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FROM CHAPTER ONE: THE AGENT OF CHANGE… At approximately ten-thirty on the morning of January tenth, I became particularly uneasy about my son’s plans for the day. [My son] Brandon and his friends intended to embark on a very difficult hike to the summit of the McDowell Mountains. At the time, I sensed that something was going to go very wrong during the hike, even feeling that circumstances could possibly conspire to end Brandon’s life. Since my normal tendency was to worry, I dismissed my feelings as those of an anxious parent. Because of my overwhelming sense of apprehension, though, I actually went to the point of asking Brandon to stay home, noting somewhat lamely that it was far too windy for such an expedition. In response, my son looked me and said, “We’re going, Dad,” as if to convey the message “stop worrying.” But also, in retrospect, it had at least one other meaning: “We’re going” not only means that a worry-wart father is going to fail in deterring a high-energy teenager, but that the universe is moving toward what is destined to be, and no one is going to stop it. [My wife] Susie was also concerned, primarily because of the magnitude of the hike, but her worry was minimal in comparison to mine. At the time, I did not share the full scope of my misgivings with my wife.I have experienced intuitive feelings on many occasions, yet it has been rare for me to trust them. It’s as if my rational mind stifles my inner guidance and I allow reason to override intuition. Anxiety can also take on the voice of intuition and, if one becomes obsessed with every omen or hunch, his or her unconscious mind will exploit the situation in order to install its neuroses. So, one must also be careful not to fall prey to superstition. With that said, my intuition has proven correct in the past so I should probably take more chances with it.By now I have come to realize that on occasions when my intuition is activated, focused upon a specific issue, I feel a sense of certainty or knowledge about the matter without any external means of having gained this information. The sense is similar to a memory, although these feelings involve things that have not yet occurred or that have taken place without my previous knowledge. In the case of Brandon’s hike, the feeling was extraordinarily strong. While sitting at my computer I was overcome with what I could only describe as a wave of energy. It felt as if another presence were around me. Along with this feeling came a sense of extreme urgency surrounding an impending risk to Brandon. Again, I dismissed this as imagined worry.So, despite my premonitions and warnings, Brandon and his friends began their trek toward the McDowell Mountains. On that particular day, ominously strong winds pushed pollutants from the Greater Phoenix Valley toward the mountains where Brandon was hiking. The impure air made the vigorous climb all the more stressful, and Brandon began feeling poor. Stuart Garney, his best friend, told me that Brandon rested in an effort to regain his strength. He also used his prescription inhaler in a desperate attempt to alleviate his deteriorating condition, even though asthma did not seem to be the culprit. Frankly, the boys didn’t know what was wrong because Brandon’s symptoms were so unusual, including dizziness, numb limbs, and an irregular heartbeat. Unfortunately, the rest break and inhaler proved ineffective, and Brandon’s condition grew progressively worse.…


From the Trade Paperback edition.