Editing Paulo Coelho (section)

==Early life==
Paulo Coelho was born on 24 August 1947 in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Fourth Brazilian Republic|Brazil]], and attended a [[List of Jesuit educational institutions|Jesuit school]]. At age 17, Coelho's parents committed him to a [[psychiatric hospital|mental institution]] from which he escaped three times before being released at the age of 20.<ref name=marika>Schaertl, Markia [http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2007/12/19/paulo-coelho-interview-by-marika-schaertl-focus-munich/ The Boy from Ipanema: Interview with Paulo Coelho] reposted on ''Paulo Coelho's Blog''. 20 December 2007.</ref><ref name=bnet>Doland, Angela [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/12/AR2007051200684.html Brazilian author Coelho thrives on contradictions and extremes] ''[[Oakland Tribune]]'' published on ''The Washington Post''. 12 May 2007.</ref> Coelho later remarked that "It wasn't that they wanted to hurt me, but they didn't know what to do... They did not do that to destroy me, they did that to save me."<ref name=telegraph>Day, Elizabeth [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/donotmigrate/3643720/A-mystery-even-to-himself.html A mystery even to himself] ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''. 14 June 2005.</ref>

On his parents' wishes, Coelho enrolled in law school and abandoned his dream of becoming a writer. One year later, he dropped out and lived life as a [[hippie]], travelling through South America, North Africa, Mexico, and Europe and started using [[drug culture|drugs]] in the 1960s.<ref name=lifepositive>[http://www.lifepositive.com/spirit/traditional-paths/sorcery/coelho.asp An interview with Brazilian writer, Paulo Coelho: Everybody is a Magus] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209124452/http://www.lifepositive.com/spirit/traditional-paths/sorcery/coelho.asp |date=9 February 2014 }} ''Life Positive''. July 2000.</ref><ref name=newyorker>[https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/07/070507fa_fact_goodyear Life and Letters: The Magus] ''[[The New Yorker]]''. 7 May 2007.</ref>