The ravenous brain how the new science of consciousness explains our insatiable search for meaning

Description

Consciousness is our gateway to experience: it enables us to recognize Van Gogh & rsquo; s starry skies, be enraptured by Beethoven & rsquo; s Fifth, and stand in awe of a snowcapped mountain. Yet consciousness is subjective, personal, and famously difficult to examine: philosophers have for centuries declared this mental entity so mysterious as to be impenetrable to science. In The Ravenous Brain, neuroscientist Daniel Bor departs sharply from this historical view, and builds on the latest research to propose a new model for how consciousness works. Bor argues that this brain-based faculty evolved.;Conceptual conundrums of consciousness: philosophy -- A brief history of the brain: evolution and the science of thought -- The tip of the iceberg: unconscious contents -- The brain's experience of a rose: neuroscience of awareness -- Being bird-brained is not an insult: uncovering alien consciousness -- Living on the fragile edge of awareness: profound brain damage and disorders of consciousness -- Consciousness squeezed, stretched, and shrunk: mental illness as abnormal awareness. Conceptual conundrums of consciousness: philosophy -- A brief history of the brain: evolution and the science of thought -- The tip of the iceberg: unconscious contents -- The brain's experience of a rose: neuroscience of awareness -- Being bird-brained is not an insult: uncovering alien consciousness -- Living on the fragile edge of awareness: profound brain damage and disorders of consciousness -- Consciousness squeezed, stretched, and shrunk: mental illness as abnormal awareness.