Manchester University Press

In this enthralling book, Ben Alderson-Day explores one of the most curious experiences known to humankind: the universal, disturbing sense that someone or something is there when we are alone - the feeling of an unseen presence.

When and why do presences emerge? What does this feeling mean and where does it come from? And how can we even begin to understand a phenomenon that can be transformative for those who experience it and yet so hard to put into words? The answers to these questions lie in this fascinating exploration through cutting-edge research in contemporary psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and philosophy.

Taking the reader on a riveting and emotional journey, Presence offers remarkable insights into the experience of felt presence and how it relates to a range of medical conditions, including sleep paralysis, dementia and Parkinson's. This compelling story will stoke the fascination of sceptics and ardent believers alike who are drawn to the mystery of the unseen.

Reviews

Winner of the British Psychological Society 2023 Book Award for Popular Science

'An eye-opening book that makes senses of one of life's mysteries. It has stayed with me.'
Claudia Hammond, author of The Art of Kindness

'Alderson-Day offers a thrilling and erudite survey of the experience of "felt presence" - where one has the strong feeling that someone, or something, is there, but without any input from our traditional senses. The book brings together rich testimonies of this core human experience, with the insights of myth, history, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and psychiatry. Reading it leaves one with an enriched appreciation of what we are and how much more we have yet to understand about ourselves.'
Matthew Broome, Director of the Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham

'The sense that you are not alone - that someone or something is "there" - is a fascinating topic and this marvellous book draws across many different kinds of experiences to give a coherent account of the kinds of processes that underlie this feeling.'
Sophie Scott, Director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London

'Presence is a fascinating read. The writing is lively and the stories are compelling. Thanks to Alderson-Day, the mysterious world of visions, voices and ghostly presences is just that bit more understandable.'
Jason Arunn Murugesu, New Scientist

'Those interested in developing a richer understanding of the phenomenon will appreciate Alderson-Day's in-depth exploration of the topic and detailed endnotes.'
Library Journal

'Alderson-Day's wonderful book truly represents such an intellectual experience and is a rare achievement as well as being a delight to read.'
Alastair Morgan, The Polyphony

'This book is an excellent and enjoyable discourse on the topic, written engagingly for a general reader, and covering much associated ground.'
Graham Kidd, Journal of the Society of Psychical Research

Preface: what is there?
Part I: Phantom others
1 A thickness in the air
2 'Things which never can be spoken of'
3 The double
4 Luke
5 The presence robot
6 'I'll set the table for three people when it's just me and my wife'
Part II: Fellow travelers
7 The walnut of reality
8 The marathon monk of Billingham
9 Seeing darkness
10 Spirit
11 In two minds
12 You never asked
Index

Author

Ben Alderson-Day is a Professor of Psychology and the Co-Director of the Discovery Research Platform for Medical Humanities at Durham University. He is the co-founder of the Early Career Hallucinations Research group and the Scientific Chair of the International Consortium on Hallucinations Research. A specialist in atypical cognition and mental health, his work spans cognitive neuroscience, psychiatry, philosophy and child development. He lives in Newcastle upon Tyne with his wife and two daughters.