"I once had a hallucination that a gray tabby cat in top hat and tails had appeared and was sternly yelling at me.
As it turns out, hallucinations are actually common. The brain, whether for lack of resources or stimuli, offers something better.
Oliver Sacks explains various instances of hallucinations and their case histories in the same clear and engaging style which makes his work so interesting, but where Hallucinations stands out is Sacks' personal experience. As a neurology student, he spent his weekends taking hallucinogens and recording the effects, revealing a whole other side to the scientist I've been reading for years."
Publisher Vintage
Publication Date 2013-07-02
Section New Titles - Paperback / Psychology / All Staff Suggestions / Nonfiction Suggestions / Ali B.
Format Paperback
ISBN 9780307947437
To many people, hallucinations imply madness, but in fact they are a common part of the human experience. These sensory distortions range from the shimmering zigzags of a visual migraine to powerful visions brought on by fever, injuries, drugs, sensory deprivation, exhaustion, or even grief. Hallucinations doubtless lie behind many mythological traditions, literary inventions, and religious epiphanies. Drawing on his own experiences, a wealth of clinical cases from among his patients, and famous historical examples ranging from Dostoevsky to Lewis Carroll, the legendary neurologist Oliver Sacks investigates the mystery of these sensory deceptions: what they say about the working of our brains, how they have influenced our folklore and culture, and why the potential for hallucination is present in us all.
