A Note From The Author

This book is being published incrementally. Each chapter is released only after it has been revised to a standard suitable for serious reading. The book as a whole, however, is still evolving.

As later chapters are written and as thoughtful readers identify ambiguities or unanswered questions, I may revise earlier chapters for greater clarity, precision, coherence or accuracy.

This Leanpub edition is the complete, integrated edition of the entire work. It will include the Introduction and all eight planned chapters as they are published.

Purchasing this edition gives you permanent access to all future chapters, updates, and revisions at no additional charge. Whenever a new chapter or major revision is published, you will receive an automatic email notification from Leanpub and the updated files (EPUB and PDF) will be available immediately in your Leanpub library.

The current release contains the Introduction and Chapter 1 (Consciousness). Together, they establish the rational person’s dilemma, the five-layer methodology and the case for the primacy of consciousness grounded in direct first-person experience.

The Next Release: Chapter 2 (Evolution) is already fully drafted and is currently undergoing final editorial review. It is scheduled for release in six weeks.

This Leanpub edition presents the complete work as one single continuous book. On Amazon, the work is planned for publication in two separate volumes, each available as a separate ebook and paperback:

• Volume 1: Foundations (Introduction and Chapters 1 to 4)
• Volume 2: Applications (Introduction and Chapters 5 to 8)

The Leanpub edition will include the complete content of both volumes as each chapter is published.

The latest release date and a summary of substantive changes appear in the Version History at the end of this book. Significant revisions to previously published material are recorded there. Minor typographical and formatting corrections may be made between releases without a separate Version History entry.

Because this book attempts to bridge rigorous rational analysis with direct subjective experience, I do not expect passive agreement. I actively welcome careful critique from rational readers, especially where:

• an argument seems logically incomplete or unclear;
• a claim appears stronger than the evidence provided;
• an important counter-argument or sceptical objection has been overlooked; or
• a key phenomenological or analytical term needs sharper definition.

You can:

• send me feedback through Leanpub, or
• join the book’s discussion forum

Thank you for supporting this book in its formative stage.

Emil Ivanov