Johnny Smith is a young New England schoolteacher in love with his colleague Sarah Bracknell when he is involved in a serious car accident that sends him into a coma. He awakes under the care of neurologist Dr. Sam Weizak and counts himself fortunate when he notes no casts, bandages or visible signs of injuries on his body. However, the awakening turns rude when he is told that five years have passed since he last knew consciousness: his girlfriend has long since married and had a child. Johnny's transition back to life is made rougher when he discovers that he has the ability to learn a person's secrets (past, present, future) through making physical contact with the person. However, this ability leaves him an outcast in his hometown despite helping the citizens.