Woman Missing Large Part of Brain Ranks 98th Percentile in Speech
A recent study sheds light on the remarkable case of a woman who grew up without a key part of her brain and was barely affected by it.
In the endless search to understand the workings of the human mind, scientists take special interest in cases of the most unique brains. The most recent and fascinating is that of a woman known as EG (to protect her privacy.)
Now in her fifties, EG first learned her brain was atypical in her twenties when she had it scanned for an unrelated reason. She was told then that she had been missing her left temporal lobe from infancy, which was most likely the result of an early stroke. This part of the brain is thought to be involved with language processing, which makes EG’s story so extraordinary.
Despite being repeatedly told by doctors that she should have major cognitive deficits and neurological issues, EG has a graduate degree, has enjoyed an impressive career, and speaks Russian as a second language.
Several years ago, EG met Dr. Evelina Fedorenko, a cognitive neuroscientist at M.I.T. who studies language. Fedorenko was immediately fascinated by EG’s case and conducted a number of studies, the first of which was recently published in the journal Psychologia.
As part of the study, EG took a vocabulary test and scored in the 98th percentile. Brain imaging revealed that, in the absence of EG’s left temporal lobe, the task of language processing seems to have shifted over to her right hemisphere.
Ella Striem-Amit, a cognitive neuroscientist at Georgetown University told WIRED, “The remarkable thing about this patient and other such patients who were missing large chunks of their language system at birth, is how well they compensate.”
For EG, the study has been a welcome validation, after decades of being made to feel defective.
As she wrote in the published paper: “Please do not call my brain abnormal, my brain is atypical. If not for accidentally finding these differences, no one would pick me out of a crowd as likely to have these, or any other differences, that make me unique.”
Fedorenko’s team plans to conduct several more studies on EG and expects to come away with an even richer understanding of the brain’s seemingly limitless potential for flexibility and adaptation.
EG said she hopes, “it will also take some stigma away from atypical brains.”
How to Access Your Subconscious Mind in 4 Steps
“Logic can take you from point A to point B, but imagination can take you anywhere.” – Albert Einstein
How to Access your Subconscious Mind?
Exercise: Access your Subconscious Mind in 4 Steps
- Relax
Relaxation is challenging for many of us, but it’s the gateway to opening and moving deeper within ourselves. Find a place where you won’t be disturbed. Sit or lie down in a comfortable place. If you’re sitting, use a cushion or a folded blanket underneath to help your sitz bones relax the hip flexors and knees. If you’re lying down, roll your shoulder blades down your back to support the heart. Place the hands at your sides palms up, and let the legs and ankles splay out. Relax the eyes with a soft gaze or close them, whatever feels most comfortable for you.
- Listen
Listen to the sound of your breath. If your breath is fast and choppy, slow it down by taking long, slow breaths. This calms the mind. Listen to the sound of your heart beating in sync with the natural rhythms of your body. The more you listen and focus on the breath, the more you’ll arrive in the moment, at ease, letting go of thoughts.
- Find Guidance
Using a guided meditation or a yoga nidra recording can be a powerful way to encourage visualization and deeper meditation. Better yet, seek out a teacher. Guided meditations will help you set your intention for what you want to work on, from dealing with trauma to fulfilling dreams, getting rid of bad habits, etc.
Guided meditations can often be found free through many different apps. Another option is brain wave music, which moves the hemispheres of the brain into alpha, delta and theta states, which help to de-program old thought patterns.
- Be Consistent
The more frequent you practice, the better. Find the time of day that resonates with you most and stick to it. Want to complement your practice even more? Restorative yoga is incredibly beneficial for relaxation.
Accessing your subconscious can help change your harmful thought patterns and take you out of feeling like you’re living life on autopilot. With a regular practice, you’ll enjoy a new sense of well-being, passion and purpose.
