This is a book that shows, in simple detail, one of the most startling findings of modern science: We don't experience the world as it is, but as virtual reality. And while much of the latest scientific work demonstrates this, as do many of the classical psychological illusions, it is an important meeting point for students of the mind, brain, philosophy and religion because, as we can now see in light of this book, all these disciplines begin at the same place. This is no...

When we think of family, we most often think of our sisters and brothers, our cousins and grandparents, rather than our world family or even our community connections. We still identify with our differences more than our similarities, unless it's convenient to do otherwise. Here, two seasoned authors tackle the question of family and what it means to us now and how it might change to help us address the problems that affect us all. Using specific examples throughout the work, they present ...

Meditation and Modern Psychology examines meditation from two perspectives: first, from the perspective of religions and philosophies such as Zen, Yoga and those of the Sufis and Christian mystics; and then from the modern psychologist's point of view: what is happening neurophysiologically during and after meditation? By looking at meditation from both points of view, Ornstein produces a modern scientific synthesis - one sympathetic to the practice of meditation, enabling the re...

Robert Ornstein and Paul Ehrlich explain that we are causing our own problems because we have created a world where our basic mental functions are no longer suitable. We evolved over a period of millions of years to survive in small tribal families on the wild grassy plains of East Africa. Now the way we live has nothing to do with that time and place, but the mental tools that were developed to survive on the savanna have remained unchanged. These instincts were wonderfully adapted to the...

A new revised edition of the classic study takes a fresh look at human consciousness and an exciting new view of the untapped potential of the human mind.What is consciousness and why do we need to know?In this new fourth edition of his revolutionary study, Robert Ornstein reexamines what is 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 brai...

What does it mean to go beyond our ordinary perception of reality? Why has almost all of humanity, throughout our history, had the concept of transcendence and connection to “the other” – to “the spirit world,” to “God,” or to “the One behind it all?”This remarkable work coalesces findings from the shamans of the Ice Age (God 1.0), to the first temples, priests and gods of the Neolithic era and Mesopotamia (God 2.0), to the Axial Age prophets and the three major monotheistic religi...

A provocative look at how the human mind evolved, and what this means for our future. What is the mind? How is it that, like the proverbial fish that knows so little about the surrounding water, we know so little about something that controls every aspect of our individual and collective lives? Passionate, entertaining and provocative, The Evolution of Consciousness presents a fundamental challenge to our assumptions about the mind and how it works. Robert Ornstein tackles the min...

Robert Ornstein's classic, Multimind, presents a startling new concept of how the human mind works. In a readable and accessible way, he introduces a new science of the mind, explaining why our emotions and attitudes are so easily swayed, and the difficulty of ever really knowing oneself or another person. Ornstein faults the narrowness of IQ tests, stressing the many varied abilities that make up intelligence. Citing studies of hypnosis and multiple personality, he explains how m...

For years, North Americans have been seeking rational, analytical answers to despair and anxiety. But now, this rational Western perception of consciousness has been challenged by an Eastern discipline which brings into sharp focus the travesty and deception underlying many of the contemporary awareness movements. Yet it is also the author's intent to combat the easy criticisms of the super-rationalists who dismiss every new development as the irresponsible inventions of the "guru-of-the-m...

The fourth book in Hoopoe's "All About Me" series, What We See and Don't See explores what science and research show about how we perceive our world. Readers will learn how the brain makes sense of what's around us, and how it simplifies and organizes information - how we see what we see and, sometimes, don't see what's obviously in front of us. Author Robert Guarino explains how our five senses can be "extended" and our perception enhanced. He explores how there's more to percept...

The third book in Hoopoe's "All About Me" series, What's the Catch? looks at how people (from our parents to our peers) and media (from TV commercials to the Internet) try to influence us. In many situations, we're influenced to think, feel or behave in ways that we might not otherwise pursue. Sometimes such influence is helpful, but at other times we end up being shortchanged. What's the Catch? explores situations and presents examples that will help readers become more aware of ...

The first book in Hoopoe's "All About Me" series, Me and My Memory explores the mystery of our minds and memories: How do we remember, and how do we forget? In a clear and engaging way, it summarizes everything that scientists and researchers know about the topic, and also explores questions that have yet to be answered. Readers will begin to notice how their own and other people's memories work. They'll learn why memory is powerful but not perfect, and they'll uncover strategies ...