Am I Dreaming?: The New Science of Consciousness and How Altered States Reboot the Brain

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Atlantic Books, 2019 - Medical - 320 pages
When a computer goes wrong, we are told to turn it off and on again. In Am I Dreaming?, science journalist James Kingsland reveals how the human brain is remarkably similar. By rebooting our hard-wired patterns of thinking - through so-called 'altered states of consciousness' - we can gain new perspectives into ourselves and the world around us. From shamans in Peru to tech workers in Silicon Valley, Kingsland provides a fascinating tour through lucid dreams, mindfulness, hypnotic trances, virtual reality and drug-induced hallucinations. An eye-opening insight into perception and consciousness, this is also a provocative argument for how altered states can significantly boost our mental health.

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About the author (2019)

James Kingsland is a science journalist with more than 25 years' experience working for publications including New Scientist and Nature. Most recently he was a commissioning editor and Science Production Editor for the Guardian. He is the author of Siddhartha's Brain: Unlocking the Ancient Science of Enlightenment.

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