Phantoms in the Brain：Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind

NeuroscientistV.S.Ramachandranisinternationallyrenownedforuncoveringanswerstothedeepandquirkyquestionsofhumannaturethatfewscientistshavedaredtoaddress.Hisboldinsightsaboutthebrainarematchedonlybythestunningsimplicityofhisexperiments--usingsuchlow-techtoolsascottonswabs,glassesofwateranddime-storemirrors.InPhantomsintheBrain,Dr.Ramachandranrecountshowhisworkwithpatientswhohavebizarreneurologicaldisordershasshednewlightonthedeeparchitectureofthebrain,andwhatthesefindingstellusaboutwhoweare,howweconstructourbodyimage,whywelaughorbecomedepressed,whywemaybelieveinGod,howwemakedecisions,deceiveourselvesanddream,perhapsevenwhywe'resocleveratphilosophy,musicandart.Someofhismostnotablecases:*AwomanparalyzedontheleftsideofherbodywhobelievessheisliftingatrayofdrinkswithbothhandsoffersauniqueopportunitytotestFreud'stheoryofdenial.*Awomanwhohallucinatescartooncharactersillustrateshow,inasense,weareallhallucinating,allthetime.Dr.Ramachandran'sinspiredmedicaldetectiveworkpushestheboundariesofmedicine'slastgreatfrontier--thehumanmind--yieldingnewandprovocativeinsightsintothe"bigquestions"aboutconsciousnessandtheself.