MembreRobertOrnstein

One of the world’s foremost experts on the brain and author of more than 20 books, psychologist Robert Ornstein is perhaps best known for his pioneering research on the bilateral specialization of the brain, which has given us the terms “right brain” and “left brain.” His books have sold over six million copies worldwide, been used in 20,000 university classes, and been translated into dozens of languages. His previous two groundbreaking books The Psychology of Consciousness and The Evolution of Consciousness introduced the two modes of consciousness and a critical understanding how the brain evolved to suit conditions millions of years ago. To meet the challenges of the 21st century, Ornstein emphasized that “conscious evolution” was necessary. He was able to integrate key insights about human nature from traditional cultures into the framework of modern psychology. He was also a frontrunner in the now ubiquitous understanding of the role of mind in health.

He received his PhD in psychology from Stanford (1968) where his doctoral thesis won the American Institutes for Research Creative Talent Award. He was an NIMH pre and postdoctoral fellow and the recipient of multiple awards including UNESCO and UNICEF’s “Best Contribution to Psychology” and the American Psychological Foundation Media award for “increasing the public understanding of psychology.” He taught at Stanford, Harvard, and UCSF.