Consciousness Lost and Found

by Lawrence Weiskrantz

The phenomenon of 'consciousness' is intrinsically related to one's awareness of the physical world and one's self, past and present. What, then, can be learned about consciousness from people who, as a result of brain damage, suffer from conditions that affect their awareness, such as amnesia or blindsight? This is the question explored by Lawrence Weiskrantz, a distinguished neuropsychologist who has worked with such patients over 30 years. It has been discovered that many of these patients retain intact capacities of which they are unaware, what is known as 'covert processing'. Weiskrantz maps his and others' research onto a philosophical argument which, combined with the latest brain imaging studies, points the way to specific patterns of brain activity and structures that may be involved in conscious awareness. The book also analyses new approaches to the question of animal consciousness, and its evolutionary value. Written in an engaging and accessible style, Consciousness lost a