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Mar 16, 2019IndyPL_SteveB rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
The works of Oliver Sacks are standard works for anyone interested in the workings of the human brain. But they are entertaining and enlightening for most of us. The most interesting aspect of his writing is the way he uses odd brain states to speculate on what they tell us about the workings of the normal brain – if there is any meaning to the word “normal.” “Hallucinations” are things we sense (see, hear, feel, smell, etc.) while we are awake that no one else perceives to be there. If you asked most people what they think “hallucination” means, they assume that it refers to someone who is schizophrenic or on illegal drugs. But Sacks points out that there are many other conditions which cause hallucinations. Nearly all of us may have some experience in our life which qualifies for that definition. Epilepsy, migraine headaches, brain tumors, concussions, strokes, or other forms of brain injury typically cause visions and distortions of reality, from flashing lights to visions of people appearing before us. Even more common are the brief aural or visual hallucinations that most of us have one time or another just as we are falling asleep or waking up. This might include hearing someone call your name or someone seeming to be beside you in the bed, when the house is actually empty. Fascinating writing and a key to our understanding of being human.