Tibetan Buddhist writings frequently state that many of the things we perceive in the world are in fact illusory, as illusory as echoes or mirages. Twelve Examples of Illusion, looks at a dozen illusions—including magic tricks, dreams, rainbows, and reflections in a mirror—showing how these phenomena can give us insight into reality. The book includes a discussion of optical illusions, such as the wheel of fire (the "wheel" seen when a torch is swung rapidly in a circle), discussing Tibetan explanations of this phenomenon as well as the findings of modern psychology, and significantly clarifying the idea that most phenomena—from chairs to trees—are similar illusions. "Twelve Examples of Illusion" uses a variety of examples drawn from a wide range of fields, including contemporary philosophy and cognitive science, as well as the history of science, optics, artificial intelligence, geometry, economics, and literary theory. The book aims to make both Buddhist philosophical ideas and the latest theories of mind and brain come alive for the general reader.

Reviews:

Konrad Talmont-Kaminski in Religion, 42, 2, 2012, 332-335.

Steven Poole in the Guardian Review, 19th March 2011,  7 [link]

​Sascha Fink in Metapsychology Online, 14, 50, 2010 [link]



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