Finding My Right Mind

Overview

The true story of an ordinary woman who went to extraordinary lengths to discover whether meditating could change her life. Insightful, funny and informative, Vanessa road-tests 10 techniques from mindfulness to psychedelics, and still manages to pick the kids up!

When Vanessa Potter woke up one day to find herself blind and paralyzed, she was stunned to discover that it was meditating, not drugs, that saved her mind. Convinced she had more to learn, she embarked on her own consciousness road-trip, exploring the major schools of meditation, along with hypnotherapy and psychedelics. In order to objectively record her journey, Cambridge neuroscientists measured her brain activity, with their observations and results featured within the book. Offering a detailed snapshot of each practice, Vanessa provides an unusually voyeuristic glimpse into how powerful meditating can be. After 300 hours of sitting still, the scientists and Vanessa reveal whether meditation lived up to the hype and provided the key to contentment. Funny and wry, this is a unique take on citizen science, delving beneath the surface of meditation to reveal the fascinating world of the mind and the possibilities within. Books on meditation normally teach us how to meditate — not about what happens when we try.

Reviews

"A stunning account." ?Kirkus Reviews on Patient H69: The Story of My Second Sight

"Potter's work records an indomitable spirit that righted a world that had turned upside down." ?Publishers Weekly on Patient H69: The Story of My Second Sight

"Patient H69 is more than a memoir. It is a journey toward understanding the brain told through the harrowing story of an intensely curious woman with the foresight to track her progress, and the compassion to use her experience to help others." ?Booklist on Patient H69: The Story of My Second Sight

"An enthralling personal chronicle . . . A compelling firsthand medical account--it's as if an Oliver Sachs patient were to tell her own story--sure to appeal to memoir fans as well as those interested in the science of the brain." ?Library Journal

Author Biography

Before becoming a self-experimenting science communicator, Vanessa Potter spent 16 years as an award-winning broadcast producer working in the London ad industry. In October 2012 she was struck down by a severe illness called Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder. Following her recovery, she collaborated with neuroscientists at Cambridge University to design an interactive immersive exhibition, based on her therapeutic use of meditation, and gave a TEDx talk about her experiences.