Sign-In
Cart
The Electric Self: How Your Brain's Hidden Electrical Universe Creates Everything You Think, Feel, Remember, and Are
Paperback
Medical ReferenceSports GeneralCognition
Publisher: Abdul Ahad Ansari
Published: Mar 6 2026
Pages: 194
Weight: 0.51
Height: 0.41 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
What if everything you are every memory, every emotion, every dream, every moment of love or grief or wonder is electricity?
Not metaphorically. Not approximately. Literally.
Inside your skull right now, 86 billion neurons are firing electrical signals across 100 trillion connections, generating the most complex phenomenon in the known universe: your conscious mind. The Electric Self is the story of that phenomenon where it came from, how it works, what happens when it breaks down, and what the technology now being built to read and rewrite it means for the future of humanity.
From Luigi Galvani's legendary 1780 experiment with a dead frog's leg to the January 2024 moment when Noland Arbaugh became the first human to receive a Neuralink brain implant and play chess with his thoughts, science writer Mohammad Umar traces one of the most astonishing arcs in intellectual history. Along the way, he reveals:
- Why your memories are not recordings they are electrical reconstructions, rebuilt from scratch every time you access them, and subtly changed in the process
- How your brain's alarm system fires before you are conscious of fear and why this ancient circuit underlies panic attacks, phobias, and PTSD
- What actually happens during sleep and why skipping it floods your brain with the same protein that destroys it in Alzheimer's disease
- The Hard Problem of consciousness the question that has stumped every philosopher and scientist who has taken it seriously, and why it remains the most important unsolved mystery in all of science
- How a 2003 surgery in Toronto turned on a depressed woman's internal lights and what the electrode implanted in her brain reveals about identity, selfhood, and what it means to be authentically you
- Why psilocybin heals depression not by adding chemistry but by dissolving the brain's rigid electrical habits and why the results of recent clinical trials are unlike anything psychiatry has seen before
- Who owns the data generated by your thoughts and why the answer to that question may be the most consequential legal decision of the twenty-first century
Written with the narrative drive of a thriller, the precision of a science textbook, and the philosophical depth of a meditation on what it means to be conscious, The Electric Self is the book for anyone who has ever looked inward and wondered what they found there.
The storm inside your skull is the most extraordinary thing in the universe. It is time to understand it.
Also from
Umar, Mohammad
Your Brain Is Lying to You: How Cognitive Biases and Perception Errors Shape Everything You Believe
Umar, Mohammad
Paperback
The Hidden Universe Within: How Trillions of Microbes Control Your Mind, Body, and Destiny
Umar, Mohammad
Paperback
The Earth's Beginning: A Journey Through Four Billion Years of Fire, Water, and Wonder
Umar, Mohammad
Paperback
The Hidden Universe Within: How Trillions of Microbes Control Your Mind, Body, and Destiny
Umar, Mohammad
Paperback
Also in
Cognition
Healing Emotions: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on Psychology, Meditation, and the Mind-Body Connection
Salzberg, Sharon
H. H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama
Paperback
The Complete Guide to the Enneagram: A Modern Approach to Self-Discovery and Connecting Well with Others
MacKenzie, Sierra
Paperback
Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep
Kenneth Miller
Paperback
True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color--From Azure to Zinc Pink
Stamper, Kory
Hardcover
The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive
Germer, Christopher
Neff, Kristin
Paperback
Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence---From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror
Herman, Judith Lewis
Paperback
Born to Flourish: How New Science and Ancient Wisdom Reveal a Simple Path to Thriving
Davidson, Richard J.
Dahl, Cortland
Hardcover
Raising Mentally Strong Kids: How to Combine the Power of Neuroscience with Love and Logic to Grow Confident, Kind, Responsible, and Resilient Childre
Fay Phd, Charles
Amen MD Daniel G.
