The Self Delusion: The New Neuroscience of How We Invent―and Reinvent―Our Identities

by Gregory Berns

A New York Times –bestselling author reveals how the stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves, are critical to our lives   We all know we tell stories about ourselves. But as psychiatrist and neuroscientist Gregory Berns argues in The Self Delusion , we don’t just tell stories; we are the stories. Our self-identities are fleeting phenomena, continually reborn as our conscious minds receive, filter, or act on incoming information from the world and our memories.   Drawing on new research in neuroscience, social science, and psychiatry, Berns shows how our stories and our self-identities are temporary and therefore ever changing. Berns shows how we can embrace the delusion of a singular self to make our lives better, offering a plan not centered on what we think will be best for us, but predicated on minimizing regrets. Enlightening, empowering, and surprising, The Self Delusion shows us how to be the protagonist of the stories we want to tell. 

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Science, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Self Help, Audiobook

304 pages, Hardcover

Published October 18, 2022

About the author

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University and Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology.

* Ph.D. University of California, Davis, 1990
* M.D. University of California, San Diego, 1994

Reviews

[Diana Ishaqat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, educational, deep, and unexpectedly comforting. I’ve learned so much from the perspective of a scientist with a critical perspective on the depth of who we are and the many versions of us. A good takeaway I’m taking with me: anything worth doing will be difficult. Recommended.

[Brother Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gregory Berns asserts (in a similar vein to the Scottish philosopher David Hume that the Self is a 'delusion'. It is a fiction that we create as we try to bring coherence to experiences of the past, present and future Selves. We design this fiction based on stories, usually in the form of the 'monomyth'. Our self delusion is also social as we inherit stories from our culture, parents and friends. Assuming that Berns is right about this, he argues that we can forge any identity that we want by feeding ourselves stories of the kind of person we want to be.

Berns' theory of the self falls into the same problems as Hume. What is the thing, the 'I', that is combining the experiences of past, present and future? Is 'I' a delusion? Nevertheless, I am intrigued by Berns' affirmation of the formative power of stories to our identities. I also appreciate the neurological approach to the question of the self. Although I think it's too reductionistic (we are not simply brains—even Berns' concedes the reductionism of his approach), I see the perspective as meaningful and insightful.

[Nwaf · Rating 2 out of 5]

يتحدث أكثر من٩٥% من هذا الكتاب عن المشاكل التي يواجهها الناس بسبب خداع أنفسهم فيما يتعلق بعدم فهم أنفسهم وهوياتهم، والصراع مع كيفية رؤيتهم لأنفسهم بمرور الوقت، فضلاً عن أسباب هذه المشاكل وليس له اي علاقة بأبحاث علم الأعصاب مجرد حكايات وروايات شخصية


#مترجم للعربية

خداع الذات - جريجوري بيرنز

[Joseph Solomon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe I was formally introduced this idea of the transient, imagined "self" when I read The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts (though like many who choose to read this book, I was already keen to this idea by pure suspicion). The Self Delusion scratched my itch for the scientific dive into the explanation of this. I'll admit, I am one who generally judges a book by it's cover, so considering the how unimpressive the cover is, I was definitely taking a chance on this one. I'm glad I did.

I thought this was gave great scientific insight into the way the brain constructs the story of the so-called "self". Being an academic in neuroscience, Berns is also still kind of enough to make the writing accessible to the masses. The jargon doesn't feel daunting.

The conclusions can either be unsettling or liberating or a bit of both. When you realize just how much of your identity is, as Berns says, "historical fiction", you can feel like questioning your reality to the point of feeling a bit unraveled (this is definitely how I felt reading Wisdom of Insecurity the first time). But it's also liberating to know how much more control you have over your emotions and sense of identity than once thought.

Not a book that I plan on revisiting but it's one that I believe will kind of always stick with me, whether it announces itself or not.

