From a young age, Kenneth Schmitt has contemplated the matter of consciousness. Though his professional career has exposed him to many unique circumstances, his lived experience has always brought him back to this central question. Today, Schmitt has focused his work on that contemplation; although the answer may never truly be clear, he shares his pursuit with an audience that listens closely.
Before Schmitt began his professional career, he completed a bachelor’s degree in classical languages at Valparaiso University in 1965, then studied at Concordia Seminary until 1968. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in divinity at the Pacific School of Religion in 1969, which was later upgraded to a master’s degree.
Near-Death Experiences and “Quantum Philosophy”
Following his educational training, Schmitt occupied himself as a “quantum philosopher” from 1969 to 1979. Also during this time, he worked as a real estate appraisal trainee in California for about a year before becoming a staff appraiser for five years. At some point in 1970, he was involved in a head-on auto collision.
This event led Schmitt to change his circumstances, and he moved to Hawaii shortly thereafter. While contemplating quantum philosophy, he took up rock climbing. Although he came to value the practice, he was faced with another near-death experience when he fell off a rock cliff in 1980.
This proved to be a difficult year for Schmitt, as he lost all his assets in a series of tragedies. It began with the real estate crisis, when mortgage rates escalated to 18 percent. Then a tremendous storm destroyed his 46-foot catamaran and his charter boat business. He was homeless for a few years, camping, exploring the wilderness of Maui, and living mostly off wild fruits and vegetables.
“These dramatic episodes in a person’s life are pretty much indelible,” Schmitt said. “They don’t just occur at random. They occur because you need some redirection. In 1980, I needed another reminder. And so it was.”
Contributions to Hawaii Ecotourism
Believing this to be true, Schmitt took his first position working for someone other than himself in 1982, serving as a crew member on a yacht for the Hyatt Regency in Maui, Hawaii. He remained in this role for a year before founding Hike Maui in 1983.
Established through the knowledge he gained while homeless, Schmitt operated Hike Maui until 2012 and additionally founded Rappel Maui in 2011. He kept this company running until 2013, when he sold it to focus on creative work.
Creating an Impact Through Creative Contributions
Schmitt dedicated himself fully to writing essays in 2018, which he published on his website and social media platforms. Within the year, he published his first complete volume. Since 2020, he has written five volumes of his “Quantum Energetics and Spirituality” series. Shortly after releasing this fifth book, he began work on scripts for a new genre of quantum-spirituality films.
Currently, Schmitt is working on this “spiritual sci-fi story.” Out of the 30 episodes he has planned, he has written 14. He intends to present what he has now to studios, aiming to have these stories produced across three seasons of 10 episodes each. Beyond his creative works, he hopes to help others resolve the limiting beliefs they hold about themselves and transform their lived experiences.
