Book of the Week

States of Mind: Experiences at the Edge of Consciousness edited by Anna Faherty

Recommended by Theo Warshaw

Published to accompany a major exhibition at the Wellcome Collection in 2016, this collection of pieces of literature, art, theatre, and diaries brings together many experiences from ‘the edge of consciousness’.

Taking succinct extracts from these works of literature, it tells the tale of how the idea of consciousness, and all its nuances, has developed throughout time. Beginning with an introduction by Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, the book contrasts a historic, scientific approach to consciousness, with an approach offered by artists and literary figures.

The abstract idea of consciousness has troubled both scientists and philosophers alike for years. Considering that everyone to ever live has experienced some form of consciousness, I find it interesting that a conclusive result as to what consciousness really is, has yet to be found. As we sleep and as we wake we experience life around us through the window of our consciousness, hearing the voice inside our heads, but never understanding where it comes from, or why it exists. Through the eyes of artists, writers, scientists, and philosophers, this book focuses on certain conscious states, such as somnambulism (sleep walking), and memory loss disorders, finding them to be the truest form of consciousness. All questions surrounding these issues, as well as the abstract idea of consciousness pose fundamental questions about life in general, and what it means to exist and live.

In the introduction, Mark Haddon asks, 'When does consciousness begin and when does it end? Do dreams give us access to some deeper truth? Can evil spirits possess us? What happens on that strange borderland between the conscious and the unconscious?' These four questions, though limited to consciousness, make the reader question much more than just their inner monologue. Spanning science, soul, language, and memory, this collection of works does not offer definitive answers, but a plethora of answers, through the nexus that is consciousness. With included figures such as Jane Austen, Arthur Conan Doyle, René Descartes, Franz Kafka, Alan Turning, and many others, this book brings together over five centuries worth of thinking, presented in digestible chunks for the reader’s ease.

On reading this series of works, I felt my perspective change. Not that this was particularly life changing or monumental, but little things such as my perceptiveness changed. Occasionally, after reading this, I found myself questioning the fundamentals of existence, not to much success, but this is something that I never would have done before reading this book. I would say that it has broadened my horizons on topics more than just consciousness, but with the idea of literature in general. Typically disregarded for answers, when science can offer up conclusive evidence, literature, I believe, deserves a large voice when it comes to existential arguments that science cannot explain.

When writing any fictional character, an author must get into said character’s mind, thinking his or her thoughts, living his or her pretend life, to give a realistic account of a fictional character. No book better portrays the consciousness of a character than Mrs Dalloway, with the eponymous character Clarissa Dalloway. Written in the style of stream-of-consciousness, the reader gets uninterrupted access to Clarissa Dalloway’s every thought, as they move through the day with her. This openness to a character is very difficult to write, with the author, Virginia Woolf in this instance, needing to understand every nuance of her protagonist.

Virginia Woolf in 1926 (National Portrait Gallery)

Back to my previous point, however: as shown in Mrs Dalloway, authors have a real grasp of what existence is, especially fiction writers. As they possess the skills to craft realistic characters and make them interact with other fictional characters in a way that does not seem irregular, they clearly have an understanding of consciousness, or at least how it should be portrayed. Due to this, I believe that they have an insight into what science cannot, the essence of consciousness. As written in the book, 'no one can imagine what it is to be unconscious'; I completely agree, though I believe also that authors and creative figures have a better idea than any on the topic.

Overall, this book gave me more than just interesting insights into the historical portrayal of consciousness. It gave me a desire to question the perception of many theoretical ideas, along with a new level of appreciation for English and literature in general. Often disregarded as a leisure activity, reading can give insights into a plethora of different ideas and concepts. This book is the perfect read if you are passionate about philosophy, or if you want to say that you have read pieces from many famous authors, without putting in too much effort! I highly recommend this book, and as it is separated into little extracts, it is perfect to just pick up and read for five minutes. This book suits experienced, and less experienced readers, and is guaranteed to help you in conversations about the subject in the future: I highly recommend it.