Then I Am Myself the World; What Consciousness Is and How to Expand It

Exploring the Mystery of Consciousness: What It Is, Where It Comes From, and What It Means for the Future

"Deeply personal and infinitely digestible, Then I Am Myself the World is a remarkable must-read for anyone interested in knowing their mind.” — Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Unwinding Anxiety

What is consciousness, and what does it do? In Then I Am Myself the World, renowned neuroscientist Christof Koch takes readers on a profound exploration of the very thing that defines our existence: our conscious experience.

At the core of the book is integrated-information theory, which suggests that the essence of consciousness lies in its ability to influence itself—to be an agent of change. Koch delves into the physical origins of consciousness in the brain and examines how this understanding can help us measure consciousness in both biological and artificial systems.

Using this framework, he tackles some of the most pressing scientific and philosophical questions of our time:

• When does a fetus first become self-aware?
• Can psychedelic and mystical experiences reshape our perception of reality?
• What happens to consciousness in near-death experiences?
• Why will AI, no matter how advanced, never truly "feel" anything?
• Do our experiences reflect a single, objective reality—or something else entirely?

Combining cutting-edge science with deep philosophical inquiry, Then I Am Myself the World is a thought-provoking journey into the nature of consciousness and its implications for our future.