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SYNOPSIS :
A neuroscientist trapped in a room without doors or windows writes a letter to a stranger explaining everything he knows about consciousness—in exchange for one little favor.
 
Written in the style of creative nonfiction, 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 and his partner discovered so his entire life won't have been for nothing.
 
In a sentence, it's a multi-disciplinary answer to the question, “What is consciousness?” told through the vehicle of a story.
 
In a few sentences, it's everything worth knowing about the subject, rendered in easy-to-read prose. A multimodal conversation that spans the fields of psychology, cosmology, philosophy, coding, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology.
 
In a few hundred pages, it’s Consciousness in a Nutshell: A Psychonautical Odyssey, an undefinable, genre-bending literary tour-de-force featuring over 500 unique, citable sources.
 
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT CIAN:
 
 "Often incisive exploration of consciousness and transcendence....much of this is fresh, exciting, and persuasive, especially Nelson's boiling down of complex ideas into flexible, relatable frameworks."
                                                                                                                                                                     - BookLife Reviews
 
 
"...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." 
                                                                                                                                                                       - Readers' Favorite
 
 
"Writing a convincing, creative narrative work is no easy task. It is a delicate balance between a captivating story that reads like fiction and elements based on facts. The Nelsons manage these tasks by developing a story that takes the reader on a journey through the world of human consciousness. Drawing on information from multiple academic disciplines, the reader is introduced to the world of two protagonists, Ava and James, through a letter penned by the latter. In the letter, James explains what he believes about the state of consciousness in exchange for a favor, which remains explicitly undefined....I found it a fascinating read."
                                                                                                                                               - The Nonfiction Book Awards 
                                                           (Recipient of a Bronze Award for Excellence in Science Communication)