In the world of modern science, consciousness is reduced to a fading epiphenomenon, left over after the brain has been physically explained. It seems to arise when matter is suitably organized, but scientists and philosophers have been unable to explain why complex organization should produce anything beyond complex physical behaviour. Yet consciousness won't go away. In this book virtual reality is used as a metaphor for our situation as conscious being. This ground breaking book shows how paranormal phenomena can be reconcilied in a natural way with the laws of physics.