Hardcover
The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us
Goldstein, Rebecca Newberger
Hardcover
The Courage to Be Ordinary: Discover Your Surprising Superpower for a Thriving Life
Kishimi, Ichiro
Paperback
The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World
McGilchrist, Iain
Paperback
The Love Language(tm) That Matters Most: How to Personalize Love So They Really Feel It
Parrott, Les
Chapman, Gary
Parrott, Leslie
Paperback
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook--What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us about Loss, Love, and
Perry, Bruce D.
Szalavitz, Maia
Paperback
The Art of Letting Go: Stop Overthinking, Stop Negative Spirals, and Find Emotional Freedom
Trenton, Nick
Hardcover
Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
Brown, Brené
Paperback
The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity--And Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race
Lieberman, Daniel Z.
Long, Michael E.
Paperback
Permission to Feel: The Power of Emotional Intelligence to Achieve Well-Being and Success
Brackett, Marc
Paperback
Where Do You Feel That in Your Body?: Moving Beyond Talk Therapy to Understand the Language of the Nervous System
Saunders, Simone
Hardcover
The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss
O'Connor, Mary-Frances
Paperback
Once I Get Started: The Adult ADHD Program for Turning Your Intentions Into Actions
Ramsay, Russell, PH. D.
Hardcover
The 25th Hour: How to Thrive (and Gain Ridiculous Amounts of Time) by Getting Out of Your Own Way
Schore, Neal
Hardcover
Read Your Color: Discover Your Reading Type and Build a Life-Changing Love of Books
Reese, Steven J.
Paperback
What Every Body Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People
Karlins, Marvin
Navarro, Joe
Paperback
Big Feelings, Big Joy: The Essential Practices to Reclaim Your Strengths as a Highly Sensitive Person
Snow Lmft, April
Hardcover
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Van Der Kolk, Bessel
Hardcover
Actually, You're Fine: A Compassionate, Practical Guide to Maximizing Your Child's Potential in the Age of Anxiety
Davis, Katie S.
Hardcover
The Empathy Crisis: How We Lost Our Capacity to Feel, and What It Will Take to Get It Back
Emanuel, Corey
Paperback
Better Small Talk: Talk to Anyone, Avoid Awkwardness, Generate Deep Conversations, and Make Real Friends
King, Patrick
Paperback
Big Trust: Rewire Self-Doubt, Find Your Confidence, and Fuel Success
Sekkouah, Fayçal
Zahrai, Shadé
Hardcover
From Mistakes to Meaning: Owning Your Past So It Doesn't Own You
Lynton, Michael
Steiner, Joshua L.
Hardcover
The Art of Letting Go: Stop Overthinking, Stop Negative Spirals, and Find Emotional Freedom
Trenton, Nick
Paperback
Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to Overcome Anxiety, Panic, and Worry
Pittman, Catherine M.
Karle, Elizabeth M.
Paperback
Los 7 hábitos de la gente con inteligencia emocional: Domina tus emociones, aumenta tu autoestima y recupera el control de tu vida
Oliver, Daniel M.
Paperback
Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World (Large Print Edition)
Grant, Adam
Paperback
Unfuck Your Brain Workbook: Using Science to Get Over Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Freak-Outs, and Triggers
Harper, Faith G.
Paperback
I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn't): Making the Journey from What Will People Think? to I Am Enough
Brown, Brené
Paperback
We All Have Parts!: An Illustrated Guide to Healing Trauma with Internal Family Systems
West, Colleen
Hardcover
Change Your Brain, Change Your Pain: Breaking the Doom Loop to Heal Chronic Physical and Emotional Pain
Amen, Daniel G.
Hardcover
Smitten: Romantic Obsession, the Neuroscience of Limerence, and How to Make Love Last
Bellamy, Tom
Hardcover
Save Yourself: A New Approach to Thinking about Money and Taking Control of Your Financial Future
Keehn, Kelley
Paperback
The Secret Language of Birthdays: Your Complete Personology Guide for Each Day of the Year
Elffers, Joost
Goldschneider, Gary
Paperback
Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind
Brewer, Judson
Paperback
The Mindful Therapist: An Interpersonal Neurobiology Approach to Healing and Wholeness
Siegel, Daniel J.