[Danielle C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a mix of neuroscience, philosophy and self-help that I really was not expecting. I was assuming there was lot more neurology in it, which there was hefty doses of, but side bars into mythology and classic storytelling structure were a surprise. Despite this, though, I really enjoyed the book. It is an interesting take in how we view ourselves and the story that we tell others and ourselves about who we are. And since we are the ones telling ourselves the story, we can always change the plot line. I especially found helpful the section that essentially said that the media we consume (books, TV, movies, even social media) affects the way we see ourselves and sometimes changing that is simply to change what and how we consume. Note: even though it says this took me two months to read, it actually was a very quick read - I just got distracted for a month in there with other books.

[Zora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm. The science part is quite interesting. The self-help part I wasn't convinced by.

[Page Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book thus far, really opened my mind to crafting new narratives. These narratives have the ability to change both who you think you are and who you can become.

[Laine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. So much thought-provoking material, but I felt the middle portion dragged and wasn't really pertinent to the main point about self.

[Orsolya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who are you? No, not just your physical attributes or basic information like your gender and birthplace. Who are you, really? What is your core narrative, being and identity? This is a difficult question to answer for most people (and especially teenagers with still-developing brains). The makeup of who we are is ever-shifting from the past, present and into the future; and is co-mingled with our memories, environmental cultures and our personal perceptions and belief systems. Who you were five years ago is not ‘you’, now. Yesterday’s version of you is not even the same ‘you’ reading these words. So, how do our brains do the coursework to construct who we are? Professor, psychologist and neuroscientist Gregory Berns attempts to answer these questions in, “The Self Delusion: The New Neuroscience of How We Invent- And Reinvent – Our Identities”.

The utter irony surrounding “The Self Delusion” is the confusing, muddled mess of what the text is, what lies at the heart of Berns’s thesis and what he is trying to prove. “The Self Delusion” combines psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience in order to describe how one’s core identity changes over time, how it is affected by others and the relation to the future self (plus, some tips on how to alter your current narrative). Berns tackles various topics concerning how memories are formed, how we ‘feel’ emotions/reactions, the space you occupy/role, etc. These subjects are viewed through a pop-psychology scope that is accessible to a broad, general audience. However, that isn’t the whole truth as Berns toggles back-and-forth between scientific jargon and a light Gen Z tone (which make sense as he is a professor and thus interacts with Gen Z kiddos on the daily). The problem with this is that “The Self Delusion” doesn’t dive deep enough into each discussion and instead attempts to make it overly easy-to-digest for those distracted Gen Z readers. Even some of his examples target the specific age demo. Basically, “The Self Delusion” isn’t as academic as many readers would hope and/or expect.

Similarly, Berns tend to drift off on tangents more so that not; leaving the reader guessing how it relates to the subject. “The Self Delusion” is full of large chunks prime for skimming/skipping. In fact, much of the science feels like it is either common sense or a stretch in connection. “The Self Delusion” is very inconsistent in strength, format and ‘point’ with an absence of truly educating readers in a memorable way. There is very little takeaway – if any at all – from “The Self Delusion”. The title (not so humbly) declares a “new science” behind the topic but nothing is truly earth-shattering or revelatory. Typically, neuroscience/psychology texts are enthralling, enlightening, exciting and encourage the passing on of information. There is nothing in “The Self Delusion” that is memorable enough to share and is a truly disappointing piece.

Berns often depends on outdated research/studies to credit his hypothesis which weakens the text; but, at least this is slightly rectified with occasional reviews of first-hand investigations conducted by Berns and his colleagues. These passages add some substance to “The Self Delusion” but even then the connection is sometimes difficult to decipher and is quite diluted.

Much of “The Self Delusion” comes across as filler and dragged out without Berns having much to add. This is precisely the case with the concluding chapters that are not only repetitive but also pointless and merely serve as a recap of the material. It can be argued that Berns didn’t meet a manuscript word count and was paraphrasing material he’s already expressed in order to lengthen the text like a child writing a school paper. Berns then offers readers some tactics to rewrite personal narratives, which like the former chapters of “The Self Delusion”, is basic and common sense making for a poor ending.

Berns supplements “The Self Delusion” with periodic illustrations throughout and a bibliography.

“The Self Delusion” is a cluttered, inconsistent, basic and dare I say, ‘boring’ text that fails to captivate and/or educate like its peers on the psychology/neuroscience shelves. The topic and thesis is interesting (albeit, somewhat unclear); but the execution fails. “The Self Delusion” is only suggested for college psychology students or those very new to the subject wanting to dip their toes in the pool.

