"If you’ve ever wondered how you have the capacity to wonder, some fascinating insights await you in these pages.”
—Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals

As concise and enlightening as Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, this mind-expanding dive into the mystery of consciousness is an illuminating meditation on the self, free will, and felt experience.

What is consciousness? How does it arise? And why does it exist? We take our experience of being in the world for granted. But the very existence of consciousness raises profound questions: Why would any collection of matter in the universe be conscious? How are we able to think about this? And why should we?

In this wonderfully accessible book, Annaka Harris guides us through the evolving definitions, philosophies, and scientific findings that probe our limited understanding of consciousness. Where does it reside, and what gives rise to it? Could it be an illusion, or a universal property of all matter? As we try to understand consciousness, we must grapple with how to define it and, in the age of artificial intelligence, who or what might possess it.

Conscious offers lively and challenging arguments that alter our ideas about consciousness—allowing us to think freely about it for ourselves, if indeed we can.

For Sam, Emma, and Violet

Dedication
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright

1: A Mystery Hiding in Plain Sight
2: Intuitions and Illusions
3: Is Consciousness Free?
4: Along for the Ride
5: Who Are We?
6: Is Consciousness Everywhere?
7: Beyond Panpsychism
8: Consciousness and Time

This book is the product of many years of research and lengthy conversations with experts in the field of consciousness studies. I am grateful to the scientists and philosophers who took time out of their demanding schedules to brainstorm (and debate at length!) with an amateur—it was an absolute joy to discuss consciousness with every one of them: Donald Hoffman, Anil Seth, Christof Koch, Rebecca Goldstein, Dean Buonomano, Philip Goff, Adam Frank, and Thomas Metzinger.

As this project evolved from an obsessive interest to a long article to a short book, many friends and colleagues played a critical role in its development. I am grateful for the generosity of all the scientists, philosophers, and artists alike who read and gave me notes on early drafts, sharing their curious minds and keen insights with me: Isabelle Boemeke, Sean Carroll, David Chalmers, Antonio Damasio, Gavin de Becker, David Eagleman, Amy Eldon, Michael Gazzaniga, David Gelles, Joseph Goldstein, Daniel Goleman, Adam Grant, Susan Kaiser Greenland, Dan Harris, Nathalia Holt, Suzanne Hudson, Marco Iacoboni, David Janet, Amy Lenclos, Iain McGilchrist, Thomas Nagel, Rob Reid, Casey Rentz, Murray Shanahan, Jason Silva, Susan Smalley, Galen Strawson, Max Tegmark, Dalit Toledano, Giulio Tononi, Jon Turteltaub, Tim Urban, D. A. Wallach, Richelle Rich Waters, Diana Winston, and Kalika Yap. And a special thank-you to Gordon Gould for pulling me out of the panpsychism closet and getting me to finally put pen to paper.

Passionate thanks to Amy Rennert, the agent for my children’s book, I Wonder, who supported this project from day one and whose instincts I always trust—this book wouldn’t exist without her. To my agent, John Brockman, for taking a chance on a book about a crazy topic, and to Max Brockman for helping to convince him to take the leap. John and Katinka Brockman have been trusted friends for many years, and it would be impossible to list all the ways they have been an inspiration and a support to me. I am grateful not just for the opportunity to work with them but for the privilege of spending time with two people I so admire.

To my editor and mentor, Sara Lippincott; I was greatly encouraged by her interest and her confidence, and the book is both more rigorous and more eloquent because of her invaluable input. I am also indebted to my editor at HarperCollins, Sarah Haugen, for her zeal and patience as we worked to get the execution of this complicated and controversial topic just right. She took great care to push me out of my comfort zone, and the book is much stronger as a result.

Our nanny, Rosmari, helped keep the world turning (and children from busting through the door of my home office) during the hours when I was researching and writing. My trust in her allowed me the freedom to continue the work I love—a luxury I am keenly aware that few women have had to this day, and for which I am deeply grateful.

Paul Witt, even as he was very ill, generously offered his expert feedback but sadly was not with us long enough to read the final manuscript. This book would have benefited tremendously from his talent and wisdom. We all miss him dearly, and his touch is surely missing in these pages.

My heartfelt thanks go to my sisters, Brianna and Jen, for always being willing readers, and who were available for feedback up to the eleventh hour (even offering last-minute edits via texts). I’m so fortunate to have their friendship and access to their natural editing skills. And to my mother for being my first and most devoted editor and for her unending support.

Last, and most of all, to Sam, Emma, and Violet, whose love is the most precious and cherished experience ever to arise in my consciousness.

ANNAKA HARRIS is an author, an editor, and a consultant for science writers. She is the author of the children’s book I Wonder and a collaborator on Susan Kaiser Greenland’s Mindful Games Activity Cards, and her work has appeared in the New York Times. She lives with her husband, the neuroscientist, author, and podcaster Sam Harris, and their two children.

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CONSCIOUS. Copyright © 2019 by Annaka Harris. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
Cover and interior illustrations and cover design by Gemma O’Brien
Art direction by Jackie Phillips
Digital Edition JUNE 2019 ISBN: 978-0-06-290673-1
Version 05102019
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-290671-7