PDF Summary:Whole Brain Living, by Jill Bolte Taylor

When neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor suffered a stroke on the left side of her brain, her life as she knew it dissolved as she lost access to basic cognitive functions. With only her right brain hemisphere functioning, she experienced a period of cosmic bliss, unburdened by her ego and past traumas. Later, when she regained her left-brain cognitive functions, she also retained a connection to the right side of her brain that brought her profound inner peace.

Taylor’s key insight from her experience is that we can choose to access different parts of our brains and interrupt automatic thought processes and emotional reactions that don’t serve us. She links four areas of the brain to the “four characters within us”—each with their own ways of perceiving and navigating the world. In this guide, we’ll explore how the four characters show up in our lives and how to achieve emotional well-being by getting to know our four characters better. We’ll also compare Taylor’s ideas to other experts’ mindfulness techniques.

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How Research Links Emotions to Parts of the Brain

Although some research supports the idea that the limbic system is associated with memory and emotions, other researchers disagree with the way Taylor maps emotional responses onto this part of the brain.

In the past, some experts claimed that the left hemisphere housed emotions like happiness, pride, and anger (called “approach emotions” because they dictate how you interact with others). They also asserted that the right hemisphere housed “avoidance” emotions such as disgust and fear. However, other experts later pointed out that these studies were based on right-handed subjects. They now claim that approach and avoidance emotions are housed in different hemispheres depending on whether we’re right- or left-handed.

This hypothesis was linked to the fact that each brain hemisphere controls physical movements on the opposite side of the body. Since people tend to express approach emotions (like by giving someone a high five) with their dominant hand, and they express avoidance emotions with their non-dominant hand, researchers theorized that these categories of emotions are linked to more intense brain activity in one hemisphere or the other, depending on our dominant hand.

On the other hand, another review of research studies on this topic concluded that specific types of emotions don’t correspond to particular brain regions.

Here’s how Taylor describes Character 2 in different contexts:

Taking care of your body: Character 2 is pessimistic when it comes to health and often dwells on small aches and pains. They also tend to worry about what could go wrong with their body in the future. However, whether something is actually wrong with their health or not, Character 2’s fear prevents them from taking any action to improve or cope with their health status.

(Shortform note: In this context, Taylor implies that a memory of something bad happening—like remembering someone who died from an undetected illness—triggers a debilitating fear response in Character 2. In The Whole Brain Child, Siegel and Bryson describe a similar phenomenon stemming specifically from childhood memories. They explain that experiences during childhood often become implicit memories—knowledge that you draw upon without consciously thinking about it—which then influence your worldview and behavior later in life.)

Workplace: Taylor says that Character 2 struggles to establish trusting relationships with their co-workers because they’re trying to avoid any kind of vulnerability. They’re also driven by fear and anxiety, causing them to exhibit a forceful and unfriendly leadership style. (Shortform note: We can infer that Character 2’s anxiety-driven leadership in the workplace stems from a fear of failing or not living up to someone’s expectations due to a past trauma. In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor suggests that this is counterproductive since strong personal relationships between a boss and their employees lead to greater productivity and tenure for those employees.)

Romance: Character 2 often seeks comfort with other Character 2s in relationships because they can commiserate together and share a victim mentality when it comes to everyone else. According to Taylor, Character 2 may also gravitate toward a Character 1 who is happy to be in control and help take care of the Character 2. Taylor also warns that whenever our Character 2 relies on other people for their happiness, it leads to an unhealthy codependent relationship.

(Shortform note: Taylor doesn’t quite explain why Character 2 might prefer to be with another Character 2 or have a Character 1 take care of them. However, in Attached, Levine and Heller assert that having a partner who makes us feel safe in challenging situations helps us to lead more courageous lives. This suggests that Character 1 might be comforting to Character 2 because Character 1 thinks through situations rationally and is good at formulating plans, in contrast to Character 2, who might be overwhelmed by emotions during a crisis.)

