The Shape of Things Unseen

A New Science of Imagination

De: Adam Zeman

Narrado por: Ciaran Saward

Bloomsbury presents The Shape of Things Unseen by Adam Zeman, read by Ciaran Saward.

‘Fascinating, absorbing and educative’ A. C. Grayling
‘Highly original and beautifully written’ Dominic Lawson

A compelling insight into how our imagination works, based on the latest scientific research

People often think of imagination as something used only in creative endeavours. In fact, we use imagination constantly as we reminisce, anticipate, plan, daydream, read, create imagined worlds. The truth is we live in the here and now much less than we tend to think. Imagination isn’t the exception in our daily lives; it’s our default setting. Yet only now are we beginning to understand exactly how it works.

From hallucination to sleepwalking, from REM sleep to delusions, neurologist Adam Zeman brilliantly guides us through the latest scientific studies in the world of the imagination. He draws on research in neuroscience, the study of human origins and child development to show how the human brain is above all else a creative, imaginative organ – and that we have evolved to share what we imagine.

Our brains behave in strikingly similar ways when we observe, remember, imagine or act. Imagine looking at a cube and your eye will trace the contours of the cube as if you were actually seeing it. Yet it turns out that people differ hugely in their imaginative experience. Some people lack sensory imagery altogether – they would be unable to picture their family if asked to – but still lead fulfilling, even highly creative, lives.

From how we visualise to how we understand the minds of others, from the benefits of play to mental disorders, The Shape of Things Unseen dazzles and delights. It is an essential guide to the latest discoveries about the workings of the human mind.

©2025 Adam Zeman (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Reseñas de la Crítica

Groundbreaking . . . Neurologist Adam Zeman takes readers on an enlightening journey through the science, psychology and artistry of imagination, unveiling how it governs our perceptions, fuels creativity and even leads to poignant failures. From everyday daydreams to extreme conditions like aphantasia and hyperphantasia, 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, Neurologist and author of THE NO-NONSENSE MEDITATION BOOK)

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)

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)

A profoundly useful roadmap to one of the most mysterious aspects of the universe, The Shape of Things Unseen is a clear-eyed, engaging overview of how the imagination works. It reveals its central role in perception and memory, and the extent to which it has differentiated us from the rest of the animal kingdom. Recommended reading for any mind that wants to understand itself (John Higgs, author of KLF: CHAOS MAGIC MUSIC MONEY)

Remarkable

We create our universe even as we exist in it and write our own lives even as we experience them. As Robin Williams put it, "reality what a concept"--- Note: I did have to laugh a bit about his insistence concerning "facts" around covid-19 while it was transpiring. Never before was there such worldwide politicalization of tragedy and never were more lies told on every side than during this catastrophe, and never was there a greater quagmire of confusion about what the truth was, and that should have been his point, given the theme of the book. The pretense that Donald Trump is the first and only politician to tell a zillion lies in office was also inadvertently demonstrative of his point. Count Obama's lies. Count Clinton's lies. But he doesn't. That's not the reality he wants.

One of my favorite Science Years...

I do get this collection of best of science essays and this particular year includes 'Why Maui Burned' and some other very powerful and enlightening narratives.