Susan Blackmore

Susan Blackmore is a British writer, psychologist and lecturer from Bristol, UK. She has written books and articles on a variety of topics, from anomalistic psychology to mindfulness and parapsychology. Her areas of interests also include memes, consciousness, paranormal phenomena and memory phenomena.

This article will give an overview of Blackmore’s life and work, as well as some book summaries of her most popular books.

Blackmore graduated from the University of West England with a degree in psychology in 1974. She later went on to pursue a PhD in parapsychology and later lectures in parapsychology and anomalistic psychology at the University of the West of England.

Blackmore has also been active in speaking engagements and radio/TV presentations. In the 1990s, she appeared on the BBC2's ‘Coast to Coast’ TV series several times.

When Blackmore is not giving lectures or appearing on television she is hard at work writing books that have been published in numerous countries around the world. Some of her most popular books include ‘The Meme Machine’ (1999), ‘The Adventures of a Paranormal Researcher’ (2002), and ‘Consciousness: An Introduction’ (2003).

In The Meme Machine, Blackmore suggests that human social behaviour is shaped by a set of ‘memes’, or cultural elements which are passed from person to person. She suggests that these memes are similar to genes, in that they replicate, spread and evolve. In the book, she covers topics such as how culture can be spread through imitation and how memes can lead to language and other forms of intangible culture.

Blackmore’s other book, The Adventures of a Paranormal Researcher, details her own personal journey of investigating paranormal phenomena such as ghost stories, telepathy and other strange occurrences. In the book, she documents her travels and investigations, talking to both believers and sceptics in her quest for the truth.

In Consciousness: An Introduction, Blackmore gives a comprehensive overview of the scientific study of consciousness. Along with detailed reviews of the various theories of consciousness, the book explores how consciousness may be driven by evolutionary forces, how human beings can be conscious of the world around them, and how children learn to be conscious of their own selves.

Blackmore’s books have been praised both by the scientific community and the general public. Not only is Blackmore a popular figure among scientists and skeptics, but her ability to communicate complex topics to the public in an interesting way has made her work stand out.

No matter which of Blackmore’s books you choose to read, you are sure to be taken on an interesting journey. With her knowledge of science, her passion for the paranormal, and her ability to communicate complicated topics in a way that is both understandable and entertaining, it is easy to see why she is so highly regarded in both the scientific and popular culture.