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Acknowledgements
This was a difficult book to write for a number of reasons. It covers a vast array of different areas that have a long history dating back to the dawn of human self reflection. I expect that it will annoy many for failing to fully acknowledge all those that have gone before who have tackled this issue and for leaving out critical points or not considering all variations of the arguments. That would have been an impossible book to read, let alone write. I have tried to synthesize an account that brings this vast volume of work into an easily understandable format with one simple claim. I believe I have distilled what are the main issues that are relevant to cognitive neuroscience.
The most difficult aspect of writing the book was that it forced me to confront my own self illusion and the way I have lived my life. It made me uncomfortably aware of my own weaknesses, vanity, insecurity, lack of integrity, lack of cohesion and all the other negative things that few of us admit, but that a self illusion can conceal. It is a thesis that does not, and will not, sit easily with those who regard their self as real. However, I do believe that questioning the nature of our self on a regular basis is a necessary process to get the most out of life.