Finding My Right Mind: One Woman’s Experiment to put Meditation to the Test

by Vanessa Potter

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality

256 pages, Paperback

Published April 29, 2021

About the author

Curiosity is at the heart of everything I do — curiosity about my brain — the way in which I think — and how different "mind-training" tools might better improve my life.
There's good reason for that curiosity too. In 2012 when I woke up blind and paralysed, it was my own mind that saved me. Who would have guessed that meditating would be my most powerful ally?
Before all of this self-experimenting kicked off I was an award winning telly producer making all of those ads that you turn off. When fate conspired to turn the lights out on me, I decided to use my terrier producer skills to investigate the science of ME. What I found out changed the course of my life.

Finding My Right Mind: One Woman's Experiment to put Meditation to the Test is the latest instalment of my weird and enlightening journey. For three years I have been a "human guinea-pig" wearing an EEG headset daily as I meditated my way through 10 different "mind-training' techniques, from mindfulness to psychedelics. If you want to know what I discovered about myself (and how that relates to you!) and what science discovered about me; check it out.

"In Finding My Right Mind, Vanessa Potter, writes lucidly about the farther reaches of human experience. Her insatiable curiosity and hyper-awareness of the world around her makes for a compelling account. Personally, I found this book funny, comforting, honest, moving, and at times just so damn weird that I had to keep reading. It raises a glass to spiritual adventurers everywhere."
(Dr Roger Bretherton, Clinical Psychologist and Associate Lecturer, School of Psychology, University of Lincoln)

I'd be delighted to speak at your event or school on topics of inspiration, resilience, self-care and meditation. Please get in touch. patienth69 (at) live.com

TEDx Talk "The Art of Your Mind"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSjr9...

Reviews

[Lottie Hinks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman in her 40’s wakes up blind and paralysed, with no prior medical history. This was obviously the shock of Vanessa’s life but through visualisation she starts to get her vision back, blurs at first, then some colours to pretty damn good sight. Vanessa is also able to regain normal movement, even though the doctors had no idea what caused this.
If visualisation, a type of meditation is capable of achieving these results then what else can it do? Well in this book she experiments with 10 different types of meditation and the effects it has on her brain.

This is a down to earth, heartwarming journey, with a great balance between personal and informative. I thoroughly enjoyed it, thank you @welbeckpublish for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is quite a gem, it combines personal experience of living the life of a wife and mother with an entirely credible neuroscientific experiment and insights into ten different methods to train the mind or meditate.
I found it useful and engaging, I nodded, I laughed, I recognised, I took notes. It is most definitely a book I will keep on my shelves as both inspiration and reference.
It would have had 5 stars if I wasn’t so irked by her privilege and the ease she was able to access these experiences in a former London TV producer with contacts sort of way, and I think there must have been a great deal of external childcare available.
I also have reservations about profiteering and making an entire career out of meditative experiences, but in fairness she does not make any claims to spirituality.
Highly recommended.

[Miriam Morgans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finding My Right Mind
One Women's Experiment to Put Meditation to the Test

By Vanessa Potter

'When Vanessa Potter woke up one morning blind and paralysed, she was astonished to discover that it was meditating, not drugs that saved her, helping her on the road to recovery'

This book does not teach you how to meditate but it does follow Vanessa through a personal experiment where she works along side a neuroscientist to investigate whether meditation can transform her life.

Whilst wearing an EEG headset Vanessa records her responses physically and emotionally through a series of different meditation techniques such as Jamyang: Tibetan Tantric Visualisation, Christian Meditation and Kundalini Yoga, each one helping Vanessa to focus, breath and look differently at her approach to life.

🧘‍♀️Citizen science experiment
🧘‍♀️Interesting
🧘‍♀️Personal journey
🧘‍♀️Discovery of one's self

Thank you to @welbeckpublish for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Fiona Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A born fidget, reading a book about meditation is completely out of my comfort zone, but intrigued by Vanessa’s experience of waking up both blind and paralysed, and having listened to her brilliant TED talk, I couldn’t wait to read ‘Finding My Right Mind’. It is an unflinching account of an experiment in which Vanessa tried out of several different types of meditation while wearing an EEG headset to record the effects on her brain. Weirdly, at first I felt quite tense reading it, my brain telling me that I couldn’t possibly meditate – I’m far too jumpy and riddled with random thoughts to do that. But Vanessa’s writing is so relatable that I soon settled into reading her account. The chapter about transcendental meditation was most interesting – it felt doable unlike some of the other forms of meditation. Another chapter reminded me of the benefits of hypnotism – to which I have turned when faced with various fears, such as giving birth.

This is a clever and informative read. Set against a backdrop of everyday irritations, family grief and Brexit – it reflected just how challenging it can be to fit meditation into your schedule. It convinced me though that it really is possible to practice meditation daily, and might just have you sitting on the floor, closing your eyes and breathing instead of reaching for the Sauvignon Blanc on a week night. But what particularly appealed to me is that you can actually meditate while walking. I’m also keen to try out the breathwork that Vanessa learnt while on her Psychedelics retreat.