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: An Introduction 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.

"This is an extraordinary book. Consciousness is a swamp, a hornet's nest, a morass of competing theories and rival projects. It takes guts to put together a book like this one that seeks to present a truly general overview of the literature, ranging from philosophy of mind, through discussions in the fast-developing field of cognitive neuroscience, to the hot and fraught issues of the paranormal, lucid dreaming, and altered states of consciousness. Sue Blackmore carries off this ambitious project! There are lots of people who are expert in one, two or three of the areas she discusses, but almost no one who is deeply conversant, as she appears to be, with all of them."--Alva Noe, University of California, Berkeley

Boxes and Sidebars

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. The Problem

1. What's the Problem?

2. What Is It Like To Be...?

3. What Does Consciousness Do?

2. The World

4. Attention and Timing

5. The Theater of the Mind

6. The Grand Illusion

3. The Self

7. Egos, Bundles and Multiple Selves

8. Theories of Self

9. Agency and Free Will

4. Evolution

10. The Evolution of Consciousness

11. The Function of Consciousness

12. Animal Minds

5. Artificial Consciousness

13. Minds and Machines

14. Could a Machine Be Conscious?

15. How to Build a Conscious Machine

6. The Brain

16. The Neural Correlates of Consciousness

17. The Unity of Consciousness

18. Damaged Brains

7. Borderlands

19. Unconscious Processing

20. The Paranormal

21. Reality and Imagination

8. Altered States of Consciousness

22. Drugs and Altered States

23. Sleep, Dreams and Hypnotic States

24. Exceptional Human Experience

9. First-Person Approaches

25. The View from Within

26. Meditation and Mindfulness

27. Buddhism and Consciousness

References

Index