[Jung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gregory Berns’ "The Self Delusion: The New Neuroscience of How We (Re)Invent Our Identities" offers a transformative look at how we come to know who we are. Drawing from recent discoveries in neuroscience, psychology, and human behavior, Berns dismantles the idea of a fixed, unchanging self and replaces it with a dynamic model rooted in memory, perception, social influence, and storytelling. Our brains don’t just receive reality—they generate it, constantly assembling our sense of identity from incomplete data, shifting expectations, and the social environments we inhabit.

At the core of Berns’ argument is the idea that our brains don’t provide a direct view of reality. Instead, they operate as prediction engines, combining sensory inputs with memories and assumptions to form a working model of the world. This model includes not just our environment but also ourselves. We build our identities in much the same way we interpret the world: through guesswork, shortcuts, and storytelling. Even our sense of being in the present moment is a carefully timed illusion, stitched together from signals that arrive at different speeds from across the body. What feels like a single, unified self is actually a clever construction that helps us function but doesn’t necessarily reflect an objective truth.

One of the book’s most fascinating insights is how flawed and flexible our memories are. Rather than serving as a detailed record of the past, memory works more like a constantly edited script. When we recall something, we don’t play it back like a movie; we reconstruct it, often altering it based on current beliefs, emotions, or context. This means that our sense of who we used to be is based on faulty and evolving data. Emotional memories may feel more vivid and 'true,' but they’re just as prone to distortion. And because these reconstructed memories are the foundation of how we define ourselves, our sense of identity is similarly malleable.

This tendency to reconstruct the past is mirrored in how we imagine the future. Our brains are built to anticipate what comes next, making predictions based on experience and pattern recognition. But just as memories can be reshaped, so too can our visions of the future. Often, we make choices today based on a blurry image of who we think we might become—a version of ourselves that may or may not come to pass. These mental simulations of the future are not always accurate, yet they powerfully guide our decisions and reinforce the idea of a continuous, cohesive self across time. In truth, our past, present, and future selves are more like overlapping characters in a story than one consistent being.

Berns also explores how our identities are shaped by dissociation and fragmentation. Drawing on psychological theory and cultural examples, he argues that we each contain multiple selves—versions of ourselves that emerge in different situations or relationships. We might behave one way at work, another with close friends, and yet another in solitude. Rather than being a sign of dysfunction, this ability to switch roles reflects a healthy, adaptive brain. Even extreme dissociative states, like feeling disconnected during a traumatic event, reveal how flexible and layered our sense of self can be.

Social context plays a huge role in shaping these selves. From childhood, we internalize narratives from our families, cultures, and communities. These stories teach us how to interpret events, understand our emotions, and behave in the world. Our capacity for empathy—what scientists call Theory of Mind—means we can imagine what others are thinking and feeling. This allows us to connect deeply with others, but it also makes us highly susceptible to group influence. We absorb other people’s beliefs, values, and perspectives into our own mental frameworks, often without realizing it. Over time, this can lead to groupthink or rigid moral codes that feel personal but are actually inherited.

In today’s world, political polarization shows how group identity can harden into something immovable. People often define themselves by the values of their 'side,' believing these beliefs to be core parts of who they are. But Berns argues that many of these moral positions are shaped by social pressures rather than individual reflection. Our brains evolved to trust the group, and in uncertain situations, we tend to defer to the crowd. This means our most cherished convictions might be less about personal truth and more about social survival.

What unifies all of these influences—memory, perception, dissociation, and social conformity—is the human love for narrative. Stories are how we make sense of experience. From fairy tales to personal anecdotes, we constantly tell ourselves and others stories about who we are, where we came from, and where we’re going. These stories follow familiar structures, often modeled after myths and popular media. As a result, we may unconsciously try to fit our lives into the mold of the hero’s journey or other popular plotlines, even when doing so doesn’t serve our true interests.

