Imagination is about far more than whether people think of themselves as creative or not. We use our imagination all the time in planning, anticipating, daydreaming, reminiscing and being able to enjoy other people’s stories. In fact, we don’t live in the here and now as much as we might think. Imagination isn’t the exception to our daily lives; it’s our default setting.
 
From hallucinations to sleepwalking, from REM sleep to delusions, neurologist Adam Zeman brilliantly guides us through the latest scientific discoveries in the world of the imagination. Imagine looking at a cube and your eye will trace the contours of the cube as if you were actually seeing it. Imagine inhaling and the airflow through your nose will increase. In grief, you might imagine that you saw your loved one again – and be consoled by the experience. And yet some people have no visual imagination at all – they would even be unable to picture their family if asked to – but still lead fulfilling, even highly creative, lives.
 
From how infants perceive the world to how we can anticipate the thoughts of other people, from the benefits of play to mental disorders, The Shape of Things Unseen dazzles and delights in its insights into the workings of the human mind.
 
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Early praise for The Shape of Things Unseen:
 
‘A marvellous account of the brain’s creative powers in perception and imagination, beautifully written, bringing novel insights to bear on the richness of mental life: Zeman is the poet of this science’ - A.C.Grayling
 
‘Highly original, on a fascinating topic and, yes, beautifully written’ - Dominic Lawson
 
‘Rarely does one come across a scientific book that one simply does not want to put down. This is an immensely readable account of how the human imagination works, and of its ramifications in all areas of our lives. Adam Zeman is an extremely companionable writer, leading us courteously through the byways of neuroscience and psychology as he expounds his fascinating subject. This book is a triumph. It is a work of great importance that touches upon many of the issues that beset our world today’ - Alexander McCall Smith
 
‘Groundbreaking... Neurologist Adam Zeman reveals the unseen landscapes of our minds in a way that is both accessible and deeply insightful. The Shape of Things Unseen is essential reading for anyone intrigued by the mysteries of the mind.’ - Prof Steven Laureys
 
‘What is it like to live without mental images, to imagine without a mind’s eye? In The Shape of Things Unseen, pioneering neurologist Adam Zeman leads us through the mysterious world of aphantasia. It's an intoxicating journey. Zeman is a gifted writer and storyteller and manages to do justice to the poetry of the mind as well as the science. I have a feeling this book is destined to become a classic of narrative neuroscience.’ - Paul Broks