Only half a century ago, brain surgeons discovered that by stimulating different parts of a living human brain that they could not only move a patient's finger or leg, but also bring forth memories, smells, visions, and emotions. Since then, we have developed technologies that map the brain so we can specify which structures are responsible for specific functions.

When I was growing up, the Space Race was on. Rockets, computers, and visions of future technologies filled the conversations of that era. The Seattle World's Fair exhibits made bold predictions about transportation, communication, and even kitchen appliances that would make our lives better through science.

A few years ago, while visiting my brother in California, I went to a public library. Painted across the walls were giant murals inspired by books. But while fairy tales and fictions were well represented, I did not seen any rockets or solar systems or scientific accomplishments. Whoever commissioned those murals obviously preferred fantasy to reality.

Of course reality is much more fascinating, so as I often do, I attributed the preoccupation with magic as a sign of fear and confusion. Where technology and scientific discoveries outpaced the human brains' ability to comprehend, magic offered escape into the childish never-never land.

In the following years, I began to take a closer look at how far science has come in researching how the brain works, I am willing to be a bit more charitable in my analysis. What if fantasy is the brain's way of stretching what it considers possible? Don't fictions often reveal larger truths about abstract ideas? Rather than being an escape from anxiety, fantasy might be an exercise in contemplation. These are just philosophical questions any more.

Science has put the biological functions of the brain within our understanding. With new technologies, we already have a general understanding of the human consciousness and are fast on our way to being able to explain the function of ‘mind' as specifically as we described the function of the liver or heart.

A brief and understandable book that I recommend is:
"A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness" by V.S. Ramachandran.
Ramachandran is a master of explaining complex ideas in simple language and yet keeping the subject interesting.