Comparing Character 2 to “Protectors” in IFS

Taylor’s Character 2 parallels one of Schwartz’s IFS subparts that he calls “protectors” in No Bad Parts. In his metaphor of all the personality subparts as a family, the childlike, sensitive, and vulnerable parts are called “exiles.” The protectors then show up to defend the exiles from harm and negative feelings either by carefully managing the environment (like what you wear and who you spend time with) or by soothing us in reaction to negative experiences (like when we binge-watch tv or use substances to avoid psychological pain).

While Taylor highlights the ways that Character 2 presents in interpersonal scenarios (in the workplace or romantic relationships, for example), Schwartz mainly discusses the ways that protectors trigger self-defense mechanisms to make you feel safe. Reflecting on both of these aspects may be helpful for identifying changes you want to make in terms of how you put up emotional safeguards. For example, Character 2 provides insight on how you might lash out against other people when triggered, and protectors shed light on how you might preempt harm by trying to fit in with others.

Character 3: Right-Side Limbic System—Experiential Emotions

Unlike Character 2, who assesses your safety based on past experience, Character 3 exhibits emotions that are wholly rooted in the present moment. Taylor says that although Character 3 initiates a fight or flight response when threatened, it’s also the character who feels uninhibited joy and loves to soak up every moment of living. Because Character 3 resides in the right hemisphere, they also enjoy creative activities to the point where they’re unaware of time passing—a state referred to as “flow.”

(Shortform note: In Ikigai, Héctor García and Francesc Miralles argue that by incorporating flow into your daily life, you can stay fully present, experience heightened creativity, and enjoy what you’re doing. They recommend a series of steps for intentionally channeling a flow mindset in your daily life—a mindset similar to that of Character 3. First, choose a task that’s just a bit beyond your current ability. It should be difficult enough to keep you engaged, but not so difficult that it makes you anxious. Then, give yourself a clear objective so you can focus on it completely. Next, remove potential distractions as much as possible and focus on only one task at a time.)

The flip side of Character 3’s playfulness and go-with-the-flow mentality is that they’re unpredictable and don’t necessarily respect authority figures or rules. (Shortform note: This aspect of Character 3 might be best described as impulsivity. Psychologists say that unlike spontaneity (which is anything impromptu or unplanned), impulsivity exposes you to some kind of risk. One strategy for managing impulsive behavior is to practice slowing down and giving yourself time to think through the consequences of your actions.)

Here’s how Taylor describes Character 3 in different settings:

Taking care of your body: Character 3 has a high level of body awareness, but unlike Character 1’s more practical concerns with their body’s state, Character 3 seeks to make the body feel good. Taylor writes that they’re naturally curious and therefore like to push their body’s boundaries (by trying new activities or training for a race, for instance). When faced with illness, Character 3 is likely to find creative solutions to maintain an enjoyable lifestyle. For example, if an active Character 3 suddenly required a wheelchair, Character 3 would still find fun wheelchair-accessible sports to participate in.

(Shortform note: Although Taylor frames Character 3’s behavior as primarily positive in this context, Character 3 could also encourage hedonistic behaviors, such as eating foods that are bad for your health simply because they taste good and satisfy you in the moment. In The Willpower Instinct, Kelly McGonigal says that to resist temptations such as this, we have to switch from a fight-or-flight physiological response (associated with the limbic system) to a pause-and-plan response (associated with the cerebral cortex). This suggests that in some situations, it’s beneficial in the long term to shift from Character 3 mode to a more long-term oriented Character 1.)

Workplace: Taylor says that Character 3 enjoys collaborating with other people and finds joy in their day-to-day work activities. One of their strengths is being able to switch between different projects easily, but they’re not great with deadlines and budgets.

(Shortform note: Taylor implies that Character 3s enjoy their work because they’re focused on what’s emotionally gratifying in the moment rather than doing a job because of how prestigious it is or how much money it will provide. In addition, staying focused on the current moment would enable Character 3 to switch to a new task without getting distracted by past or future tasks. However, in The One Thing, Gary Keller warns that when you switch tasks, you get a burst of dopamine, which means that task-switching can become addicting and decrease productivity.)

