Kokoszka has written a unique book on consciousness and its altered states that goes beyond current approaches. In this coherent and broadly valid account of the evolved function of consciousness, he provides different viewpoints that contribute to an overall understanding of this phenomenon. Thus the book covers a historical overview of studies on consciousness and its altered states, an evolutionary/dynamic model of consciousness and information processing, but also new perspectives on the role of consciousness in psychopathology. Case illustrations serve as excellent examples of how the model can be used in clinical practice. Andrzej Kokoszka is one of those who substantially understand consciousness, and this volume can be added to the list of other illuminating works on the subject such as Francis Crick's The Astonishing Hypothesis (1994), Wallace' and Fisher's Consciousness and behavior (2003).
-Dr F. Pouwer, Department of Medical Psychology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This important book is a 'must have' for serious readers of the study of consciousness and its altered states. It is current with respect to research and theory, and it will hopefully invigorate a field of study that has remained dormant for many years.
- Benjamin Wallace, Ph.D., Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Few books in clinical psychology or clinical psychiatry have the breadth and depth of scholarship brought to this volume. Kokoszka's conceptualizations regarding consciousness and the broad manifestations of the human experience are essential reading for both students and experienced practitioners. He integrates his expertise in medicine, neurophysiology, clinical psychology, philosophy, psychopathology, and psychotherapy. Not a volume to be read lightly . . . This is a volume that must be studied carefully as the nidus for careful thought, discussion, and collegial debate.
- Arthur Freeman, Ph.D., Governors State University, University Park, Illinois, USA
