Wendy Weiger, MD, PhD

I’m a research physician who left the halls of academe for the wilds of northern Maine.

Nearly four decades ago, I was a budding scientist at Harvard College, delving into the esoteric mysteries of quantum mechanics, when my father’s violent suicide cracked the foundation of my world. I was getting straight As, but I feared I was flunking life. I began to question the meaning and purpose—if any—of our existence.

My search for answers took me far and wide. I studied ancient meditative practices at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery. I earned an MD and a PhD in neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, striving to understand the electrical and chemical underpinnings of our thoughts and emotions. But on a dark night, in a wilderness forest, came an unexpected call that would transform my life.

I followed that call to the Maine Woods, where I’ve qualified as a Registered Maine Guide and become a passionate environmental activist. Ultimately, my path through the wild has led from anguished isolation into joyful connection with the Earth, and into a new and healing fellowship with its Source. By sharing my journey, I hope to guide others to the solace nature offers us all—and I hope my readers will, in turn, be inspired to work toward healing the wounds we are collectively inflicting upon our planet.

For more information on my background and work, download my CV.
In a quinzhee (traditional Native American snow shelter) in the North Woods of New Hampshire, near the borders of Maine and Quebec, February 2015. [Photo by Chelsea Scudder.]

Publications