Trevor Harley
Short biography
I am Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Dundee, Scotland, and a writer, science journalist, public speaker, and comedian. I was formerly Chair of Cognitive Psychology at Dundee, where I was Head of Department and then Dean from 2003 until 2014. I am a Fellow of the BPS (British Psychological Society). I am author of several books, including The Psychology of Weather, the best-selling text The Psychology of Language, currently in its fourth edition, Talking the Talk (now in its third edition) and The Science of Consciousness. Many of these have been translated into several other languages. My research interests are wide, including psychology and the weather, language, consciousness, sleep, dreams and their meaning, ageing, and futurology. I have suffered all my life from severe anxiety and depression, another topic of my research, and write, talk, and blog about it. I provide this site as a resource for people primarily interested in the weather and how it affects us, and my books. In general my research and interests are about how we can maximise and achieve our potential, and why we behave as we do.
Links to my pages
About. For an extended biography.
Weather. Information about severe weather events in Britain, recent weather, the British weather and climate, and material related to my book Head in the Clouds, including research on the topic of the weather and behaviour. How does weather affect us? Or do you just want to know what the weather was like in a particular month or on a special date? I update these pages at least once a month, usually more often
Books. For details of my books on the weather, language, and consciousness, among others..
Consciousness. Material related to my consciousness book The Science of Consciousness, and consciousness research, particularly sleep, dreams, and higher and altered tates of consciousness. Here you will find additional information, as well as clarifications and any corrections to the text, plus as many resources on consciousness as I have time to add. I have kept a dream diary for many years. I update these pages very frequently.
Mental health. My struggles with mental illness. My blog on mental illness, whatisthemeaningofmylife, is now hosted on these pages, and new entries can also be found with here. It particularly deals with depression and anxiety, and how they relate to trying to find meaning in life. I also talk about the meaning of life in general, and my fear of death.
Chess. I am a keen (if distinctly average) chess player. I am interested in the psychology of chess playing, particularly at the sub-grandmaster level, and how we can all become better players - at any age. I have written several guest blogs on improving at chess. You can also find information about my suggested chess self-improvement plan.
Photography. I am a keen photographer, particularly of landscapes and scenes with scientific interest (such as the weather). I have sold some of my photographs to science texts, and the BBC have featured several of my photographs on their weather forecasts with the handle "Perdix". See here for some of my photographs.
Follow me on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/trevor_harley/.
How to contact me
For all media and publishing enquiries please contact my agent Stuart Cooper stuart@stuartcooperagency.com.
Otherwise email me at:
Like everyone else I get submerged with spam, so if I haven't acknowledged your email within in a week or so the most likely explanation is that I missed it, so please just resend. I will answer all emails that I think are real (and not asking me for money) as soon as possible.
Privacy policy and other small stuff
This site represents a great deal of work on my part. Please contact me if you wish to quote it at length, and please link to or cite it as appropriate:
https://www.trevorharley.com
I correct them mistakes and typos as I find them but feel free to email me about any particularly egregious ones.
I am an enthusiastic photographer and nearly all of the images on this site are mine. Photography is "painting with light", and the light depends on the weather.
Last updated
10 April 2026
© Trevor Harley 1998-2026.
Head in the Clouds: How the Weather Affects Our Minds and Mental Health
Head in the clouds: my new book about the weather and behaviour is available from 21 May.
