing Book.
I have no affiliation with Amazon or with Jill Bolte. We just love her Joy and love for humanity.