Phantoms in the Brain

Outline

Phantoms in the Brain (1998) explores the mysteries of the human mind through fascinating patient stories. V. S. Ramachandran and Sandra Blakeslee describe people who still feel limbs that have been amputated, patients who ignore half of the world, and others who believe their loved ones are impostors. Using simple experiments, such as the famous mirror box, the book shows what these cases reveal about how the brain works.

• Some amputees still feel the limb that was removed, which shows the brain can keep producing sensations without any body part behind them.
• Certain patients ignore half of the world around them, a sign that awareness depends on specific brain circuits working properly.
• Some people become convinced that a loved one has been replaced by an impostor, showing how fragile our sense of recognition can be.
• Simple experiments, such as the mirror box, can reveal how the brain builds the body and the world we experience.
• Studying unusual neurological cases helps explain ordinary things like identity, reality and consciousness.

V. S. Ramachandran and Sandra Blakeslee combine brain research with clear science writing. Ramachandran is an Indian-American neuroscientist and professor at the University of California, San Diego, known for his work on phantom limbs and the mirror box therapy. Blakeslee is an American science journalist who wrote for The New York Times for many years. Ramachandran’s other books include The Tell-Tale Brain.