A Mind Trapped Inside: The Mystery of Consciousness with Author Sean Pauzauskie
Online For Authors PodcastShow Notes
My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Sean Pauzauskie, author of the book Stage of Fools. Sean Pauzauskie, M.D., is a hospital neurologist in the University of Colorado system, where he conducts clinical research employing neurotechnology, primarily for the optimization of epilepsy management. He is an active member of the American Academy of Neurology and The American Medical Association, and his research experience includes time at The National Institute of Mental Health, The Energy and Commerce Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Kaufmann Foundation for entrepreneurship. He is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology’s Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, a highly competitive program that selects 30 out of 40,000 members to develop and implement action plans on advocacy issues related to neuroscience. He is president-elect of the Colorado Medical Society.
As a clinician who works daily with comatose patients, Sean brings scientific authenticity to his literary exploration of cognitive-motor dissociation—a condition where patients remain mentally aware while physically unresponsive.
In my book review, I stated Stage of Fools is a literary fiction by Sean Pauzauskie. We quickly meet Thomas Mariner, a billionaire who appears to have it all - until an unfortunate fishing accident leaves him in a coma in a San Francisco ICU.
The entire story is in the mind of Thomas while he is in a coma and flashbacks to his childhood and early adulthood. Despite his fortune and fame, Thomas has demons, and these demons have created problems in his family. His hope? To figure things out, make the needed changes, and save them from what he set in motion due to jealousy, his ego, and rash actions.
I think what is most interesting is that the author is a neurologist. He offers a lot of information to help us understand what it might be like inside a brain during a coma. And for Thomas, his obsession with the play, King Lear, shows up throughout.
I found the novel interesting and thought-provoking with an ending I didn't expect.
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Purchase Stage of Fools on Amazon: Paperback: Hardback: https://amzn.to/4pcLB3A Ebook: https://amzn.to/44WBcQe
Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor IG: @terimbrown_author X: @terimbrown1
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