Why I Wrote Deep Change

“This is a critical book at a critical time in the life of our society, providing crucial insights as it deals with the paradoxes of gaining the world but losing its soul.”

—Richard Tarnas, The Passion of the Western World

My Story

From a very early age, I had a clear, inscrutable opening to other dimensions. I often felt like I was on the edge of a void. Because I didn’t know how to describe this experience, I felt very alone, even in the midst of my lovely family.    

This experience recurred in my late twenties and is chronicled in the introduction of Deep Change. Following a long period of living with a sense of nothingness and meaninglessness, I received guidance from a wise elder advising me not to resist but to allow my self to participate directly in the experience. Then unexpectedly I found myself in a world of profound meaning and connection. This discovery, and the mystery about how it occurred, seeded my investigation into what I called “the experience of nothingness in the life-world.”

At the time, I could find no references in the psychological literature to such an experience of moving through nothingness to a vivid world of connection and belonging. Consequently, I decided to explore the nature of this relationship, in collaboration with Dr. Amedeo Giorgi, a phenomenology-based psychologist known for his profound and rigorous research methodology.

The investigation yielded surprising results. Inspired by how useful this material proved to be for my clients and by the encouragement I received from the visionary best-selling author John O’Donohue, I wrote the hands-on book Deep Change based on my research.

My hope is to share what I learned navigating this very challenging yet inspiriting process and to offer individuals comfort and companionship as they walk the path of the transformation I call “Deep Change.