Stories aren’t just metaphors; they physically change our brains. Berns describes research showing that reading novels or engaging with powerful narratives activates not just language centers but also areas linked to sensation and movement. This helps explain why we feel transported by fiction—it becomes a simulated reality. But this also means the stories we consume, believe, and repeat shape our identities at a neurological level. Misinformation and manipulative storytelling can subtly warp our perception of reality, especially when repeated often or embedded in emotionally charged narratives.

Toward the end of the book, Berns focuses on how we can take back control of our stories. Instead of being passive characters in someone else’s script, we can choose to rewrite our narratives. A key part of this process is recognizing how regret functions in our mental storytelling. Regret, especially over missed opportunities, can weigh heavily on us. But it’s not just about the past—it’s a tool for shaping the future. By reflecting on what might have been, we can clarify what we truly value and make better choices going forward. Regret can either trap us in negative loops or inspire change, depending on how we frame it.

Rather than dwelling on what didn’t happen, Berns encourages us to adopt a forward-thinking mindset. Imagine your future self—what would you want that version of you to have accomplished? What story would you be proud to tell? This shift in perspective empowers you to make decisions in the present that align with your long-term vision. Using this mental framework, you can build a life that feels more intentional and fulfilling, rather than one dictated by random past events or external expectations.

Ultimately, "The Self Delusion" delivers a hopeful message. While it may be unsettling to realize that the self is an ever-changing construct rather than a stable entity, it also opens the door to transformation. You are not bound by your past, your memories, or even your current habits of thought. With awareness and effort, you can revise the internal narrative that shapes your life. The self isn’t something you discover—it’s something you create, moment by moment, through your actions, beliefs, and the stories you choose to tell.

[David Oskutis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure at a different point in time, I would've been much more interested in this book. Unfortunately, having just read three or four books about how much our mind works and how "wrong" or different we see things versus how they are, I didn't find very much new information here. Interesting, sure, and a bit more on the scientific side, definitely...but nothing new. For that, I really couldn't get interested in the topic. I'm sure Gregory Berns put a lot of work and effort into the book (he certainly did for the studies and the research, there is no doubt of that), but my own mind was on other matters for most of the book. To say we keep growing and changing seems pretty straightforward and obvious. To say how we see ourselves versus how others see us, also self-evident. The theory and study of "Who We Are" is hardly new territory. There is a lot of information here, a lot to digest, and for those interesting, this book probably is a great source of material. But, I didn't get the sense that there was any "a-ha" moments are new revelations about how our thoughts and ideas of who we are become our thoughts and ideas of who we are.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book on the current understanding of how the human brain works.

On the illusion part: as the author masterfully noted, our brain is so good at what it is doing, we almost never understand what is really indeed happening.

Our brain has a problem: it has limited capacity, so it ought to optimize its space in the most efficient way. Thus, several space-saving algorithms occur. For instance, our brain constantly looks for patterns. Because patterns allow our brain to predict what’s to come. If the brain doesn’t behave this way - for instance, in the case of people with PTSD where they live in an environment where things are unpredictable, the person’s brain would be constantly on alert and running on overdrive, unable to plan for the future. What our brain does is it creates several templates. Every single time we learn something externally, the brain would try to fit the information into one of the few templates in our brain. The brain would ignore events that occur rarely but doesn’t fit into any of the templates. In the case where the event happens regularly but still doesn’t fit into the template, the brain would then create a new template to fit that narrative. There are few templates that the author noted in the book. For instance, in the case of stories, there are the “rags to riches” template, the “riches to rags” template etc.

Due to the innate pattern seeking of the brain, our brain is prone to - as the author noted - make nonsensical relations between two things that have no causal relations. This is where superstitions occur.

Our brain also doesn't have the capacity to store every event onto our brain. Thus, our brain only stores bits and bits of the event and - get this - make things up to line up the event together. The author noted that this is the reason why couples often “correct” each other on things that happened in the past - chances are, neither of them are right. Our brain stores stationary events the least. For instance, if we sit for hours without doing anything, our memory of that few hours would be very limited.

Due to the fact our brain has limited capacity, we also outsource decision making processes however often we can. Which means that in the domain of group think, we favor things that are popular rather than innately good. An example of this - as the author ran the experiment on it - is popular music. People overwhelmingly approve music that is popular over what they perceive is good (if they do not know if the song is popular beforehand). The shortcut our brain uses is we decide things based on the “expert” opinion. If we decide that such experts do indeed process expertise, then we will - as author notes - almost “borrow” that expert’s brain as a part of our brain.

