Consciousness in a Nutshell: A Psychonautical Odyssey
With a feverish pace and a candid eye for story, Consciousness in a Nutshell delivers an unforgettable account of what it means to be alive while, at the very same time, answering the question of all questions, once and for all: What is consciousness?
Consciousness in a Nutshell is a work of psychological mastery. A 21st century portrait of Nature, Nirvana, and what it means to be a human being. Written in the style of creative non-fiction, this multi-layered conversation spans the fields of neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, cosmology, and evolutionary biology, all in the pursuit of explaining 'what' consciousness is.
Set inside a psychological thriller, this semi-autobiographical tale follows two young neuropsychopharmacologists on the verge of publishing a major breakthrough, when one of them (only identified by the name "Ava") winds up missing, and the other finds himself trapped in a room without doors or windows. Faced with impending doom, James decides to write a letter to a total stranger explaining everything he knows about the subject of consciousness in exchange for one little favor.
Earn by promoting books
Earn money by sharing your favorite books through our Affiliate program.
Become an affiliate
"Creative nonfiction at its finest!"
- the Narrative Self
"Everything you wanted to know about the subject of consciousness rendered in as few words as humanly possible."
- the Experiencing Self
"Easy to read, easy to follow....a masterful synthesis of philosophy, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology."
- the Awareness
"Never has the state of Nirvana been so eloquently explained."
- Social Media Persona
"Expect nothing less than a complete paradigm shift in our understanding about man's place amongst the stars."
- the Ego
"Not since The Matrix has a story delivered more vocabulary or insight into explaining our inner-worlds."
- the Shadow
"A powerhouse of information....The study of consciousness will never be the same."
- the Prospective Self
5/5 Stars from Readers' Favorite (Reviewer Vincent Dublado)
"Consciousness in a Nutshell by Jay Nelson and Lindy Nelson is a powerful creative nonfiction book in the guise of a memoir. It delves deep into psychonautical explorations that address consciousness and what it means to be alive. It is one of those rare, brilliant books that use the technique and literary elements of poets, playwrights, and fiction writers to present a nonfiction narrative. Two young neuropsychopharmacologists, James and Ava, are on the brink of publishing a major breakthrough to do with understanding the subject of consciousness. But Ava disappears, and James finds himself trapped in a kind of place that no one would wish even upon their worst enemy. The narrative is divided into four parts where everything is constructed with momentum in mind, particularly about the brain, from its characteristics to the hard problem of consciousness.
You don't have to be an expert in multimodal conversations that span different fields in the arts and sciences to enjoy Consciousness in a Nutshell. While the perspective of the narrative shifts from time to time, James remains as the faithful narrator, who diligently walks you through the story of his research and how he came to understand the subject of consciousness. If Umberto Eco is considered the most important representative of semiotics, Jay Nelson and Lindy Nelson may well become the same for psychonautical studies. Using their creativity and intelligence, their collaboration in this work could be labeled as a kind of modernist enlightenment in the fusion of psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and evolutionary biology. It's a treasure house of information written in a non-intimidating style that allows any layman to understand the nature and being of consciousness from its physical, neural, cognitive, and representational aspects. Highly recommended."
