The tides of mind : uncovering the spectrum of consciousness
(Book)

Book Cover
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Published
New York : Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2016.
Edition
First Edition.
ISBN
0871403803, 9780871403803 (hardcover)
Physical Desc
xxiv, 292 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Status

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LocationCall NumberStatusDue Date
Adult Nonfiction (3rd floor)NF 128.2 GELERNT 2016Checked OutMarch 13, 2024

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Published
New York : Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2016.
Format
Book
Edition
First Edition.
Language
English
ISBN
0871403803, 9780871403803 (hardcover)

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 255-267) and index.
Description
The holy grail of psychologists and scientists for nearly a century has been to understand and replicate both human thought and the human mind. In fact, it's what attracted the now-legendary computer scientist and AI authority David Gelernter to the discipline in the first place. As a student and young researcher in the 1980s, Gelernter hoped to build a program with a dial marked "focus." At maximum "focus," the program would "think" rationally, formally, reasonably. As the dial was turned down and "focus" diminished, its "mind" would start to wander, and as you dialed even lower, this artificial mind would start to free-associate, eventually ignoring the user completely as it cruised off into the mental adventures we know as sleep. While the program was a only a partial success, it laid the foundation for The Tides of Mind, a groundbreaking new exploration of the human psyche that shows us how the very purpose of the mind changes throughout the day. Indeed, as Gelernter explains, when we are at our most alert, when reasoning and creating new memories is our main mental business, the mind is a computer-like machine that keeps emotion on a short leash and attention on our surroundings. As we gradually tire, however, and descend the "mental spectrum," reasoning comes unglued. Memory ranges more freely, the mind wanders, and daydreams grow more insistent. Self-awareness fades, reflection blinks out, and at last we are completely immersed in our own minds. With far-reaching implications, Gelernters landmark "Spectrum of Consciousness" finally helps decode some of the most mysterious wonders of the human mind, such as the numinous light of early childhood, why dreams are so often predictive, and why sadism and masochism underpin some of our greatest artistic achievements. Its a theory that also challenges the very notion of the mind as a machineand not through empirical studies or "hard science" but by listening to our great poets and novelists, who have proven themselves as humanity's most trusted guides to the subjective mind and inner self.

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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Gelernter, D. H. (2016). The tides of mind: uncovering the spectrum of consciousness (First Edition.). Liveright Publishing Corporation.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Gelernter, David Hillel. 2016. The Tides of Mind: Uncovering the Spectrum of Consciousness. Liveright Publishing Corporation.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Gelernter, David Hillel. The Tides of Mind: Uncovering the Spectrum of Consciousness Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2016.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Gelernter, David Hillel. The Tides of Mind: Uncovering the Spectrum of Consciousness First Edition., Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2016.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.