Phantoms in the Brain - Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind

V. S. Ramachandran, Sandra Blakeslee

Harper Perennial

1999

352 páginas

11h 44m

ISBN-13: 9780688172176

Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran is internationally renowned for uncovering answers to the deep and quirky questions of human nature that few scientists have dared to address. His bold insights about the brain are matched only by the stunning simplicity of his experiments -- using such low-tech tools as cotton swabs, glasses of water and dime-store mirrors. In Phantoms in the Brain, Dr. Ramachandran recounts how his work with patients who have bizarre neurological disorders has shed new light on the deep architecture of the brain, and what these findings tell us about who we are, how we construct our body image, why we laugh or become depressed, why we may believe in God, how we make decisions, deceive ourselves and dream, perhaps even why we're so clever at philosophy, music and art. Some of his most notable cases:

* A woman paralyzed on the left side of her body who believes she is lifting a tray of drinks with both hands offers a unique opportunity to test Freud's theory of denial.
*A man who insists he is talking with God challenges us to ask: Could we be "wired" for religious experience?
*A woman who hallucinates cartoon characters illustrates how, in a sense, we are all hallucinating, all the time.

Resenhas (1)

4 (Muito bom)

Looking into mysteries of the human mind

This is a very interesting book for anyone interested in the brain, its structure and functioning. Most of the information processing functions are performed by our nervous system--including the brain--without our being aware of them. This startling fact becomes evident when scientists study people whose brain has lost some functions, in consequence of diseases or accidents.

The cases presented in the book are very curious, it is exciting to follow the author in the search for causes of the problems and solutions for the patients!

Very good reading, pleasant and informative!