This issue of Behavioural Neurology is devoted to the investigation of the long recognised link between epilepsy and disturbances of consciousness. Interest in this topic has witnessed an unprecedented scientific renaissance over the last few years, for two orders of reasons. First, most types of epilepsy are characterised by specific alterations in the level of general awareness and/or the subjective contents of consciousness, which are central aspects of patients’ ictal experiences and can now be assessed and quantified with newly developed psychometric tools. Second, the investigation of what Hughlings-Jackson called the ‘occasional, sudden, rapid and local discharges of grey matter’ has started to shed light on the brain mechanisms underlying pathophysiological states of altered consciousness, thanks to the development of sophisticated neurophysiological and neuroimaging techniques. The implementation of combined electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging (EEG-fMRI) is just an example of this ongoing revolution. Therefore, the fact that this special issue is appearing in Behavioural Neurology reflects the surge of interest from both neurologists and neuroscientists. In this issue, epilepsy experts from around the world have contributed their insights by reviewing the latest developments in clinical and experimental research on epilepsy and consciousness. The first set of contributions focuses on the phenomenological analysis of ictal alterations of consciousness in patients with epilepsy (Johanson), which is accompanied by specific behavioural (Mula) and cognitive (Krishnamoorthy) changes. The second group of papers presents our current knowledge of the brain mechanisms underlying altered consciousness in both focal (Bagshaw) and generalized (Seri) seizures. The