Our Fictional Minds: Moving Beyond Consciousness, Self, and Other Illusions

In Our Fictional Minds, David C. Fisher, Ph.D. challenges often-cherished convictions about ourselves and the world around us. By drawing on psychology, physics, neuroscience, as well as Western and Buddhist philosophies, he shows how common views of reality, consciousness, and the mind both serve and limit us. This revolutionary book helps readers:

• Identify mental shortcuts that limit our openness to new or opposing ideas.
• Become more comfortable with ambiguity, encouraging creativity and flexibility.
• See the nature and origins of their conceptions of "self" through a striking case example of hypnosis.
• Consider viewpoints challenging the appearance of free will.
• Develop flexible thinking to prevent being manipulated.
• Reimagine introspection and consciousness.
• Develop fluid and interconnected concepts of the self, enhancing self-acceptance, resilience, and empathy.
• Conceive reality itself from a fresh perspective, bringing a sense of interconnectedness and inner peace.

Embracing such new approaches usually means confronting, and ultimately discarding, deeply held convictions about ourselves and reality. Those who can meet these challenges embark on an enlightening journey of self-discovery. By bringing this new thinking to the forefront, readers will see not only themselves as part of something vast and extraordinary, but better understand the potential in us all for transformation.

David C. Fisher, Ph.D., LP, APBB is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, a member of the American Academy of Clinical Psychology, and a recipient of the American Psychological Association's Clinical Practice Award.

Fisher practiced at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis and was a psychologist in private practice. He has published articles in many professional journals and has spoken at conferences and other venues around the world.

He was the co-founder of, and Managing Director of Assessment for, International Claims Solutions LLC in Australia. He also co-founded and was Chairman of the Board of PsyBar LLC, a network of 1,800 MDs and Ph.D. psychologists who provide psychological and psychiatric services in the US and abroad.