Authentic Being

This is a book about the importance of choice in the lives of people. Two philosophies, Existentialism and New Thought Philosophy, speak in their own language of taking “the hero’s journey” by accepting and expressing life authentically. This book looks at things that get in the way of choosing our true life; it is about the courageous adventure of being authentic. It is a book about you and me, it is about the evolution of human kind.

This book begins by defining and comparing philosophical concepts of authenticity. It continues by looking at the expectations and rewards of achieving self-discovery through authenticity. This is followed by a brief history of New Thought Philosophy from the time of transcendentalism to the present day.

Existentialism is presented in a variety of forms such as the theological as represented by Soren Kierkegaard, and the atheism of Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. We also look at the basic premises of existential psychotherapy through the eyes of Rollo May. The chapter which follows describes the work of Henri Bergson’s argument with Darwin’s mechanistic concept of random variations in the evolutionary process of living things.

The writing concludes by describing the spiritual childhood of two brothers who exemplify freedom and naïve authenticity. Colorful meditations are included at the end of the book with the intention of facilitating introspection and self-acceptance.