This Stanford graduate with a yen for internal exploration was the perfect salesman for presenting Esalen to a mainstream culture that was fearful and even hostile toward the counterculture and the personal growth movement. But his genius was in being able to tie all those disparate elements together. He was an agent connecting two different worlds. The arc of Murphy's life tracks the evolution of American culture over the last 40 years. Clint Eastwood has bought the movie rights, and Sean Connery wants to play one of the lead roles.
Murphy still ricochets among many different worlds.
Murphy apologizes, as he pauses to take a sip of cappuccino. Like his meandering thought process, Murphy's life hasn't followed a linear path. Start with aging. He looks at least 15 years younger than his 67 years, moves with the grace of an ex-athlete, lifts weights three times a week and has competed at a high level in master track and field races. Born and raised in Salinas, Calif., Murphy is the son of an Irish father and Basque mother.