left brain

Hey, is it becoming a fad, or a useful tool in psychotherapy, or both? Perhaps both. That may be the conclusion of the article, Lotus Therapy, linked from the front page of the NYT this morning. Mindfulness Meditation is catching on in a big way all over the planet, so why not shorten it to MindfulMed?

I keep trying it from time to time but that’s probably not enough. Oh, if I only had a brain! But that’s the idea: don’t have one, get rid of that left brain. Easier said than done, and how can I get anything done if I do? Well, again, that’s the idea: stop DOING things. Naw, that’s not it either. Too much analysis and not enough doing IT. OK, ten minutes a day for a start? If I can remember…..

Here’s Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, Harvard-trained neuroanatomist, giving a recent TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) talk on her experience with half a brain. Her left brain was erased in a stroke, which she eventually recovered from. (Minds Erased, take note!) What’s amazing is her out-of-body experience of Nirvana when her left brain is shut down and her right brain alone experiences the world. Great and profound talk.

The New York Times has an article on her by Leslie Kaufman, the most popular article today, called A Superhighway to Bliss.