The intuition that we have privileged and unrestricted access to ourselves–that we inevitably
know who we are, how we feel, what we do, and what we think–is very compelling. Here, we …

The question of whether cognition can influence perception has a long history in
neuroscience and philosophy. Here, we outline a novel approach to this issue, arguing that …

A new theory is taking hold in neuroscience. It is the theory that the brain is essentially a
hypothesis-testing mechanism, one that attempts to minimise the error of its predictions …

Political behavior is the result of innumerable unnoticed forces and conscious deliberation is
often a rationalization of automatically triggered feelings and thoughts. Citizens are very …

What is attention? How does attention shape consciousness? In an approach that engages
with foundational topics in the philosophy of mind, the theory of action, psychology, and the …

This article tests a new model for predicting which aspects of personality are best judged by
the self and which are best judged by others. Previous research suggests an asymmetry in …

Perception is our key to the world. It plays at least three different roles in our lives. It justifies
beliefs and provides us with knowledge of our environment. It brings about conscious mental …

Narratives are artefacts of a special kind: they are intentionally crafted devices which fulfil
their story-telling function by manifesting the intentions of their makers. But narrative itself is …

How do you know your own thoughts and feelings? Do we have 'privileged access' to our
own minds? Does introspection provide a grasp of a thinking self or 'I'? The problem of self …

Happiness is an everyday term in our lives, and most of us strive to be happy. But defining
happiness can be difficult. In this Very Short Introduction, Dan Haybron considers the true …