There are many, many other examples the author used throughout the book. Another one - our brain also doesn’t get the information from the rest of the body the fastest way. An example the author gave is, if our foot gets hurt, our visual signal would occur seconds earlier. That in fact, we can see the hurt before we even feel the hurt.

The last part of the book deals with how we can condition our brain, knowing what we know about our brain now, to the most optimal use. My major takeaway from this is that there’s a huge value in exposing yourself to different information in order to train your brain to have more templates (that’s why books are such great resources). Our brain only knows that it knows. Thus, if we keep exposing our brain to fringe information, we’d then assume the world is full of such fringe characteristics. And lastly, there’s a huge value in doing independent research on what’s valuable and what’s not. While evolutionary, there’s a huge value in following the herd to survive, there’s also values in knowing what is merely popular for the sake of popular, and what has intrinsic value regardless of the popularity label.

- Memory is flawed and shouldn't be trusted

- We fill in the gaps of missing memories

- Because people store such low quality storage of memories (due to capacity constraints), in order to maximize output, we rationalize things based on causality. This also means that when we're given incomplete information, we won't take information as it then store it (since our memory capacity is limited) unless we can find a causal relationship of such memory. And if the narrative is false, we will believe the causality of the narrative (such as witchcraft could cause natural disaster in the yesteryears)

- In order for the narrative to be stored, we use existing template in our brain. Anything outside of the template of our brain will simply get ignored (since our brain requires compression for any memories)

- Again - in order to save space, we automatically use statical probability to determine outcome. When we see something with limited information (such as a figure far away), we use the most statical likelihood in our lives to assume what that object is. As we get more information, we deduct the other unlikely outcomes. Such statistical probability method means that we rely on something we trust more rather than keep doing independent research

- We're not a universal being, and our feelings are often interpreted by our brain later on to fit our model. Which means that our bodily sensation, once occur, would get delivered to our brain to interpret. And our brain would then search the past template to make sense of things (I'd assume that when someone cares for you just like your parents did, you'd immediately flash back to your memory regarding to your parents since they're the closest template match). This would also make sense for traumatic triggers. When something occurs that triggers our trauma, the trigger is our brain's ability to find similarities between the trigger and our traumatic event

- On group think: our brain is wired to "outsource" a huge chunk of information for others. When we do outsource those to "experts", brain scan shows that the brain activity in that area is lower. Almost if the expert do indeed take over our brain

[Leysan Fathulina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Книга «Иллюзия себя» стала для меня настоящим открытием и приятным началом 2025 года. Стиль автора меня особенно зацепил: научный, но в то же время доступный и понятный, с множеством примеров и простым изложением.

Основная идея, что “я” — это иллюзия, нашла во мне отклик. Я часто замечаю, как меняюсь, не узнавая себя прошлую и понимая, что в будущем буду совсем другой. Это глубокое осознание не вызвало сопротивления, наоборот, книга вдохновила меня на размышления о собственной природе и восприятии мира.

Я уже рекомендую эту книгу всем, кто готов заглянуть за пределы привычных представлений о себе. Она не только захватывает, но и дарит удивительное чувство прозрения.

[Howard Fielding · Rating 5 out of 5]

By occupation, Gregory Berns is a brain scientist. But as he points out in his latest book, “The Self Delusion: The New Neuroscience of How We Invent — and Reinvent — Our Identities,” you really can’t say anyone “is” anything.

The self — one’s identity — is a complex narrative made up of our own spotty and selective memories, plus evolutionary and learned behaviors, plus how other people see us and respond to us, plus the groups with which we associate and identify.

And there’s one more plus: the stories we tell ourselves and others. This is the province of psychology, self-help books — and of literature.

Berns discusses all of these influences in addition to his own specialty: neuroscience. The science is the whole basis of this book and dominates the first and second parts.

But he spends entire chapters on storytelling, which is outside the worlds of science and social sciences. Much of the narratives we tell about ourselves comes from the stories we learn as children.

