Adam Zeman

Hajlamosak vagyunk azt gondolni, hogy a képzeletünkre csak kreatív tevékenységek során támaszkodunk. Pedig nap mint nap szükségünk van rá, amikor felidézünk emlékeket, tervezgetjük a jövőt, álmodozunk, olvasunk, és általában véve használjuk a fantáziánkat. Képzeletünk tehát meghatározza az egész hétköznapi életünket, de csak a közelmúltban kezdtük ténylegesen megérteni, hogyan működik valójában.A neurológus Adam Zeman a hallucinációktól kezdve az alvajáráson át a REM-alvásfázisig töviről hegyire feltárja könyvében a képzelet világát. Az idegtudományos felfedezésekre, az ember eredetére és a gyermeki fejlődésre vonatkozó legutóbbi kutatások felhasználásával bemutatja, agyunk hogyan végzi magas szintű kreatív munkáját.Legyen szó a vizualizálás folyamatáról és mások gondolkodásának megértéséről, a játék előnyeiről és a mentális betegségek természetéről, A fantázia lenyűgöző birodalma rengeteg izgalmas tudnivalót kínál: Zeman könyvéből megtudhatjuk, a tudomány jelenleg hol tart az emberi elme működésének megismerésében.

A compelling insight into how our imagination works, based on the latest scientific research. People often think of imagination as something used only in creative endeavours. In fact, we use imagination constantly as we reminisce, anticipate, plan, daydream, read, create imagined worlds. The truth is we live in the here and now much less than we tend to think. Imagination isn’t the exception in our daily lives; it’s our default setting. Yet only now are we beginning to understand exactly how it works. From hallucination to sleepwalking, from REM sleep to delusions, neurologist Adam Zeman brilliantly guides us through the latest scientific studies in the world of the imagination. He draws on research in neuroscience, the study of human origins and child development to show how the human brain is above all else a creative, imaginative organ – and that we have evolved to share what we imagine. Our brains behave in strikingly similar ways when we observe, remember, imagine or act. Imagine looking at a cube and your eye will trace the contours of the cube as if you were actually seeing it. Yet it turns out that people differ hugely in their imaginative experience. Some people lack sensory imagery altogether – they would be unable to picture their family if asked to – but still lead fulfilling, even highly creative, lives. From how we visualise to how we understand the minds of others, from the benefits of play to mental disorders, The Shape of Things Unseen dazzles and delights. It is an essential guide to the latest discoveries about the workings of the human mind.

A compelling insight into how our imagination works, based on the latest scientific research. People often think of imagination as something used only in creative endeavours. In fact, we use imagination constantly as we reminisce, anticipate, plan, daydream, read, create imagined worlds. The truth is we live in the here and now much less than we tend to think. Imagination isn't the exception in our daily lives; it's our default setting. Yet only now are we beginning to understand exactly how it works. From hallucination to sleepwalking, from REM sleep to delusions, neurologist Adam Zeman brilliantly guides us through the latest scientific studies in the world of the imagination. He draws on research in neuroscience, the study of human origins and child development to show how the human brain is above all else a creative, imaginative organ - and that we have evolved to share what we imagine. Our brains behave in strikingly similar ways when we observe, remember, imagine or act. Imagine looking at a cube and your eye will trace the contours of the cube as if you were actually seeing it. Yet it turns out that people differ hugely in their imaginative experience. Some people lack sensory imagery altogether - they would be unable to picture their family if asked to - but still lead fulfilling, even highly creative, lives. From how we visualise to how we understand the minds of others, from the benefits of play to mental disorders, The Shape of Things Unseen dazzles and delights. It is an essential guide to the latest discoveries about the workings of the human mind.