The Private Life of the Brain

As our knowledge of the brain grows beyond the wildest expectations, the time is ripe to explore pleasure in terms of the workings of the mind. Pleasure is the most marvellous sensation, the most prized state, but also, properly understood, the most basic type of consciousness.

Understanding pleasure suggests new ways of understanding consciousness itself by looking at the neurological character of our most primitive emotions. In this volume, Susan Greenfield explains various mysteries: for example, how different experiences give rise to similar sensations in the mind, such as those experienced via sport, raves, or orgasm; the workings of recreational drugs; and the neurological character of pleasure, which reveals a complex, close relationship to feelings of fear (for example, the appeal of the rollercoaster).

The Private Life of the Brain offers insights into the mind's intricate landscape, highlighting the interplay between pleasure and fear, and inviting readers to ponder the neurological underpinnings of our most profound sensations.