How it feels to have a stroke

When she was 37 years old, neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor awoke one morning to find that she was having a massive stroke. Being a scientist, she was fascinated by what was happening to her brain, even as she was terrified to feel parts of her body shutting down.

This video is a TED talk she gave in 2008, and it's absolutely riveting stuff, funny one moment and terrifying the next. It's not so much a lecture as a one-woman show, as she walks you through the events of the morning that changed her life forever. The clip is 20 minutes long, so set it aside until you have the time to give it the attention its due. It's wrenching but ultimately inspiring, and I can almost guarantee that you'll cry at some point. (When the guy with the headset walks out and gives her a hug during the standing ovation, I felt an actual wave of relief; I'd wanted to hug her for the last 10 minutes.)



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