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The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size

by Tor Norretranders

A wide-ranging argument about the limits of conscious awareness

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Paperback New English

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Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    Praise from scientist and author John Casti

    Positive quoted praise for the book from scientist and author John Casti.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A wide-ranging argument about the limits of conscious awareness

Drawing on psychology, evolutionary biology, and information theory, Tor Norretranders examines consciousness as a narrow channel within a much larger field of mental information processing. The book argues that the brain continuously selects and discards vast amounts of input, and that lived perception is shaped by this filtering rather than serving as a direct copy of the external world. From that premise, it considers the relationship between awareness, instinct, the senses, and the idea of the self. Published in 1999, this is an extended conceptual study of cognition that brings several scientific frameworks into conversation around a central question: how much of the mind’s work reaches consciousness?

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in cognitive psychology and consciousness
  • Those curious about links among biology, psychology, and information theory
  • Readers exploring questions of perception, selfhood, and mental processing

Themes

ConsciousnessPerceptionInformation processingThe selfInstinct and the senses

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Book overview

Explore the depths of consciousness through the essential groundbreaking international bestseller.

"Finally, a book that really does explain consciousness."--John Casti, scientist and author of What Scientists Can Know About the Future


With foundations in psychology, evolutionary biology, and information theory, Demark's leading science writer argues a revolutionary point: that consciousness represents only an infinitesimal fraction of our ability to process information. Although we are unaware of it, our brains sift through and discard billions of pieces of data in order to allow us to understand the world around us. In this thought-provoking work, Norretranders argues that our perceptions are not direct representations of the world we experience, but instead, illusions our brains craft to process it.

More timely and relevant than ever, in light of rapid development in artificial intelligence and large language models, this informative study of consciousness provides the framework to reflect on the inner workings of the mind and understand the self. As engaging as it is insightful, this important book encourages us to rely more on what our instincts and our senses tell us so that we can better appreciate the richness of human life.
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