A Second Before: How the Brain Constructs the Future That Becomes the Present

Your brain doesn’t just perceive reality—it actively interprets it, and even “hallucinates” it, creating its own versions of the outside world. Cognitive psychologist Daniel Yoon shows how the brain, much like a scientist, forms hypotheses and predictions that help us make decisions and cope with changes. But these processes can also lead to errors and self-deception. Even perception through vision and hearing involves the unconscious creation of theories about the world and about ourselves.

The brain is a complex organ capable of achievements such as discovering penicillin and mastering space—but it is also prone to delusions and biases. It can get us tangled in conspiracy theories or our own fears and emotions. By exploring the worlds of matter and ideas, you’ll learn how the brain shapes our perception, why it sometimes malfunctions, and how hypotheses about other people’s minds and new ideas are formed.

This book will be useful for those who want to understand how the brain can deceive us, how perception works, how to make more accurate decisions, and who are interested in popular science and the philosophy of consciousness.

The author shares that his task, as a cognitive neuroscientist, is to reveal the mystery of the mind that arises from matter in our brain. Research shows that the brain behaves like a scientist. This understanding can change your thinking, letting you look at the brain and the mind from the outside. Some seemingly simple processes become strange, and strange ideas acquire logic. Your mind is the best theory proposed by your brain—and you live inside it. Take a step back and look at yourself more carefully.