The Trance Bardo tells the story of a young woman, Eleanor, and her tumultuous path to self-acceptance. After a poem about her brother's suicide goes viral, Eleanor is thrust into a world filled with opportunity, however she is unable to enjoy her success due to her brother, James, and their shared emotionally shattering childhood after dealing with the death of their mother. Unable to accept the loss of her brother and mother, Eleanor clings to James's soul, preventing him from transcending and as a result he has become lost in the Bardo. James watches over Eleanor as she plummets into an abyss of despair, making decisions that put her life in jeopardy. In order to surface and free James's soul, Eleanor must confront the internal demons that haunt her, ultimately spinning her suffering into art.