Michael Brown

Michael Brown was born in the remote Chatham Islands of New Zealand in 1948.

His philosophy is the result of recovering from trauma experienced as a young man, including forced committal to a psychiatric hospital. To take back control of his mind he began a long, intense and often painful search for understanding of how the universe works. The search included a degree in physics and a journey into the Andes to find a secret monastery. The result is Finding the Field. While the story that conveys his answers is essentially fiction, some parts describe his own real and startling experiences—for example the wolf, the condor, the man in the bowler hat.

Michael believes we all have a hibernating memory of what existence is about, who we really are and why we're here. His interest is in how to wake that memory, and with it the creative powers inherent in us all. He believes there is immense peace and joy in that waking. From a character in Field: “Through many lifetimes your mind has nurtured a desire to re-connect with your expanded self, like a carefully tended ember in the deepest recess of the cave. Now it’s time to bring the ember forward and blow on it.”

He has been a consultant in executive presence, presentation skills and news media skills, specializing in how to handle difficult public issues. Earlier, he was a reporter, director and presenter of news and current affairs programs for Television New Zealand and has also worked on secondment to the BBC.

He is married with four children and lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. He has a particular love for the spectacular mountains in the South Island of New Zealand where Finding the Field is set.

Other interests include quantum physics; mountain hiking; chess; piano; flying; sailing; scuba diving; dancing; do-it-yourself home renovations; psychology (and the powerful influence of the conscious mind on the engine room of the subconscious).

Previous publications. Novels: The Weaver's Apprentice (Collins), The Idiot Played Rachmaninov (Hodder and Stoughton). Travel books: The Weaver and the Abbey (Arthur Barker). The Taming of the Crew (Random House). Training resource books: Media Easy and Speaking Easy (Media Associates).

Academic. B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Physics; post-graduate Dip Journalism; Dip Teaching; Coastal Yachtmaster; Ocean Yachtmaster (Navigation).