Consciousness: An Introduction

Now in its fourth edition, this highly popular text is the definitive introduction to consciousness, exploring the key theories and evidence in consciousness studies ranging from neuroscience and psychology to quantum theories and philosophy.

Written by mother and daughter author team Susan Blackmore and Emily Troscianko, the book examines why the term ’consciousness’ has no recognised definition. It also provides an opportunity to delve into personal intuitions about the self, mind, and consciousness. Featuring comprehensive coverage of all core topics in the field, the book explains why the problem of consciousness is so hard. Theories of attention and free will, altered states of consciousness, and the differences between conscious and unconscious are all explored. Written with students of psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy in mind, this edition has been thoroughly updated throughout, and includes expanded coverage of panpsychism, illusionism, predictive processing, adversarial collaboration, psychedelics, and AI.

Complete with key concept boxes, profiles of well-known thinkers, and questions and activities designed for both independent study and group work, Consciousness provides a complete introduction to this fascinating field, and is essential reading for students of psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience.

Susan Blackmore is a psychologist, TED lecturer, and writer researching consciousness, memes, meditation, and anomalous experiences, and is Visiting Professor in Psychology at the University of Plymouth. She is the author of multiple books on consciousness, including The Meme Machine (1999), which has been translated into 18 languages; Zen and the Art of Consciousness (2011); Seeing Myself: The New Science of Out-of-Body Experiences (2017); and Very Short Introduction to Consciousness (2017).

Emily T. Troscianko is a coach, writer, and researcher affiliated with Oxford University. She is interested in mental health, readers’ responses to literature, and how the two might be linked--as well as what both have to do with human consciousness. Her monograph Kafka’s Cognitive Realism (2014) explores the strange phenomenon we call the ’Kafkaesque’ and her Hunger Artist blog for Psychology Today investigates the science and experience of eating disorders and recovery.