About Manuela

Manuela Fun (1974)

From a young age, I was drawn to people who set the world in motion. Leaders like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela inspired me with their idealism and their ability to spark collective movements. Oprah Winfrey also touched me: through her authenticity and open, honest conversations, she brought things that often remained invisible to the public to discuss.

Spirituality has always been a natural part of me. From my African, Asian, South American, and European roots, I felt connected to something larger than myself. Because of that mix, I never quite fit in anywhere, yet I felt at home everywhere. That's precisely what made me a bridge builder: someone who moves between worlds and makes connections where others see only divisions. Ancient cultures, religious movements, and subcultures showed me that there are always more layers than what's immediately apparent.

That same curiosity brought me to journalism. I wasn't interested in the individual facts, but in the stories behind people and the undercurrents. What motivates someone? Why does someone do what they do? I still ask the same question: which stories remain hidden, and how do we make them visible? I'm always interested in the bigger picture, the movements happening beneath the surface.

Plant medicines gave me even deeper insights. They bring traumas and hidden layers to the surface and open up space for healing, not only individually but also collectively. For me, they are a powerful form of transformation, reminding us that we are always connected to ourselves, to each other, and to the earth. Travel also fuels this same quest. Through different cultures and realities, I repeatedly learn to look without judgment and remind myself that there is always more to see than what appears at first glance.

My fascination with technology aligns seamlessly with this. AI and quantum science mirror us and reveal invisible layers. But without consciousness, they primarily magnify our weaknesses. What we don't put in, we don't get back. If we don't face our traumas, fears, and blind spots, we project them onto the technology itself—after which AI magnifies them in inequality, polarization, abuse of power, and dehumanization. The risk is that we become further removed from our essence, instead of closer. That's why it's so important to connect technology with an inner and ethical compass. Only then can it become a mirror that helps us grow, instead of an abyss that swallows us up.

"In Vulnerable Balance, all these threads converge. It's more than an eco-thriller: it's an invitation to look beyond judgment, reveal invisible layers, and remember who we truly are."

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Read more about co-author Natacia