The user illusion

In this book, Tor Nørretranders delves into the nature of consciousness, drawing on psychology, evolutionary biology, and information theory.

He posits that consciousness represents only a small fraction of our ability to process information, with the brain filtering and simplifying vast amounts of sensory data to create a coherent, though incomplete, picture of the world.

Nørretranders uses the metaphor of a computer user interface to describe how our conscious experience is akin to a simplified interface, while the actual processing occurs at a subconscious level.

The book discusses the limitations of conscious information processing, the role of the subconscious in reducing information flow, and the implications of this 'user illusion' on our understanding of free will and human interaction.