In February, neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor spoke at TED talks (video) firsthand about the experience of having a stroke, from a scientist’s perspective. Providing a detailed summary of general brain function, she then goes on to describe a deeply spiritual experience that occurred when her brain was no longer functioning in the way we are normally used to. The result is a scientifically meaningful account of religious experience, as well as a call to listen to the more open, expansive side of our natures.