David Cumes has a private medical practice in California. He was born and raised in South Africa, where he spent some time living with the Kalahari Bushmen. Using many of his experiences as a wilderness guide and as a leader of healing journeys to Peru and the Sinai Desert, he discusses the process of "wilderness rapture" that occurs when individuals connect with their higher selves while in nature.
Cumes believes that the natural world triggers peak experiences that enable men and women to conquer fear, expand limits, and come to greater self-awareness. In contrast to the process of "bagging a peak," wilderness rapture consists of subordinating the ego and practicing humility in the face of nature's great mysteries. Cumes uses insights from Kundalini yoga, the Hebrew Kabbala, and Peruvian shamanism to round out his discussion of the inner growth that can accompany outer journeys.