1st Edition
The Consciousness Network How the Brain Creates our Reality
What is the relationship between consciousness and our brain? Are they one and the same? Who are we really? The Consciousness Network presents a novel account of one of the greatest scientific challenges of the twenty-first century: understanding the connection between brain and mind.
The book explores remarkable cases of patients who demonstrate how our impression of reality is created by the brain. Age-old questions about dreams, colour perception, phantom sensations and hallucinations are illuminated by surprising discoveries from the latest brain research. How does consciousness differ from memory, emotions and behaviour? How did it develop during the evolution of life on earth, and does it serve a purpose? Does the brain leave room for free will? In this unique blend of philosophy, history, psychology and neuroscience, Cyriel Pennartz breaks new ground by presenting an original theory of brain and mind, substantiated by brain research in patients and healthy people. This theory, inspired by the seventeenth-century philosopher Spinoza, goes significantly deeper than current thinking based on computer models or artificial intelligence.
The Consciousness Network is essential reading for students working at the interface of neuroscience, cognitive psychology, philosophy of mind and cognitive science, as well as anyone interested in consciousness and the brain.
1. A dark dungeon for our brains 2. A phantom on the operating table 3. Memory absorbed 4. Curses and Deceit above the eye sockets 5. Aurora and the almond 6. The genie out of the bottle 7. Feeling rich in what you do not have 8. Visual consciousness peeled off 9. Suspended in the primeval sea 10. A code in cuneiform script 11. Predicting the present 12. A strange encounter with the world, your body and yourself 13. The free will of Tolman's rats 14. Fake news in the brain 15. Under the hood of our imagination 16. When computers begin to see
Biography
Cyriel Pennartz is Professor in Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. His research integrates neuroscience, theories and computer models of perception, memory and consciousness, psychology and philosophy.
‘The Consciousness Network is an illuminating journey into the depths of our internal universe, unraveling the mysteries of the human mind with clarity and depth. Prepare to be captivated by Pennartz' brilliant exploration of the brain's intricate workings and their profound implications for our understanding of our subjective reality.’
Steven Laureys, MD, neurologist, author and past president of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness, Belgium
‘If you want a comprehensive update on the relation between brain functions and consciousness, read this book. Written by an expert neuroscientist it provides deep insights into the functional organisation of the human brain, critically reviews philosophical positions on the mind-matter problem and illustrates the multiple facets of consciousness with fascinating clinical examples on altered states of consciousness.’
Wolf Singer, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
‘This highly engaging and thought-provoking book stands out in its accessibility and broad approach drawing on multiple sources of knowledge, and its original view on consciousness endorsing a modern scientific version of Spinoza's monism.’
Kathinka Evers, Professor of Philosophy, Uppsala University, Sweden and Honorary Professor at the Universidad Central de Chile, Chile
