"Dying to Live: Vision Fasts as Modern Rites of Passage - A Poetic Travel guide" by Silke Schmidt with the support of Carine Roth

NEW BOOK OUT!

"Dying to Live: Vision Fasts as Modern Rites of Passage - A Poetic Travel guide" just came out last week, co-authored by Dr. Silke Schmidtand carine roth.

The book is a collection of poetry written in the course of about one year after Silke’s first Vision Fast in South Africa in Feb/Mar 2025.

“It is the first time that I am publishing my poetry in book format. But it is not poetry in the classical sense. It reflects the stream of consciousness style that I have unintentionally developed over time. So, it is poetry for people who do not like poetry! The poems are accompanied by Carine's beautiful images and additional essays.

This is not just some creative project for me. There is a message I want to send out: Mental healthcare, including treatment for neurodiverse people (e.g., with ADHD, Autism), needs interdisciplinary approaches; bringing together "Western" and traditional medicine, psychology, spirituality, as well as ecology, coaching, and many more...

The publication marks the end of one journey and the beginning of a new one for me. I am not sure where this new one is taking me but I do know that I want to encourage each and everyone: "Healing" is a contested word and whenever the soul gets severely wounded, there is no going back to "before," some imaginary "healthy" state. But there is a way forward if you learn to integrate what was and learn to trust in the future again. That is part of what rites of passage can teach you. And that is a lot!

"The wound is the place where the light enters you." - Rumi

Thank you, Carine, for accompanying my journey out into the wilderness and back again, and for being so careful and patient in the process of publication. And thank you, Jennifer Gläser, for being my sparrings partner and creative midwife...” - Silke Schimdt

You can order the book directly with us, the price is 35 chf including delivery.

“Our way of living, and dying”,

carine’s intro to the book - exploring rites of passage as a practice of living and dying.