Hallucinations Paperback – July 2, 2013

In Hallucinations, Oliver Sacks uses both personal experience and plenty of anecdotal evidence to illuminate the idea that hallucinations can occur in individuals as a result of any number of seemingly harmless conditions. Sacks uses a case study approach to delineate the different causes of hallucinations, shedding light on the idea that they are not symptoms of being "crazy". From Charles Bonnet Syndrome and Parkinson's disease to drug and exhaustion-induced hallucinations, Sacks examines the neural pathways involved in creating these perceptual phenomena. His vast clinical experience and background in hallucination-related conditions guides the journey through the fascinating world of altered cognition - something that I think makes his narrative particularly convincing. The message that Sacks wants you to take away from this book is that hallucinations are not indicative of a debilitating neurological illness; instead, they are simply "unwarranted" signals between synapses that break the threshold into consciousness. Every hallucination that is perceived by patients can be traced to transient synaptic signaling by numerous brain-imaging methods. There are real neurons that are conducting action potentials causes by neurotransmitter signaling, even if there isn't a sensory stimulus to cause these signals. It's as if the brain makes up its own stimuli and then it functions according to normal synaptic signaling.Because of his previous personal experience with hallucinations (described in detail throughout the book), Sacks is able to expose the truth about hallucinations. I think it is his personal observations and experiences, which he continuously elaborates on, that give readers the most insight into the misunderstood world of patients that experience hallucinations. He talks about how there are plenty of populations that experience hallucinations as a secondary effect of a medication that they are on or as a result of an otherwise "non-psychotic" disease. These include patients of Parkinson's disease and Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Sacks dedicates plenty of discussion to the idea that hallucinations are helpful in some peoples lives, having a much more beneficial effect than is popularly believed. Much of his work on the beneficial effects of hallucinations stems from his belief that hallucinations may have been a result of evolutionary pressures early in the development of consciousness. All of this is done to add to the notion that hallucinations should not be directly correlated with some type of psychosis.Sacks seems to believe that the best way to understand each of the broad categories of hallucinations he describes is to use first-hand accounts of patients he has been in contact with or treated. As a result of this belief, the book is made up entirely of anecdotal evidence about different patients experiences with hallucinations with his own commentary interspersed throughout the book. Although the different causes of hallucinations leads to different perceptual patterns, there is a lot of overlap in the discussion of the actual experiences associated with these patients' personal accounts. Because Sacks chooses to use only personal accounts, his discussion eventually becomes tedious and repetitive. It becomes difficult to try to conceptualize the differences between hallucinations and his descriptions seem to become contrived. If you were to read only one chapter of the book, the immense amount of detail given by Sacks could be seen as necessary to fully comprehend what is going on during hallucinations. However, my opinion is that trying to conceptualize every bit of information presented by Sacks can take away from the bigger picture that he is trying to create.In all, this book was as thorough a discussion of hallucinations as could be expected. I don't think I've ever read as detailed of a description of hallucinations as the ones that I found in this book. It illuminates the idea that hallucinations are a far more universal experience than normally believed. Although the analysis is thorough, more time could have been devoted to the underlying theory of hallucinations as well as clinical research done toward treating the negative effects of hallucinations. I think this book is good for the everyday reader and for the aspiring neuroscientist. There was no point in the book when I felt overwhelmed with scientific dialogue, nor did I find myself bored by redundancies or over-simplifications. I would give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars, being left with a greater understanding of hallucinations and consciousness as a whole.

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.Sacks’s book should be read not just by medical professionals but by anyone who works with patients -- in nursing homes, medical offices, rehab centers, or with your own relatives – and by anyone who anticipates BECOMING a patient. Many of the people reading this review will have hallucinations of different kinds as they get older.Sacks also writes from personal experience. He is subject to migraines himself (the subject of his first book) and has had many hallucinations related to that condition. He also experimented with drugs in college and has tales to tell about that. And he briefly discusses an experience where after a severe leg injury and surgery, he felt like his leg had disappeared completely and some alien thing put in its place (written about at length in the book *A Leg to Stand On*).Not only is this book fascinating, it might save your life or a relative’s life someday. And just maybe the next time you or I see a person talking to an invisible friend or telling you about the music they hear playing, we might give consideration to the thought that “that person is ill” rather than “that person is crazy.”

The book analyses different causes of hallucinations and illustrates different experiments conducted in this context.Contents are mainly used to discuss in the classes of PG programmes and Philosophical Counselling course.

Gran compra para aprovechar la oferta, cv excelente autor

Oliver Sacks was a master at being marveled by the ability of our brains to build realities and beliefs and writing his awe and astonishment with well constructed thoughts.In this book he describes many encounters he had with mentally ill people along his life and explores the inner workings of the human brain.

Really good book. Just mentions several different kinds of hallucination types.A really good introductory book to understand all types of hallucinations.But it is not deep about the real brain mechanisms involved in that phenomena.

Oliver Sacks is one of those gifted writers who satifies your curiosities and leaves you a lot wiser after reading his books