Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Paul Singh takes a scientific approach to debunking what he considers as the three illusions of the brain - free will, consciousness and the self.

Singh shares the scientific discoveries that support his claim. He also mentions the fact that these illusions have likely persisted this long because of the advantage they possess for our survival.

All of us believe that we are conscious but we also believe that there is a soul or a self in each one of us which doesn't perish with the body and exists independent of it. The second belief has been contradicted by science. Singh defines free will as the ability to act without being influenced by our genetic dispositions & conditioning.

I have recently read another book called Free Will by Sam Harris. He also argues that the way we act is not free but rather determined by series of events that happened after our birth on which we have no control. His reasoning makes sense and so does Paul's.

This is especially disconcerting to me because I have been raised on a diet of 'You can be whatever you want' and 'Your life is CREATED by you'. But the evidence is too much to not be moved by. (Definitely read Free Will too.)

We are robots but complex ones. Our 'self' cannot exist without the brain 'the physical organ' (this reminds me of the no self teaching by Buddha) Our brain is a brilliant evolution and makes us capable of having the illusions of self & free will.

"Our choices are ultimately determined by what's going on in our brain, and what is going on in our brain is determined by genetics, stimuli from the environment, and a myriad of other casual influences' - Paul Singh

This has increased my interest in reading on the topic in future.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free arc of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. Singh explains what we know about human consciousness and how consciousness studies have evolved throughout history, as science has informed the changing landscape of what we believe about our existence of the self. He also explains 'supernatural' phenomena and how our brain often plays tricks on us and vice versa.

I am personally an atheist and this book follows this same premise, with consciousness originating from the neural connections and DNA unique to each person creating what we know as awareness of self. Singh provided a lot of scientific evidence for this argument, as well as the conclusion that if we are genetically pre-determined in the actions and behaviors we engage in, the idea of free will is an illusion. Although I'm not sure I totally agree with his philosophical conclusions, I found this to be a highly engaging read that will make you question what you think you know about the self.