The Psychology of Consciousness - (Psychology of Conscious Evolution Trilogy) 4th Edition by Robert Ornstein (Paperback)

About the Book

In this new revised edition of his timeless classic, Ornstein goes beyond right/left brain theory to show how a synthesis of functions delivers a more complete science of consciousness with an extended conception of our own capabilities.

Book Synopsis

This new, revised edition of the classic study takes a fresh look at human consciousness and the untapped potential of the human mind. Robert Ornstein reexamines what's known about consciousness and why this understanding is so important at this time of enormous challenge, change and potential. He begins with an exploration of how the human brain evolved as a complex system for limiting what we "pick up" from the vast external environment to just the information we need to survive. He describes how we fill in the gaps with "unconscious inferences" - assumptions, categorizations, expectations and habituations that allow us to operate in the world, but that limit our perception of what is, and what's possible. Going beyond the theory that creative impulses originate in the right side of the brain and rational impulses in the left, Ornstein shows how a synthesis of these two functions can bring about "a more complete science of human consciousness with an extended conception of our own capabilities." He proposes that education at all levels should now include learning and teaching about our human nature - the nature of the person being taught. Offering far more than scholarly discourse, Ornstein enriches his presentation with thought-provoking illustrations and traditional teachings stories that bring the science to life, giving readers a firsthand taste of what such education might be like. Only with the development of self-knowledge and the cultivation of a comprehensive, expanded consciousness, he says, will humanity be able to perceive and take the "selfless" steps necessary to solve our collective problems. This new edition of The Psychology of Consciousness comes at a time when, on a global scale, we need this type of thinking more than ever.

Review Quotes

"... a fine, fine book - lucid, unsmug, amazingly comprehensive, and fascinating. ... Reading it, I felt over and over that this was the book I had been waiting for." - Tony Hiss, the New Yorker

"The Psychology of Consciousness . . . should be read by all students of the mind, including psychiatrists and clinical psychologists . . .a fine text to introduce students to the new ideas that are transforming the study of the mind..." - Andrew Weil, Psychology Today

"An original and explosive book. It starts out by making psychology, the science of the mind, what's it actually is-as exciting and suspenseful as a good mystery story." - George B. Leonard, author of The Life We Are Given