Berns deals with the basic models of plot such as the Hero’s Journey and Rags-to-Riches (or Riches-to-Rags). Scholars have found only a limited number of story arcs, and most writers are familiar with them. Berns uses Joseph Campbell’s model, which identifies variations on the Hero’s Journey as the mono-myth.

So how do we reinvent our identities, as promised in the subtitle? We do what writers do when our agents or editors tell us the story isn’t working. We rewrite the plot to make it fit.

In literature, that could mean introducing a plot twist that forces the character to make different choices. In this Christmas season, think of Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” or George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Those moments when the character sees the light make for a radical change.

But real life is more complicated. We can change our choices but often we can’t change our circumstances.

Or can we?

Berns says the science supports what hundreds of self-help books and coaches tell you: To change your life, make a plan and follow it. Map out the steps you’ll have to take in order to get you there. Then follow that new path to the new narrative.

In other words, in the NaNoWriMo of life, sometimes you need to be a planner instead of a pantser. Or maybe a little of each: a plantser.

-- This review first appeared at hwfielding.com

[Simona · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Self Delusion is an interesting book combining neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy. It asks: which is the true you? The version you think of yourself, the version others think of you, or the version you tell others?

Gregory Berns argues that there are multiple selves and not a singular, continuous one. Our personal narratives (I believe, in psychology, they are known as 'schemas') are far from accurate because they are shaped by the early memories our brain has compressed. Hence, multiple memories = multiple schemas.

We then use these inaccurate, personal narratives ('schemas') as templates to project and create our future selves. We interpret events through learned schemas and fill any holes with fiction, depending on which schema we operate. God forbid, we've internalized 'bad' schemas... Super interesting stuff.

The whole topic of neuroscience, behavioral science, and neuroplasticity is intriguing to me. Apparently, 'the real you' is constantly changing and being influenced by memories, groupthink, biology/evolution, hijacked narratives, etc.

This quote was also very interesting to me:

“What is surprising, and frightening, is that even membership in secular groups may nourish conformist processes in the brain to the point that they spill into the realm of the sacred, in effect, making people more dogmatic about their values than they might have been on their own.”

I also like Berns's take on regret theory. Makes you think and reflect.

Overall, an interesting book, definitely worth reading. 4/5.

[Inna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Нейробиолог Грегори Бернс уверен, что мы — это часто отражение тех историй, которые прочитали или увидели. Наш мозг использует их, чтобы создать последовательный нарратив с собой в главной роли. Невероятно интересная книга, крайне недооцененная, кмк. Особенно учитывая, что автор самостоятельно проводит все лабораторные исследования на мозге, в том числе некоторые, про которые я читала в других, более популярных книгах, в частности, эксперимент по следам знаменитого опыта Роберта Аша про конформизм, где Бернс хотел проверить, какие области мозга реагируют сильнее, когда мы подстраиваемся под чужие мнения.

Ну и в общем, в какой-то момент он решил проверить, действительно ли опыт чтения книг может перевернуть сознание и оказать поддающееся научному знанию воздействие на мозг.

Для этого он вместе с коллегами по лаборатории заставили студентов второго курса совместно читать «Помпеи» Роберта Харриса — бестселлер 2003 года о Римской империи и знаменитом извержении Везувия — чтобы посмотреть, каким образом их мозг будет меняться в процессе этого чтения. В итоге ученые пришли к выводу, что чтение действительно оказывает на наш мозг влияние, которое сохраняется как минимум на протяжении нескольких дней. Причем, что интересно — это влияние заметно сильнее, чем от фильмов или сериалов, зато компьютерные игры воздействуют на наш мозг так же сильно, как чтение (!)

Ну и вообще. Книга нейробиолога про то, как с точки зрения науки устроено наше восприятие своего я и как на это восприятие влияют книги (и компьютерные игры)! What's not to like.

[Richard Magahiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I saw it praised on social media as featuring a novel way of thinking about personal identity as something less fixed and more mutable. Much of what the author describes I had already gleaned such as the way the mind actively creates memories by stitching together disconnected perceptions over time based on some predetermined model of external reality.

