The User Illusion : Cutting Consciousness Down to Size

First published in 1998, the title refers to the simplistic mental image most of us have of our PCs. The author says our consciousness is our user illusion of ourselves. Drawing on scientific research from psychology and biology to physics and computer science, he makes a compelling case for putting consciousness in perspective.

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.