[Namsan Ddalggakbari] When Emotions Surge, Try Holding On for Just 90 Seconds

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] On the morning of December 10, 1996, 37-year-old Jill Bolte Taylor woke up feeling an intense pain behind her left eye. It turned out she was born with a congenital cranial nerve disorder, which she had been unaware of until it became problematic.

As a neuroscientist, she had to observe the sequential shutdown of her brain functions over the next four hours. She lost the ability to speak and understand, which she described as "fascinating from the perspective of a neuroscientist." Fortunately, she recovered, and "it took eight years before I could water ski again," eventually enabling her to write this book.

The book recounts the experience of the first neuroscientist to observe the process of brain collapse after a stroke. The author, who was researching the brain at Harvard, gained attention by sharing her experience of living with damage to her left brain and functioning solely with her right brain in a TED talk. This is her second book, following her first, I Had a Stroke and I Died.

Having relearned numbers and language from scratch with her damaged left brain and personally experiencing the brain's resilience, the author argues that there are four characters within humans. She classifies these characters by combining the characteristics of the left and right brain with emotional and thinking types.

First, the ‘Left Brain Thinking Character 1’ type shows △verbal △linear thinking △based on past/future △analytical △interest in differences △tendency to focus on oneself.

Second, the ‘Left Brain Emotional Character 2’ exhibits △withdrawn △inflexible △fear-based △conditional love △focus on right/wrong.

Third, the ‘Right Brain Emotional Character 3’ is characterized by △risk-taking △unconditional love △going with the flow △group-oriented △kindness.

Lastly, the ‘Right Brain Thinking Character 4’ shows △nonverbal △experiential thinking △present-based △interest in commonalities △empathy-oriented △no sense of time △focus on us.

The important point is that these concepts are not passively imposed on humans but can be actively defined by them. The author claims that humans are complex beings with a mixture of all characters and can choose among them depending on external stimuli, relationships, or conflicts. In other words, we do not feel emotions and then think; rather, we think first and then feel emotions. The author explains, "All humans have an amazing brain with four characters, and at every moment, we have the ability to choose which character to embody."

This differs significantly from other psychological concepts. From this, the famous ‘90-second rule’ originated. It states that our emotions are the result of brain chemistry, and if anger persists beyond 90 seconds, it is because we have chosen to maintain that emotion.

The author, who advocates the concept of recognizing emotions after thinking, proposes the ‘Brain Conference’ as a method to objectively observe emotions. "By training the brain, you can easily move between the four characters," she says, explaining that this process "builds new connections among various brain cell modules."

She adds, "Using this network to call upon the four characters anytime during the Brain Conference allows you to live a purposeful life at your best. All humans have an amazing brain with four characters, and at every moment, we have the ability to choose which character to embody."

The method is simple. "To open the Brain Conference, you need to press the stop button, which is basically the 90-second rule. Waiting for 90 seconds allows any chemicals flowing through the bloodstream to dissipate completely. Then your mind clears, and you no longer feel the emotions that were previously present."

Afterward, "all four characters are encouraged to express their opinions." The author explains, "I operate my brain as a democracy where each character has an equal vote."

"When I am completely gripped by fear, just knowing that my other characters are still in place brings me comfort."

According to the book, managing emotions is crucial in the first 90 seconds. When emotions surge, step aside and hold a ‘Brain Conference’ for 90 seconds.

Studying Neuroscience When You Want to Know Yourself | Written by Jill Bolte Taylor | Translated by Jin Youngin | Willbook | 392 pages | 19,800 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.