Romance: According to Taylor, Character 3 likes to mix things up when it comes to romance. They love the rush of new experiences and connecting with a variety of people, and they aren’t keen on making long-term commitments. Their unpredictability may be fun for their partners initially but will eventually be off-putting to Character 1s or Character 2s.

(Shortform note: We can infer that Character 3 prefers not to make commitments because they act on what feels right in the moment (the limbic system response), whereas commitments are an agreement about what role you’ll fill in the future. Given Character 3’s unpredictability, this trait may be unpleasant to Character 1s because Character 1 loves order and consistency. Unpredictability might also be undesirable for Character 2s if it triggers anxiety (stemming from a past memory) about whether the person will stay in the relationship. In Minimalism, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus write that to avoid these incompatibilities, it’s important to develop a vision for what you want your relationships to be like.)

Character 4: Right-Side Cerebral Cortex—Expansive Thinking

Taylor explains that Character 4 exhibits an expansive and fluid style of thinking that’s focused on the present moment. She says that one way of understanding Character 4 is by imagining our mindset when we first entered the world: We didn’t have language, memories, or a sense of self. We also entered the world aware that we’re made up of the same energy that flows through everything else in the universe—a cosmic consciousness that transcends words, rationalization, or scientific understanding. Unlike Character 1, who thinks in terms of language and focuses on boundaries, Character 4 thinks in pictures and recognizes that everything’s connected.

Taylor strengthened her connection to Character 4 after her stroke, and while she acknowledges that there’s no easy way to access Character 4, she recommends focusing intently on the experience of the current moment and then channeling all of your mental energy into gratitude.

Accessing the Non-Dualist Character 4 Mindset

Many spiritual leaders describe the Character 4 mindset using the term “non-duality,” or the idea that the universe isn’t made up of individual entities but rather one indivisible whole. Various spiritual traditions, including Hinduism and Buddhism, refer to the non-dualist perspective as the key to well-being and happiness.

Like Taylor, many writers on this topic assert that non-dualism is a transcendental experience that’s impossible to describe with words. Nonetheless, in The Book, Alan Watts describes the non-dualist philosophy by saying that there aren’t really individual people—rather, each person is a different manifestation of one single Cosmic Being. He says that by recognizing their oneness with the universe, Westerners can end their chronic feelings of dissatisfaction and alienation.

So how exactly can you achieve a Character 4 mindset? Similar to Taylor’s advice, some people recommend meditation as a way to tap into this kind of expansive thinking. In addition, some people who’ve taken psychedelic drugs have reported a transcendental experience of connectedness that aligns closely with Taylor’s description of Character 4.

Taking care of your body: Character 4 considers the body sacred. Taylor says that because of this, Character 4 embraces holistic care (including eating well, doing physical activity, and engaging in spiritual practices). She says that Character 4 holds fast to gratitude even during periods of illness.

(Shortform note: Character 4 would likely opt for holistic care of the body because they understand the connections between everything—how exercise and mental health might be linked, for example. Research supports the idea that exercising has a positive impact on people’s mood, motivation, and self-esteem. In addition, because Character 4 perceives everything as part of the same cosmic energy, they would naturally tend toward gratitude rather than dwelling on what’s missing at the individual level. For example, if everyone is part of one cosmic consciousness, there’s no reason to be envious of someone else’s good health, since there isn’t truly an “else.”)

Workplace: At work, Character 4 excels at visualizing how multiple moving parts fit into the big picture. For example, they might do a great job of putting together a team with complementary skills and coordinating different departments as they work toward a larger goal. Taylor explains that they don’t get bogged down by details or setbacks, and they’re motivated to make the world a better place rather than accumulate material goods.

(Shortform note: Taylor implies that these professional strengths result from Character 4’s big-picture style of thinking, which she says is characteristic of the right hemisphere. Character 4’s altruistic motivation in this context is likely linked to their sense of connectedness with the rest of the universe, which would foster a more compassionate mindset. In Drive, Daniel H. Pink argues that all people are naturally wired to want to help others and seek a meaningful purpose for their work that goes beyond material gain. This argument is consistent with Taylor’s assertion that everyone has a Character 4 they can channel if they’re intentional about it.)

