The Abstract Mind

How Thinking Became the Source of Suffering–And How to Break Free
Your mind spends most of its time dreaming. It's time to wake up.
Your mind spends most of its time dreaming. It's time to wake up.

Our ability to think abstractly is humanity’s superpower. It gave us language, art, science, and civilization. Before a wheel was built, it was imagined. Before a law was written, it was conceived. Abstraction lets us plan, create, and transcend our immediate circumstances.

But this gift has a shadow. The same mind that builds bridges also builds prisons—of worry, comparison, and endless mental chatter. We fret over insults that never came, chase status that can’t satisfy, and wage wars over lines on a map. The abstract world, once a tool, has become our cage.

In The Abstract Mind, bestselling author and cognitive neuropsychologist Chris Niebauer illuminates how abstraction creates illusions that interfere with our perception of reality, how these illusions give rise to mental suffering, and how, with a little practice, you can learn to see through them. This book isn’t another guide to mindfulness. It’s a mirror—one that reveals how deeply we’ve confused thought for life. Like a dreamer realizing they’re asleep, the moment you notice the abstract world is a mirage, the spell begins to break.

Put down your phone. Feel the air on your skin. Listen to the hum of the world. This is where life happens—not in your head, but here. Now.

Welcome back.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.