[PDF] Behind Every Illusion eBook

Author : Susana Martinez-Conde
Publisher : Scientific American / Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Page : 178 pages
File Size : 33,54 MB
Release : 2017-10-24
Category : Art
ISBN : 0374120404

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A collection of visual illusions with explanations of the science behind them, gathered from the Best Illusions of the Year contest. --

Author : John C. Wathey
Publisher : Prometheus Books
Page : 464 pages
File Size : 29,17 MB
Release : 2016
Category : Religion
ISBN : 1633880745

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An essential feature of religious experience across many cultures is the intuitive feeling of God's presence. More than any rituals or doctrines, it is this experience that anchors religious faith, yet it has been largely ignored in the scientific literature on religion.Starting with a vivid narrative account of the life-threatening hike that triggered his own mystical experience, biologist John Wathey takes the reader on a scientific journey to find the sources of religious feeling and the illusion of God's presence. His book delves into the biological origins of this compelling feeling, attributing it to innate neural circuitry that evolved to promote the mother-child bond. Dr. Wathey argues that evolution has programmed the infant brain to expect the presence of a loving being who responds to the child's needs. As the infant grows into adulthood, this innate feeling is eventually transferred to the realm of religion, where it is reactivated through the symbols, imagery, and rituals of worship. The author interprets our various conceptions of God in biological terms as illusory supernormal stimuli that fill an emotional and cognitive vacuum left over from infancy. These insights shed new light on some of the most vexing puzzles of religion, like the popular belief in a god who is judgmental and punishing, yet also unconditionally loving; the extraordinary tenacity of faith; the greater religiosity of women relative to men; religious obsessions with sex; the mysterious compulsion to pray; the seemingly irrepressible feminine attributes of God, even in traditionally patriarchal religions; and the strange allure of cults. Finally, Dr. Wathey considers the hypothesis that religion evolved to foster reproductive success, arguing that, in an age of potentially ruinous overpopulation, magical thinking has become a luxury we can no longer afford, one that distracts us from urgent threats to our planet.Deeply researched yet elegantly written in a jargon-free and accessible style, this book presents a compelling interpretation of the evolutionary origins of spirituality and religion.

Author : Derk Pereboom
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 257 pages
File Size : 50,7 MB
Release : 2006-11-02
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0521029961

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Argues that morality, meaning and value remain intact even if we are not morally responsible for our actions.

Author : Giles Hutchins
Publisher : Floris Books
Page : 219 pages
File Size : 17,37 MB
Release : 2014-10-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 1782501436

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Our modern patterns of thinking and learning are all based on observing a world of 'things', which we think of as separate building blocks. This worldview allows us to count and measure objects without their having any innate value; it provides neat definitions and a sense of control over life. However, this approach also sets humans apart from each other, and from nature.In reality, in nature, everything is connected in a fluid, dynamic way. 'Separateness' is an illusion we have created -- and is fast becoming a dangerous delusion infecting how we relate to business, politi, and other key areas of our daily reality.Giles Hutchins argues that the source of our current social, economic and environmental issues springs from the misguided way we see and construct our world. With its roots in ancient wisdom, this insightful book sets out an accesssible, easy to follow exploration of the causes of our current crises, offering ways to rectify these issues at source and then pointing to a way ahead.

Author : Gregg D. Caruso
Publisher : Lexington Books
Page : 335 pages
File Size : 43,51 MB
Release : 2013-07-05
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 073917732X

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Exploring the Illusion of Free Will and Moral Responsibility investigates the philosophical and scientific arguments for free will skepticism and their implications. Skepticism about free will and moral responsibility has been on the rise in recent years. In fact, a significant number of philosophers, psychologists, and neuroscientists now either doubt or outright deny the existence of free will and/or moral responsibility—and the list of prominent skeptics appears to grow by the day. Given the profound importance that the concepts of free will and moral responsibility hold in our lives—in understanding ourselves, society, and the law—it is important that we explore what is behind this new wave of skepticism. It is also important that we explore the potential consequences of skepticism for ourselves and society. Edited by Gregg D. Caruso, this collection of new essays brings together an internationally recognized line-up of contributors, most of whom hold skeptical positions of some sort, to display and explore the leading arguments for free will skepticism and to debate their implications.

Author : Bruce Hood
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 42,26 MB
Release : 2012-06-15
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 0199969892

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Most of us believe that we are unique and coherent individuals, but are we? The idea of a "self" has existed ever since humans began to live in groups and become sociable. Those who embrace the self as an individual in the West, or a member of the group in the East, feel fulfilled and purposeful. This experience seems incredibly real but a wealth of recent scientific evidence reveals that this notion of the independent, coherent self is an illusion - it is not what it seems. Reality as we perceive it is not something that objectively exists, but something that our brains construct from moment to moment, interpreting, summarizing, and substituting information along the way. Like a science fiction movie, we are living in a matrix that is our mind. In The Self Illusion, Dr. Bruce Hood reveals how the self emerges during childhood and how the architecture of the developing brain enables us to become social animals dependent on each other. He explains that self is the product of our relationships and interactions with others, and it exists only in our brains. The author argues, however, that though the self is an illusion, it is one that humans cannot live without. But things are changing as our technology develops and shapes society. The social bonds and relationships that used to take time and effort to form are now undergoing a revolution as we start to put our self online. Social networking activities such as blogging, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter threaten to change the way we behave. Social networking is fast becoming socialization on steroids. The speed and ease at which we can form alliances and relationships is outstripping the same selection processes that shaped our self prior to the internet era. This book ventures into unchartered territory to explain how the idea of the self will never be the same again in the online social world.

Author : Susan Blackmore
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 169 pages
File Size : 48,24 MB
Release : 2017
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0198794738

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Consciousness, the last great mystery for science, remains a hot topic. How can a physical brain create our experience of the world? What creates our identity? Do we really have free will? Could consciousness itself be an illusion? Exciting new developments in brain science are continuing the debates on these issues, and the field has now expanded to include biologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers. This controversial book clarifies the potentially confusing arguments, and the major theories, whilst also outlining the amazing pace of discoveries in neuroscience. Covering areas such as the construction of self in the brain, mechanisms of attention, the neural correlates of consciousness, and the physiology of altered states of consciousness, Susan Blackmore highlights our latest findings. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : Subha Thangaraj
Publisher : Notion Press
Page : 269 pages
File Size : 34,55 MB
Release : 2019-08-05
Category : Music
ISBN : 164587561X

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“Nature has music to those who listen,” says Shakespeare. How true this is! Have you ever felt the music in the swaying trees, the blossoming flowers, the cry of a baby, the gush of the storm? Have you seen those little ants energetically running in unity? Have you seen the birds that step up and down, up and down? Have you seen the tiny toddlers falling and relentlessly rising up? Have you watched them closely to understand the motivation they carry? Listen to the Music Around is a collection of experiences of how nature and my surroundings imparted in me powerful lessons to bring back my motivation at every step in life. Do you feel down? Do you feel lost? Do you feel isolated? Traverse with me and let’s learn from every little thing around us together! Listen to the Music Around.