Romance: Taylor says that in romantic partnerships, Character 4 is the sense of groundedness that comes from within rather than from the other person. Because they naturally focus on the positive in life, Character 4 is great at connecting with others. Taylor also clarifies that although Character 4 is an optimist at heart, they’ll only stay in a relationship long term if the other person is truly present with them and brings positive energy to the dynamic.

(Shortform note: In Attached, Levine and Heller claim that ending a romantic relationship is difficult because the emotion-driven part of our brain (the limbic system, according to Taylor) registers a potential breakup as a source of pain that it instinctively wants to avoid—like touching a hot stove. This might explain why Character 4, who dwells in the higher-thinking zone of the cerebral cortex, is good at making decisions about relationships based on what’s best for you in the long term.)

How Can Your Four Characters Bring Inner Peace?

Taylor writes that there’s no one right way to coordinate your four characters. She says that to achieve a peaceful life, we must listen to all four of the characters and make sure each of them feels valued. Then, when you’ve acknowledged what each of them offers in a particular circumstance, you can be intentional about which character you want to embody as you move forward. In this section, we’ll dive into some actionable advice to achieve this.

(Shortform note: Taylor’s recommendation of getting to know and validating each of your four characters to achieve inner peace is similar to the IFS technique that Schwartz describes in No Bad Parts. However, in addition to identifying “parts”—the internal beings who exhibit different personalities—Schwartz identifies an additional player: the fundamental “Self” who acts as the wise and compassionate caretaker of the other internal beings. While Taylor implies that there must be some executive “you” who decides which character will take the lead in a situation, she doesn’t go so far as to name the core “Self” as independent from the other characters like Schwartz does.)

BRAIN Technique

Taylor’s main strategy for attuning yourself to your four characters is what she calls the “Brain Huddle.” This means mentally getting the four characters together to listen to their input, and then agreeing on a plan—much like an athletic team’s huddle during a game. Taylor recommends using the acronym BRAIN and breaks down each step as follows:

B—Breathe: Take some deep breaths to take control of any automatic initial responses your body may be having. Remember that after 90 seconds, the physiological response to an emotion will pass, and you’ll then have the opportunity to decide how to act next.

R—Recognize: Taylor says to recognize what character is dominating your mindset. Think about their personalities and reflect on your behavior in the moment.

A—Appreciate: Next, Taylor recommends appreciating the dominant character as well as your other characters simply for existing. Remember that each has value and importance in your life.

I—Inquire: At this point, let each character express their point of view by thinking through the scenario from the perspective of each one. Taylor says that after consideration, decide on the best course of action—ideally aiming for a peaceful resolution.

N—Navigate: The last step is navigating the outcome of your decision in the previous step. Taylor points out that regardless of your choices, you can’t control other people’s reactions, but you can respond thoughtfully. For example, if you’re in the middle of an argument with your parent, who insists on staying in a hostile and fear-driven mindset, you may need to put your most empathic, compassionate Character 4 forward to respond to their Character 2 and de-escalate the conflict.

Comparing the BRAIN Technique to the RAIN Mindfulness Technique

Taylor’s BRAIN technique is similar to other mindfulness strategies that focus on an initial phase of slowing down and increasing self-awareness before proceeding. One example is meditation coach Tara Brach’s RAIN technique. In 10% Happier, Dan Harris says that the RAIN technique helps him overcome obstacles by increasing his mindfulness in difficult situations at work or other areas of daily life.

Given the similar overarching goals of the RAIN and BRAIN techniques, both strategies may be helpful at different times depending on whether you hope to reach a more detached acceptance of your emotions (better suited to RAIN) or take strategic action in response to your assessment (better suited to BRAIN).

