On Dec 10, 1996 – A Blood vessel exploded inside the head of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. Dr. Taylor had a stroke.

Sadly that happens to many people. But in Dr. Taylor’s case something unusual occurred.

• Btw…Ted Talk – “My Stroke of Insight” – 8.6 million views

• Jill was a neuro anatomist working as a Harvard university researcher.

• The unusual thing – Dr. Taylor was able to maintain a level of consciousness throughout the ordeal. Here’s how she described what happened.

I lost all ability to process any information – couldn’t’ walk, talk , read, write, recall any of my life . Became an infant in a woman’s brain

I couldn’t define the boundaries of my body … my atoms blended… and left brain was muted.

I became captivated by the energy around me…I felt at one with all the energy that was (lala land)

I felt lighter in my body…all stressors gone…all emotional baggage gone … I was euphoric…

My spirit sailed like a great whale swimming though a great sea.

It took here eight years to recover but she never forgot what it felt like and speaks of that time in wistful terms. And she’s written about it.

• Left brain went off line – linear and methodical, the past and the future – picks out all the details of the collage and projects all our possibilities – thinks in language – this hemisphere says “I am”…. And I am different from everyone and everything else

• Right brain stayed online– this present moment, right here right now, thinks in pictures. I am an energy being connected to everything in the world through our right brain.

She now believes that people could choose to step into the right hemisphere and experience transcendence and find peace.

There’s a part of each of us that drives us to seek meaning, connection and transcendence. Some people call that spirituality.

James Wilder – Christian neuro theologian describes this right brain of each of us as that part of us generates a desire to attach.

- That right brain is what we are born with and function in as our left brains learn all the things like walking and talking…left brain stuff.

- It’s the right brain of a baby attaches to mother – baby cannot distinguish themselves from their mother.

- It’s where we attach similarly with God.

- We can achieve “Mutual mind”

Andrew Newberg MD Eugene d’Aquili MD (duh Qwilly) - Why God Won’t go away: brain science and the biology of belief.

Mystical experience is biologically, observably, and scientifically real. Spiritual experience at its very root is intimately interwoven with human biology. If God does indeed exist, the only place he can manifest his existence would be in the tangled neural pathways and physiological structures of the brain. Newberg and d’Aquilli

There’s a part of each of us that motivates us to seek meaning, connection and transcendence

We are all designed for transcendence and meaning. We are spiritual creatures.

And there is one more thing that is common to every human being regardless of nationality or religion.

We got questions. Big questions. Huge Questions.

1. Is there an ultimate reality – is there a God?

2. Where did the universe come from?

3. Are humans just physical beings, or do we have a soul/spirit?

4. Why are we here?

5. What is good and evil?

6. Why do suffering and evil exist?

7. Is there redemption?

8. What happens after death?

9. Is history moving toward something?

We each have chosen religions that we think best answers those questions.

These questions along with the innate neurological reality residing in our right brains are exactly why all the world’s religions were created.

We are all designed for transcendence and meaning. We are spiritual creatures. Which religion is the right one for me?

Let me take you into a conversation about this very thing.

Setting:

• Jesus is alone by a well having stopped on his journey (disciples had all left him there.)

• Jesus happened to be thirsty…likely had no means to draw the water or hold the water.

• A woman approaches the well. A Samaritan woman. This is important because Samaritans lived by a different religion than Jewish people like Jesus. Similar but very different.

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” John 4:7

The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” John 4:9-10

And with that statement Jesus gave this woman a stroke. Not literally, of course, but he with just a few words forced her to bypass her left brain and think from her right brain. Forced her to think spiritually.

“if you only knew the gift God has for you”

“ I would give you living water” (Zao = alive…breathing, moving, It had deep metaphorical and spiritual meaning)

I could be wrong but I think you can actually hear her swap between brains…

“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. (left brain) Where would you get this living water? John 4:11

And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” John 4:12 (right brain)

And Jesus then shuts the door on her left brain…goes all right brain on her…forces her to think even more spiritually.

Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” “Please, sir, the woman said, give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” John 4:13-15

• “This” Zao - Some say she still didn’t get it… but I think she did…or at least became thirsty for this mystical living water”

Then suddenly Jesus jerks her back to her left brain…

16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.

Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— 18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

She’s not willing to leave this spiritual conversation…she’s intrigued…she asks more questions of transcendence and meaning…

“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” John 4:19-20

Can we talk about our religions?

Jesus says, OK – let’ talk religion.

Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. The time is coming when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4: 21-24

• I could be wrong but I think Jesus is saying real worship of God is both a left brain thing and a right brain thing…truth and spirit

And at this point…maybe she is exasperated and overwhelmed…

The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” John 4:25

And Jesus drops the spiritual bomb.

Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” John 4:26

• I am the answer to all of your existential questions…all 9 of them.

• I am the meaning of all things. I am the portal to transcendence.

• I am the one your right brain longs for.

• I am the attachment to God.

• I am the one who will make you come alive.

Every world religion is trying to find a way into our spiritual being. Every world religion is seeking to answer the big 9 questions.

There’s no getting around it. Christianity pulls no punches. Jesus is the one.

And it repeats many places in the scriptures:

The word became flesh and dwelt among us, John 1:14

I and the father are one, John 10:30

Anyone who has seen me has seen the father. John 14:9

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. Colossians 1: 15

For God and all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, Colossians 1: 19

We are all designed for transcendence and meaning. We are searching, spiritual beings. Is Jesus the answer to our search?

I could be wrong but I can’t think of a more important question.