Born in Germany he grew up in Albury, NSW and graduated medicine from the University of New South Wales in 1987. In his early twenties and barely two years after graduating, having endured many years of intermittent depression – especially at high school and university – Winfried suffered a life-threatening personal crisis. Forsaking all he believed, including a promising specialised medical career, he spent twelve months in self-imposed isolation in a small rental unit in Sydney and began an internal quest to find himself, and a sense of unquestionable truth. His success has allowed him to create a life that has been both personally satisfying and feels his own.