Here, we’ll look at the RAIN steps and how they compare to Taylor’s BRAIN strategy:

R: Recognize what you’re feeling. This parallels Taylor’s step of recognizing which character is currently dominating your thoughts or feelings. Although RAIN doesn’t include a “breathe” step at the beginning, taking some deep breaths could be a helpful tool to think clearly before the “Recognize” step in this technique as well.

A: Allow the emotion to be what it is and don’t feel guilty about it. This step aligns closely with Taylor’s third step of appreciating all of your characters regardless of the circumstances.

I: Investigate by examining how the emotion feels in your body. This step is more closely related to Taylor’s “Recognize” step, rather than her “Inquire” step, which involves considering each of your characters’ perspectives and formulating a plan.

N: Practice non-identification by acknowledging that whatever emotion you’re feeling doesn’t define you and won’t last forever. Or alternatively, nurture the emotion with self-compassion. This part of the RAIN technique diverges the most from Taylor’s because it emphasizes acceptance rather than strategizing an intentional outward action (as in Taylor’s “Inquire” and “Navigate” steps).

Tips for Using the BRAIN Technique

Beyond detailing the main steps of the BRAIN technique, Taylor describes a few tips for how to use this strategy in your daily life to improve your relationships with others, improve your emotional well-being, and master the art of embodying each character when you need them.

Tip 1: Get to Know Other People’s Characters

Since everyone you interact with has their own four characters with conflicting desires and personalities, we can improve our relationships with others by increasing our awareness of their characters. For example, you might recognize that your friend embodies their joyful Character 3 when you go hiking together, but they tend to shift into their hostile Character 2 when you play competitive board games. Then, you can use these insights to maintain a positive dynamic (perhaps stick to hiking) or talk with them about negative patterns (“Why do you always flip the Monopoly board when I win?”).

(Shortform note: Similar to Taylor’s four characters, Ray Dalio’s Principles: Life and Work] describes the “two yous”—a rational and emotional part of your personality—that are present in any conflict. While Taylor recommends increasing your awareness of the characters as a way to improve relationships, Dalio focuses on specifically embodying the rational “you” to resolve disagreements. Dalio says that for these four different “yous” (two “yous” in each person) to have a productive conflict, avoid letting the emotional “you” take over and instead channel your rational “you” by asking questions and being open-minded.)

Tip 2: Check in Regularly With Your Four Characters

Taylor says that like with other skills, using the BRAIN technique to your advantage takes practice. She recommends making the BRAIN strategy a habit by going through the steps regularly: for example, every morning when you wake up, nightly before bed, whenever you feel a strong emotion coursing through your body, or when you’re in the middle of an interpersonal conflict. Taylor says that when you choose a specific mental pathway enough times, it becomes the default. For instance, if you consistently and intentionally suppress your Character 1 (who makes you feel anxious when you’re trying to enjoy unstructured fun time), eventually your Character 3 will learn to automatically take over in those situations.

(Shortform note: In A Mind for Numbers, Barbara Oakley asserts that one benefit of making mental pathways habitual is that it makes your brain more efficient by freeing up the energy that would otherwise be spent exerting willpower to act or think a certain way. Based on this argument, practicing BRAIN regularly (and making certain mindsets habitual) could not only enhance your emotional well-being but also allow you to allocate your mental resources to other areas of self-improvement, like learning a new skill.)

Another good time to assemble your four characters, Taylor says, is when your brain feels like it’s getting sucked into addictive technologies. She claims that many technologies are designed to keep us hooked and can make us more socially isolated because we’re so engrossed in them that we neglect interpersonal connections. She suggests that this may be especially true for younger generations who’ve been raised in close proximity to technologies like tablets, games, and cell phones. By using the BRAIN technique, we can choose to disconnect from technology and decide where we can best allocate our time and attention.

(Shortform note: Thibaut Meurisse’s Dopamine Detox explains that many tech companies keep us hooked on social media by stimulating a reward-seeking cycle whenever we get a burst of dopamine from receiving likes, comments, and other forms of social validation. In contrast to Taylor, who recommends BRAIN as a mindfulness strategy to reallocate our attention, Meurisse recommends combatting addictive technologies through a dopamine detox—eliminating activities that trigger dopamine. These activities include browsing the internet, watching tv, scrolling through social media, eating sugar, and over-exercising.)

