"The "inner world" of the mind (being a mind and living a life) was the traditional preserve of psychoanalysis and related disciplines. Neuroscientists did not consider subjective mental states like consciousness, emotion, and dreaming, to be serious topics for brain research. However, in recent years - following the demise of behaviorism, the advent of functional brain imaging technology, and the emergence of a molecular neurobiology - these topics have suddenly assumed center stage in many leading neuroscientific laboratories around the world. Not surprisingly, this has produced an explosion of new insights into the natural laws that govern our inner life."--Jacket.