A new theory of mind
Subtitle: the theory of narrative thought
By: by Lee Roy Beach ; with Byron L. Bissell ; commentary by James A. Wise
Contributors: Bissell, Byron L., author; Wise, James A., writer of added commentary
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Published: 2016
Place of publication: Newcastle upon Tyne
Language: eng
Number of pages: 195
ISBN-13: 9781443887182
Copyright date: 2016
Subjects: Thought and thinking
Description: This book presents a unique and intuitively compelling way of understanding how humans think. It argues that narratives are the natural mode of thinking, that the “urge” to think narratively reflects known neurological processes, and that, although narrative thinking is a product of evolution, it enables us to transcend our evolutionary limits and actively shape our own futures. In remarkably engaging language, the authors describe how the currency of neural activity in the brain is transformed into the qualitatively different currency of conscious experience—the everyday, purposeful, story-like experience with which we all are familiar. The book then examines the nature of thought and how it leads to purposeful action, discussing, among other concerns, how memories about the past, perceptions about the present, and expectations about the future are structured as plausible, coherent narratives by causation, purpose, and time, and how errors are introduced into one’s narratives, both naturally and by other people (often intentionally), and how those errors bias one’s expectations about the future and the actions taken (or not taken) as a consequence. Each of these discussions is followed by a commentary that ties them to interesting facts and questions from throughout the physical and social sciences. The book is concluded with the argument that narrative thought is what is meant when one uses the word "mind."
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 181-189) and index.