Vanessa Potter

Vanessa Potter is the woman who put meditation to the test. She is a big advocate for meditative practice and uses scientific research to explore and experiment in the field. In 2012 Venessa suffered an unfortunate neurological condition illness that left her blind and paralysed for a year. The illness put a stop to a 16 year award winning career as a television presenter.

Ever curious Vanessa, bravely took the option to delve deeply into neuroscience in an attempt to better understand the mind and she became a human guinea pig. The results of her self experimentation culminated in her work with Cambridge University and her first book Patient H69: The Story of my Second Sight. Now booked as a speaker, Vanessa has delivered talks at TEDx, countless organisations across the UK and appeared various BBC programmes.

Working with Cambridge University neuroscientists, Vanessa developed a fantastic exhibition blending science and art in an interactive display in which users could see meditative brainwaves as art and music. She delivered her TEDx talk on the project. Next, Vanessa moved from exploration to experimentation – she collaborated with neuroscientists and wore an EEG for 3 years while experimenting with 12 different meditation styles, measuring the effects on her brain. The results of the work were published in her second book Finding My Right Mind. Her writing has been published in Mosaic Science, The Telegraph, The Washington Post, The Times and CNN.

Working in partnership with the University of Derby, Vanessa founded Park Bathe in 2021 – a citizen science, green health initiative. The premise is a 1 hour adaptation of forest bathing a method of mindful walking in nature. The project is funded by The National Lottery and the treatment is cited as an accessible and highly effective post-Covid health model. Parkbathe is also the name of Vanessa Potter’s podcast where she continues to share her insight to listeners from all over the world.

Vanessa has gained partial sightedness since recovering from her illness, she continues to share her information as a speaker and has made appearances on BBC Radio Four and BBC shortcuts as well as continuing her writing.