The Plausible Bullshit Theory of Human Consciousness
What if the self is not a mystical spark—but the brain’s most convincing improvisation?
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Your brain is presenting a very convincing slideshow
Every second, the brain stitches memory, sensation and emotion into a story coherent enough to pass as you. The story is not a direct copy of reality. It is a practical model built quickly enough to keep an organism functioning.
The Plausible Bullshit Theory argues that consciousness may be less a cosmic mystery than a persuasive survival mechanism. Split-brain research, predictive processing, Buddhist thought and the parallels between people and language models all become evidence in a sharp, funny examination of how minds manufacture meaning.
Inside the book
- Why the self may be more narrative than object
- How perception predicts rather than simply records
- What split-brain experiments reveal
- Why AI makes old questions about mind feel newly urgent
For readers who enjoy
- Daniel Dennett, Hofstadter and philosophy of mind
- Neuroscience explained without reverence
- Sceptics, insomniacs and habitual overthinkers
Your brain isn’t showing you reality—it’s giving you a convincing PowerPoint about reality.
Explore beyond the book
Read Andrew’s essays on consciousness, psychology and artificial intelligence.
Question the storyteller inside your head
Read the book or listen to the complete audio edition free on ElevenReader.
Questions readers ask
Is this an academic textbook?
No. It draws on science and philosophy but is written for general readers with humour and plain language.
Does the book claim consciousness is not real?
It argues that the experienced self may be a constructed model rather than a separate mystical substance.
Is an audiobook available?
Yes. The audio edition is available free on ElevenReader.