Susan Blackmore delves into complex subjects such as evolutionary theory, consciousness, and memetics. Her work draws from her background in psychology and physiology, coupled with a deep interest in the nature of the mind. Through her publications and lectures, she aims to make these intricate ideas accessible to a broader audience, fostering critical thought about how our minds function and evolve. Her approach offers a unique perspective on the intersection of biology, culture, and personal experience.
A new popular psychology title exploring the science behind out-of-body & tunnel experiences (OBEs) from astral projection to near death experiences from a renowned psychologist in the field of consciousness.
Fascinating. Jonathan Cowie, Science Fact & Science Fiction Concatenation
Susan Blackmore combines the latest scientific theories about mind, self, and consciousness with a lifetime’s practice of Zen. Framed by ten critical questions that are derived from Zen’s teachings, Zen and the Art of Consciousness explores how intellectual enquiry and meditation can expand your understanding and experience of consciousness and tackle some of today’s greatest scientific mysteries.
本书运用简明的图示,生动的漫画和大量有趣的实验深入探讨了意识的特征及其核心理论,并详细剖析了各种理论所面临的问题,为重新认识科学家和哲学家在填补客观物质世界和个体精神体验之间的鸿沟时所面临的巨大困难提供了崭新的视角。
Blackmore explores the big questions on the nature of brains, minds, and consciousness, through twenty lively and engaging interviews with some of the best-known personalities from the worlds of science and philosophy.
Is there a theory that explains the essence of consciousness? Or is consciousness itself just an illusion? The "last great mystery of science," consciousness was excluded from serious research for most of the last century but is now a rapidly expanding area of study for students of psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience. Recently the topic has also captured growing popular interest. This groundbreaking book is the first volume to bring together all the major theories of consciousness studies--from those rooted in traditional Western philosophy to those coming out of neuroscience, quantum theory, and Eastern philosophy. Broadly interdisciplinary, Consciousness: AnIntroduction is divided into nine sections that examine such topics as how subjective experiences arise from objective brain processes, the basic neuroscience and neuropathology of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, mystical experiences and dreams, and the effects of drugs and meditation. It also discusses the nature of self, the possibility of artificial consciousness in robots, and the question of whether or not animals are conscious. Enhanced by numerous illustrations and profiles of important researchers, the book also includes self-assessment questions, further reading suggestions, and practical exercises that help bring the subject to life.
Humans are extraordinary creatures, with the unique ability among animals to imitate and so copy from one another ideas, habits, skills, behaviours, inventions, songs, and stories. These are all memes, a term first coined by Richard Dawkins in 1976 in his book The Selfish Gene. Memes, like genes, are replicators, and this enthralling book is an investigation of whether this link between genes and memes can lead to important discoveries about the nature of the inner self.Confronting the deepest questions about our inner selves, with all our emotions, memories, beliefs, and decisions, Susan Blackmore makes a compelling case for the theory that the inner self is merely an illusion created by the memes for the sake of replication.