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Here are some customer reviews of Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind : Buy it One way of studying the brain is to destroy parts of it in laboratory animals, and see how performance is affected. Obviously we cannot conduct similar experiments on humans. We can, however, learn a lot about human brain function by studying the behavior of people who have suffered brain damage through trauma or disease. Dr. Ramachandran spends his time studying such patients. His book, Phantoms In The Brain, is filled with case studies from his experiences. A significant section of the book discusses the problems of patients with phantom limb syndrome. Why does the brain continue to think an amputated limb is still present? When a patient's brain reacts as if an amputated hand is in a continually clenched position, causing much pain, how can the brain be fooled into unclenching the hand? Why does shaving sometimes feel like your amputated arm is being stimulated? Damage to various brain centers creates an amazing number of strange maladies. Damage to a visual area can cause "blindsight', where the patient cannot see an object, but can point out where it is. And, yes, what about the limbic system? Damage to certain areas in this system can cause various religious experiences. Then there's anosognosia. A stroke may leave one whole side of a patient paralyzed, yet the patient thinks that there is nothing wrong with him. This book is the perfect adjunct to reading a basic book on brain function. That's not necessary, though, as it is totally accessible to the layman, and should keep the reader spellbound. Such works also impress upon me that the brain is the mind. Damage to that vital organ can change who we are. If you enjoy Oliver Sacks you will truly enjoy this book. Ramachandran's text takes medical anomalies and explains them in a way both health professional and laypersons can appreciate. I highly recommend it for students of allied health sciences as a means to increase understanding and acknowledgement of the patient's experience. What Pantanjali did for Yoga on the metaphysical level of reality Dr. V.S. Ramachandran has done for savants in search of the Truth on the material level. What an awesome book! It helped me accelerate my understanding of 'Human Behaviour' and I would put it on the same level as "I AM THAT" a spiritual masterpiece by Shri. Nisargadatta Maharaj. Thank You... This is easily one of the best non-fiction books I've read in the past year. I am a student of psychology, with an emphasis on both neuroscience and cognitive science, and I can say that this book should be very interesting for both the layman and professional alike. The author's style is very easy to read, and he provides just the right amount of technical information to inform the non-scientist and yet not bore those who are well-educated in the fields he discusses. I highly recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in the way the mind works (pretty much anyone who's got one, that is).

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