The phenomenon of "consciousness" is intrinsically related to one's awareness of self, time and the physical world. What, then, can be learned about consciousness from those who, as a result of brain damage, suffer from conditions which affect their awareness? The author explores this question.

1. Introduction ; 2. The unseen and the unknown ; 3. Deficits, degradation, and dissociations ; 4. The "What?" of consciousness ; 5. Animal consciousness - the problem of "whether?" ; 6. The memory commentary is NOW ; 7. Attributes and possible pathways of residual visual capacity ; 8. The evolutionary "why"? ; 9. The question of "how?" ; 10. And so... ; Appendix - Terminology

`The disorders of cognition exhibited by neurological patients provide the most dramatic evidence that consciousness is open to scientific investigation. This book presentsthe first major survey and detailed analysis of the evidence. It is written by Larry Weiskrantz, one of the leading investigators of two key syndromes - blindsight and amnesia - and reflects thirty years of study of the subtle issues involved.' Tim Shallice, University College London `Weiskrankz is one of the truly great neuropsychologists of the century. His discovery of blindsight, for example, brought philsophy and neuroscience into contact on the issuew of the brain's basis for awareness. The revolutionary blindsight results knocked the stuffing out of the `obvious' assumption that awareness of a signal is necessary for an intentional response to that signal.' Patricia Smith Churchland, University of California, San Diego.