Paperback
A Horse's Life: The Neuroscience of Equine Welfare
Rashid, Mark
McDonald, Crissi
Peters, Stephen
Paperback
The Rejected Parent: Rebuild Your Relationship with Your Child During and After a Divorce or Custody Dispute
Himlin, Cathy
Paperback
Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve: Self-Help Exercises for Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Autism
Rosenberg, Stanley
Paperback
Reality Switch Technologies: Psychedelics as Tools for the Discovery and Exploration of New Worlds
Gallimore, Andrew R.
Paperback
Permiso Para Sentir: Educación Emocional Para Mayores Y Pequeños Con El Método Ruler / Permission to Feel
Brackett, Marc
Paperback
The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery
Cron, Ian Morgan
Stabile, Suzanne
Hardcover
How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend: A Neuroscientist's Guide to a Healthier, Happier Life
Barr, Rachel
Paperback
Nature and the Mind: The Science of How Nature Improves Cognitive, Physical, and Social Well-Being
Berman, Marc
Paperback
The Pain Reprocessing Therapy Workbook: Using the Brain's Neuroplasticity to Break the Cycle of Chronic Pain
Sinaiko, Olivia S.
Blackstone, Vanessa M.
Paperback
Better Small Talk: Talk to Anyone, Avoid Awkwardness, Generate Deep Conversations, and Make Real Friends
King, Patrick
Hardcover
The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
Doidge, Norman
Paperback
Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets Ofthe Heart
Doty, James R., MD
Paperback
Learn to Read for Kids with Dyslexia: 101 Games and Activities to Teach Your Child to Read
Braun, Hannah, M. Ed
Paperback
Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception
Floyd, Michael
Houston, Philip
Carnicero, Susan
Paperback
The Attachment Theory Workbook: Powerful Tools to Promote Understanding, Increase Stability, and Build Lasting Relationships
Chen, Annie, Lmft
Paperback
Tiny Shifts: How Emotional Health Transforms Stress, Relationships, and Longevity
Goldstein, Elisha
Paperback
A Colorful Introduction to the Anatomy of the Human Brain: A Brain and Psychology Coloring Book
Edwards, Maggie
Pinel, John
Paperback
Nature and the Mind: The Science of How Nature Improves Cognitive, Physical, and Social Well-Being
Berman, Marc
Hardcover
The Badass Life: 30 Amazing Days to a Lifetime of Great Habits--Body, Mind, and Spirit
Abbott, Christmas
Paperback
Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul: How to Change the World in Quiet Ways
Cheng-Tozun, Dorcas
Paperback
EMDR Workbook for Kids: A Collection of EMDR Handouts & Worksheets to Help Kids Process Trauma, Stress, Anger, Sadness & More
Mark-Griffin, Christine
Paperback
A Feminist's Guide to ADHD: How Women Can Thrive and Find Focus in a World Built for Men
Maschke, Janina
Paperback
What's True about You: 7 Steps to Move Beyond Your Painful Past and Manifest Your Brightest Future
Thomas, Katherine Woodward
Hardcover
The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon's Case for the Existence of the Soul
Egnor, Michael
O'Leary, Denyse
Hardcover
Polyvagal Parenting: Vagus Nerve Practices to Stay Calm, Coregulated, and Connected with Your Child
Allison, Michael
North, Paul
So, Lydia
Paperback
The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time
Korb, Alex
Paperback
Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health--And Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, Ocd, Ptsd, and More
Palmer, Christopher M.
Hardcover
Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy
Shapiro, Francine
Paperback
Emotional Navigation for Kids and Teens: Practical Parenting Pivots for Everyday Moments and a Lifetime of Growth
Chansky Phd, Tamar E.
Paperback
The Essential Enneagram: The Definitive Personality Test and Self-Discovery Guide -- Revised & Updated
Daniels, David
Price, Virginia
Paperback