Maria Isabel, her husband Evan, and children were forced to leave their jobs and home in Nicaragua because of political turmoil, kidnappings and disappearances. Most Central American refugees forced to leave their country in order to seek safety have nowhere to go. As one of the fortunate ones, Maria Isabel was able to protect her family by finding refuge in the U.S. because Evan is an American citizen and she has a Green Card.
Days after the birth of her first child in 2014, Maria Isabel experienced her first non-ordinary state of consciousness, which left her with profound feelings of joy, awe and gratitude. Seven months later she had a second non-ordinary experience, but this time it was colored by her country’s growing instability and a threat that her son might be kidnapped. Because of her fear, the outcome this time was very different. The spiritual feelings of joy and gratitude were replaced with suspicion, delusions and terror. Here, Maria Isabel and her husband Evan each give their perspective on that frightening and tumultuous time in their lives.
Maria Isabel has been a strong supporter of CRAZYWISE providing the Spanish subtitles for the film and holding several well-attended screenings in Nicaragua.
