Very interesting and very clinical. At times it felt as though we are reading doctors notes more-so than a book.

It took me a long time to get into the book because it was so clinical.

I found this an interesting read on the topic, but I have to say it was extremely science-heavy. At times, I felt that it could have even been one of my school textbooks, but even saying that, I wasn't bored. Definitely something to read if you have ever just FELT someone or something in the room with you, even if you can't see who or what.

Presence has a very interesting premise for a book. Diving into stories of people who feel a particular sensation. The overarching theme was very interesting and there were enough small hooks to keep me reading but overall I found the style of naration didn't bring me in. This could be a personal preference but the mixture of almost doctor notes and novel storytelling didn't compell me. While I didn't love the style I will say the concept is very intriquing and has lingered with me compelling me to think on it.

I must say, this was one spooky read! It being of the non-fiction genre around mental and emotional health, my own experiences with chronic sleep paralysis and "audio" events-as a reader I needed some hand holding to digest book. This was well written but totally the wrong genre for me giving my experience. I would recommend it to those interested in this topic though.
#Presence #NetGalley.

I wanted to this book to be easy and fun to read but it is a dense read that feels heavy on the science and scientific perspectives. The concept is there and the information and data is also there but for me it just felt like a slog to get through. This book isn't bad at all, it just isn't my kind of reading. I do love the subject though and the author's discussions and findings are very interesting.

This was a very well-researched book. Alderson-Day has clearly dedicated much of his time and energy both professionally and personally to the primary subject explored here, a felt sense of presence despite the lack of a physical being. I appreciated this science-oriented look at a set of phenomena that is generally regarded as supernatural. There is a lot of detail here for those who are looking to dive in.

A really great read that covered multiple perspectives on presence and other psychological conditions like exploding head syndrome and sleep paralysis. I loved the author's writing voice; you can tell he is very passionate about this subject and he presented it in a way that was easy to understand. Overall, this is a great primer on felt presence, and I imagine it will fit well in any public library's collection. I look forward to Alderson-Day's future publications.

Definitely not bad but also not exactly a new take on the subject either. Worth reading if you are newer to the subject but if you've read a lot already it won't be super different.

Author Ben Alderson-Day is a British research psychologist with an interest in auditory verbal hallucinations; and while the phenomenon of “hearing voices” can be linked to schizophrenia and other pathologies, not all those who have this experience (or who otherwise sense invisible presences) suffer from a diagnosable condition — Alderson-Day simply refers to his core research subjects as “voice-hearers”. Starting with those who report hearing disembodied voices, the author cast his net wider to interview and collect research on those who report seeing or feeling the physical presence of someone who is invisible to others, and this net is cast so widely that Presence: The Strange Science and True Stories of the Unseen Other includes the stories of everyone from epileptics and ultramarathoners to mediums and Bronies; and I was pretty much fascinated by all of it. Sections where Alderson-Day shares other’s research and theory can be a little dry, but this was more than made up for by the sections where the author engagingly reports his own thoughts and conversations. This was not exactly the book that I expected it to be, but I am not a bit disappointed by what it is.

This book was truly remarkable. I loved the incorporation of first person accounts and case studies as well as the diverse opinions of other scholars. It's a fascinating read and one I can't recommend highly enough. If you're intersted in the paranormal and aberrant psychology, this is the book for you!

Psychologist Ben Alderson-Day investigates the occult through the lens of a scientist. He explores whether experiences related to encounters with ghosts are connected to a form psychosis or just a product of regular brain function. Using interviews and case studies he examines the contexts in which these experiences occur to provide a fascinating portrait of the human mind.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this e-ARC. This does not affect my opinion which is honest and my own.

To be frank, I initially thought this books was going to someone trying to explain ghosts with science, but I was pleasantly surprised by the actual material! Alderson-Day explains complex topics in psychology and neurology with enough simplicity that I could understand what he was explaining and arguing and I've only ever taken AP Psychology a few years ago.

The numerous real life stories and examples was a great break between the technical language and statistics. I greatly appreciated hearing all the different stories, and I also appreciate how Alderson-Day treated everyone with respect. I know this topic can sometimes lead to denigrating people who experiences presences, but he treated the subject as a perfectly normal thing to happen.

Overall, a solid non-fiction. My only critique was that it felt too clinical in some parts and reading became a bit of a drag, but that happens with a lot of non-fiction, to be honest.

4/5 stars.

Scholars want answers and Dr. Ben Alderson-Day has spent years researching what he calls a “presence” which encompasses the unknown. He digs deep into what causes people to have visions when something is not there or when people hear voices that are silent to everyone else. The title made me curious what this is about.

This book takes us on a journey of shared experiences that cannot be explained in a scientific way. He tells stories of those that have talked about “silent companions” while they’re in the midst of extreme conditions. He reviews reports of what happens when patients hallucinate with Parkinson’s disease, dementia, psychosis and schizophrenia. He examines various sleep patterns, sleepwalking episodes and nightmares. And, of course psychics are included in the book with words of wisdom from spirits.

The author brings up the concept of someone with two minds: what’s real and what’s imagined. A participant from a survey said, “If the ‘voice’ of a good book gets into my head, it can seep into my own experience of the world, and I find myself thinking in that voice, as that character, while carrying out normal activities.” This happens to many of us. One scientist said, “There are probably daemon voices whispering to all of us all the time, and we have forgotten how to hear them.”

The book includes several quotes from doctors, professors, and scientists – some which were more interesting to me. I imagine the author’s desk is packed with a pile of notes everywhere or maybe they’re all stacked up in his mind. He did a remarkable job sharing this information. It’s a good book for discussions.

My thanks to Ben Alderson-Day, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of March 28, 2023.

Instagram and YouTube Short both scheduled to go live Feb 21st

Presence by Ben Alderson-Day is one of the sort of niche topic non-fiction books I love. This book looks specifically at the idea of unseen presences. Not always unheard, as a good portion of the book covers those that hear voices, but the presence of someone or something unseen. This could be the sleep paralysis demon you wake up too on your chest or just the feeling of someone looking over your shoulder.

Mr. Alderson-Day takes the time to speak both with first person accounts of all these types of iterations of presences (when possible) and to speak with specialists. Some of these are doctors and patients who hear or see things. Others are long distance travelers (like the man who rowed across the ocean). The stories are fascinating and really tie together things you wouldn’t immediately think of when you think ‘presence’. He even briefly touches on mythology and delves into some spiritualism and faith based presences.

It could be possible with that many perspectives and mini-topics under this book to loose track or get bogged down but this clearly pulls through, keeping a strong line through each chapter and section to a solid conclusion (as solid as one can get on this). That ultimately made this book incredibly readable and kept me hooked in through to the end.

This was possibly one of the better non-fiction books I’ve read this year and I’ll certainly be referring to it in the future. Not only did I learn from this but my partner got to be the recipient of the classic ‘Listen to this!’, always the mark of a good nonfiction book. Presence is a solid, approachable read on a sometimes spooky and always intriguing topic. I highly recommend it for anyone interested!

A very interesting read. Makes you think about all the spooky things in life. Made me want to look more into the topic and read more by this author.