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Should discussions about transformative liberation experiences be relegated to the realm of personal conceit?
Jill Bolte Taylor's adroit & momentous presentation draws a great deal of criticism and aspersion from those who relegate her retelling as bringing some modicum of rank spiritualism to TED Talks. They couldn't be more wrong, and their reaction typifies the naive materialist eschewal of anything they might construe as religious. JBT's presentation does not belie a spiritual materialism by any measure.
The salient point here is not that an honest recounting of a harrowing experience serves in defense of artifacts of self and ego, but rather it points the way to the liberation from them.
Even Christopher Hitchens, in his most notoriously antitheistic polemics, pointed out that the noumenal realm deserves to be liberated from the superstitious - from the vainglories of vicarious social position, doctrine & dualistic orthodoxy.
The way forward is not in foisting dialectics into the discussion, but to begin a nuanced examination of how neuroscience's incipient forays into the abeyance of ego, of the illusion of self, can work in concert with the emerging non-dual movements in mindfulness therapy & 4th wave cognitive behaviorism.
Ed Kosak
Mark Meijer 100+
Bud the Oracle
Colleen Steen 500+
Your topic question seems rather confusing to me, and I agree with TED Lover and George.....it depends on how the conversation evolves with each and every individual. In my perception, Jill is simply sharing her personal story, and as a neuroscientist, has the ability to explain her experience on several different levels. I do not perceive her to be advocating any particular way in which her talk "should" be used. There is some criticism of Jill's talk and experience. However, I think if you scroll through the 2000 (or something like that) comments, you will discover more praise and agreement than criticism, as Fritzie points out:>)
Fritzie Reisner 100+
Some people would have prefered a more traditional, scientific exposition, as she is a neuroscientist and scholar. Many shared similar experiences reached through traumatic health incidents, meditation, hallucinagens, and so forth. Some people worried about whether one person's experiences could be construed as revealing something universal.
The bottom line, as I gathered it, is that large numbers of people, whether by accident or through their own experiments and devices, have experienced what sometimes is called 'altered states of consciousness." This has included people from all walks of life and both Eastern and Western.
People who responded, and likely those who didn't, have personal preferences as to whether they describe such experiences to others, with whom they would share their recollections of them, how "real" they conclude their visions were or what they mean, and how they share what happened to them with those with whom they share.
Many people believe scientists or scholars would never have, or admit to having, such experiences. Jill's presentation is just one example that that assumption is not true.
Colleen Steen 500+
Fritzie Reisner 100+
I just took a peek at comments on Jill's talk, and the most recent couple dozen were highly positive. I did not look through them all.
Gail . 50+
george lockwood 20+