David Cumes, M.D. was born in South Africa and received his medical training at the Witwatersrand Medical School in Johannesburg. Specializing in urology, Dr. Cumes was trained and has previously taught on the staff at Stanford Medical Center. He has published extensively in professional journals and currently has a private practice in Santa Barbara, CA.
          Although Dr. Cumes has had classical training in a profession that relies heavily on science and analytical reasoning, he has pursued a personal quest that evokes his intuitive and introspective capabilities. After extensive travel which included time with the San Bushmen in the Kalahari Desert, Dr. Cumes explored the role wilderness plays in personal healing and transformation. He founded a company called Inward Bound, and leads groups on healing journeys to remote wilderness areas. As a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School of North America, he has formal training as a wilderness guide. Dr. Cumes has also presented his experiences through lectures and slide presentations. Over the years, he has addressed people from diverse backgrounds and interests, including psychologists, physicians, nurses, wilderness enthusiasts, and the lay public.
          He has published three books. The first, Inner Passages Outer Journeys (Llewellyn) Dr. Cumes explores the restorative power of nature. It discusses practical theories of wilderness psychology and synthesizes relevant aspects of ancient traditions such as yoga and Kabbalah. The second book, The Spirit of Healing (Llewellyn) discusses the interrelationship between the patient, the healer, and the Divine Force or "Field" as essential components of the healing process. The book is filled with personal anecdotes and insights from his surgical practice, his travels and his studies of ancient healing wisdom, shamans and San trance dancers. More recently Dr. Cumes has been initiated as an inyanga or sangoma (South African shaman.) The third book is about this journey. He has established a healing center in the far north of South Africa (Soutpansberg mountains) where he has built "Tshisimane."

Philosophical Statement

          The wilderness is an integral part of the Western psyche. Ironically, while we value and preserve Nature, we also want to conquer it. We long to climb the tallest peaks, ride the wildest rapids, and ski the steepest slopes. If, instead, we make an intimate connection with Nature, we can embark on a restorative journey that can ultimately lead to the discovery of our highest selves. Nature is in fact the source of all healing and the principles that apply to the healing she gives can help us understand healing in whatever form and wherever it occurs. The healing of the sangoma is primal, ubiquitous and nature bound and as such constitutes humanity's original medicine.