Seeing through Illusions

Written by one of the foremost researchers into the nature of illusions, this book provides fascinating insights into how the brain perceives the world, conditioned as we are not only by our own previous experience but also by the process of evolution itself. Earlier ways of seeing still remain embedded in the brain, and can be revealed by careful experiments. The scope of the book includes philosophy and art as well as neuroscience and psychological case studies. The key lies in our interpretation of the world. Gregory examines paradigms of perception, blindness, various forms of ambiguity such as 'flipping' (the Necker tube is a well-known example), and different types of cognitive distortion. Authoritative and compelling.