Tip 3: Recognize Patterns and Strategize in Advance

In addition, Taylor recommends using the BRAIN strategy as a tool to reflect on your behavioral patterns and strategize in advance for how you’ll react in a specific situation. For example, if using the BRAIN technique has taught you that your Character 1 likes to take control of vacation plans to the point that other people aren’t having fun, you can plan ahead (still satisfying a Character 1 urge) and avoid this problem by getting feedback from others about what they want to do or only scheduling activities for part of your next vacation.

(Shortform note: In What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, Marshall Goldsmith says that once you’ve identified behavioral patterns you want to change (which he focuses on describing in a work context), it’s also important to frequently discuss your desired changes with the people around you so they can help hold you accountable. In addition, Goldsmith recommends some specific steps before you jump into strategizing future actions for self-improvement: Apologize for your negative past behavior, and announce your intention to change your habit.)

Tip 4: Work Toward Recovery From Addiction

Taylor explains that when someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol, there are common patterns in how the characters’ dynamics play out. She says that in order to have long-term success in their recovery, all four characters have to participate in the process. Here are the common roles for each character and how they can cooperate in recovery:

Character 1 tends to judge themself harshly for failing to quit. To avoid letting down their loved ones because of a relapse, they’ll scheme and lie to hide their substance use. Taylor says that to heal, Character 1 needs to let go of their negative self-judgments.

Character 2 experiences distress from a whirlwind of negative emotions: They feel emotionally isolated from others, guilty about their shortcomings, angry toward others who may have played a role in their suffering, and fearful that others will stop loving them because of the addiction. Taylor claims that Character 2 has to end these cycles of guilt and resentment and focus on a brighter future.

Character 3 wants to leave their past behind and enjoy periods of sobriety with their loved ones. However, Taylor writes that this desire to reconnect with others has to be accompanied by a commitment to ongoing effort.

Character 4 is the one who reminds an addict that each day is a new opportunity to make positive changes. Taylor also claims that because Character 4 is attuned to the powerful cosmic energy that’s in everything (what she calls the “life-force of the universe”), Character 4 is also the higher power that enables spiritual healing during a lifelong recovery from addiction.

Re-examining the Roles of the Four Characters in Recovery

Although Taylor asserts that each of the four characters has to actively participate in someone’s recovery from addiction, her profiles of the characters suggest that it’s mostly the silencing of Characters 1 and 2 and strengthening Character 4 that’s necessary for long-term recovery.

Taylor says that Character 1 has to end their harsh self-judgment, but she also describes this tendency as part of Character 1’s fundamental personality. Similarly, she writes that Character 2 has to end cycles of negative thinking that exacerbate the addiction, but according to Taylor, Character 2’s emotional reactions are inherent to the limbic system’s self-defense mechanisms. For example, an addict may fear they’ll lose relationships as a result of their substance abuse (especially if it’s happened before), so their Character 2 might instinctively push their loved ones away to avoid feeling abandoned.

Based on Taylor’s framework of the four characters, Characters 1 and 2 can’t simply change their nature. Instead, a more effective strategy for recovery might include frequent BRAIN Huddles, in which the person intentionally decides to tap into their Character 4—the character who reminds the addict that they’re powerful and worthy. Although many recovery programs (such as Alcoholics Anonymous) demand belief in a higher power beyond the individual, Taylor argues that Character 4 is the higher power that can bolster your mental defenses against the addiction.

On the other hand, Characters 1 and 3 also have strengths that could contribute to the recovery process in a different way than Taylor describes. Since Character 1 exhibits higher-level reasoning and excels at planning and forethought, they might help a recovering addict avoid temptation—for example, by avoiding environments where drugs or alcohol are available. Character 3 might help by allowing the recovering person to focus on the positives of the current moment rather than dwelling on the painful experiences of the past.