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Presence

The Strange Science and True Stories of the Unseen Other

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

A psychologist's journey to understand one of the most unusual experiences known to humankind: the universal, disturbing feeling that someone or something is there when we are alone.
These experiences of sensing a Presence when no one else is there have been given many names—the Third Man, guardian angels, shadow figures, "social" hallucinations—and they have inspired, unsettled, and confounded in equal measure.
While the contexts in which they occur are diverse, they are united by a distinct and uncanny feeling of visitation by another. But what does this feeling mean, and where does it come from? When and why do presences emerge? And how can we even begin to understand a phenomenon that can be transformative for those who experience it, and yet so hard to put into words?
The answers to these questions lie in this tour-de-force through contemporary psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, and philosophy. Presence follows Ben Alderson-Day's attempts—as a psychologist and a researcher—to understand how this experience is possible. What is a voice when it isn't heard, and how otherwise do we know or feel that someone is in our presence? Is it a hallucination connected to psychosis, a change in the working of the brain, or something else?
The journey to understand takes us to meet explorers, mediums, and robots, and step through real, imagined, and virtual worlds. Presence is the story of who we carry with us, at all times, as parts of ourselves.

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    • Library Journal

      Starred review from February 1, 2023

      Alderson-Day (psychology, Durham Univ.) invites readers to join him as he investigates the experience of presence, the sensation that a phantom "other" has invaded one's thoughts or space. Drawing on first-person accounts, interviews, and research in various fields such as psychiatry, neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology, the author presents a robust investigation into the phenomenon. Readers will learn medical conditions such as mental illness, epilepsy, dementia, and stress can evoke a feeling of presence. Additionally, benign situations such as isolation, reading, and even sleep can evoke the experience. The author describes how individuals such as psychics may be able to conjure up a presence. While some may encounter a malevolent presence, readers may be comforted to learn that a visitation from an "other" frequently provides comfort or encouragement. No definitive theory is presented, however the author provides many avenues for further study. Readers looking for a compilation of eerie, supernatural stories involving presence may be disappointed. On the other hand, those interested in developing a richer understanding of the phenomenon will appreciate Alderson-Day's in-depth exploration of the topic and detailed endnotes. VERDICT Best suited for readers with an interest in psychology, parapsychology, and related fields.--Lydia Olszak

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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  • English

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