I liked the sections on the research his lib did using fMRI to image activity in brean regions to try to uncover what is the mechanism of brain operations making up thought, will, and perception. It was especially good to hear about times the team had some hypothesis going in to the experiment, but obtained results not supporting what they had believed. I was less enchanted with the sections on storytelling and Joseph Campbell's monomyth, which I feel has been overhyped already and is peripheral to the neuroscience content. Though there are myths worth breaking about the way the mind works, this book doesn't really present a blockbuster insight that hasn't in some form already been discussed by philosophers of mind before. I am not sure whether I am going to read this author's other books on brain science.

The audio narration by Byron Wagner was clear and restrained but I think I got the same thing out of the material as I would have from the print word edition.

[Kevin Jennings · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book and I think it is worth a read. However, I found that much of what the author presented as hard to accept I already accepted. Having ready various books on consciousness and cognitive sciences over the years I was already prime to accept the thesis he present and found it kind of repetitive in some aspects. The basic idea is that in most ways what we consider the "mind" is constantly changing and those changes can lead changes in our identity. I think in general people accept this from 10 to 20 to 30 to 40 etc... But really those changes are happening all the time and in general you often not the same person moment to moment. This book provides very good evidence for why this is.

[Lucia Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone who’s trying to become a better version of themselves should read this book. It talks about how we’ve never been one continuous person, how our past, present and future selves are all different people who constantly shift with each experience we have.
Our sense of self is shaped by narratives we tell ourselves shaped by memories, compressed patterns and templates the brain uses to process experience.

From birth your brain is wired to form an identity based on what you experience, predict and compare but these narratives are flexible and can be rewritten over time. With conscious effort you can take control of your story and shape your future self with intention giving yourself a better chance for more fulfilment and fewer regrets.

[Randall P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got what I was looking for

Currently, I am not a perfect human, nor have I ever been. But, I feel good about the 76 years I've lived. So, I wasn't looking for a self - help book, but rather some knowledge about the how the brain, experiences and evolution turned me into the "self" that I am today. This book and it's author served that purpose.

The last couple of chapters provided a small idea of how to change your sense of self based on the neuroscience offered, but I wasn't looking for that. For readers looking for prescriptions for change, you might want more.

For me, this book had good information, useful examples, and it was easy to read.

[Ursa Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not to my taste but sometimes insightful. I am just not a fan of getting deep into the nitty gritty details of philosophical minutiae, so I found a lot of this book to be boring. But that’s personal taste. I thought there were enough interesting insights to make it worth reading. The one that especially stuck with me was how the media we consume cumulatively molds our brains and how we see ourselves and others. I also appreciate the author’s suggestions to form and hold close a clear and intentional “best version” of ourselves, that helps guide our choices.

[Ab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this book at the library and the cover intrigued me. Identity is such a unique part of the human experience and guides our lives. I was expecting this book to have a deep focus surrounding identity, but I found it to be just another psych book. It shared many of the same ideas and findings from other psych books I have read and I was hoping for there to be more focus on identity. While there was definitely talk about identity, I don't think the book explored it enough seeing that this was the whole reason I chose it.

[Tannia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent a couple of months with this book. Dr. Gregory Berns has a very detailed approach when describing how the brain works. He also loves to use computer and film analogies.
Be ready for a little time travel.

[A H · Rating 4 out of 5]

a helpful reframe of the present, future, and past self. salient points include you can and often are whoever you want to be through the stories you tell and the decisions you make and we are our own hero’s journey.

[Frank Mastromauro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book where maybe I’m just not smart enough to appreciate it. I found it boring and didn’t really get anything from it.

[niko · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a book that the past me read.

the present me is writing this review.

the possibilities for the future me are endless (i will be sleeping)

[karolexx · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - część naukowa super, końcówka z ćwiczeniami nieco gorsza.

[nikola_kowalska · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Ola · Rating 5 out of 5]

jedna z lepszych książek popularnonaukowych, jakie przeczytałam w swoim życiu

[Laura Eppinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hopeful look at how we can change our own minds, by the stories we tell ourselves, and be less bogged down by regret.

I started reading this to help me write: https://poppoetry.substack.com/p/poet...