Authentic Being: Dynamic Creativity

By Dr. James R. McCartney

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 heros 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 Bergsons argument with Darwins 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 nave authenticity. Colorful meditations are included at the end of the book with the intention of facilitating introspection and self-acceptance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483657974

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by Dr. James R. McCartney.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2013911361

ISBN:      Hardcover   978-1-4836-5796-7

               Softcover      978-1-4836-5795-0

               Ebook           978-1-4836-5797-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 06/27/2013

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Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction Man’s Authentic Self

A. The Abyss

B. Defining and Comparing Philosophical Concepts of Authenticity

C. What Inspired Me to Write This Book?

D. Individual Expectations and Rewards of Achieving Authenticity

E. The Storm

F. Summary of Main Points

Part 1 New Thought Philosophy

A. Brief History

B. Metaphysical Club of Boston, Massachusetts

C. Phineas P. Quimby (1802-1866)

D. The Placebo Effect

E. Emma Curtis Hopkins

F. Charles and Myrtle Fillmore and Unity

G. Malinda Cramer and Church of Divine Science

H. Ernest Holmes and Religious Science

I. Summary of Main Points

Part 2 Possible Philosophical Influences

A. The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy

B. Who or What Is God?

C. The I Am!

D. Pantheism and New Thought

E. Natural Experience of Nature

F. Philosophy

G. Spiritual or Religious

H. The Internship

I. Intentional Living to Higher Consciousness

J. Dreams

K. The Ordeal

L. Existentialism and New Thought Compared

M. Summary of Main Points

Part 3 Existentialism

A. Existentialism Defined

B. Existentialism Compared

C. Brief History of Existentialism

1. Kierkegaard

2. Nietzsche

3. Sartre

4. Camus

D. Existential Psychotherapy

E. The Inauthentic Self

F. Reflections

G. The Search

H. Summary of Main Points

Part 4 Pedagogy and Educators

A. The Spirit of Children

B. Commitment and Dedication

C. Summary of Main Points

Part 5 Henri Bergson

A. Natural Musings

B. Summary of Main Points

Part 6 Thoughts and Contemplations

Part 7 Meditations

A. The Mystery

B. Unification

References

To each of my children and grandchildren

Live as a creative force in the evolution of mankind

Acknowledgments

To all my friends and colleagues who have generously given of their time and expertise through editing, discussion, suggestions, and support.

For editing: Dr. Jeffrey Spahr, Michael and Judith Meserve, Helen Hu, Dr. Robert McCartney, Ryan Adler, and the Xlibris Copyediting Services.

For encouragement, consultation, and challenge: Dr. Angelo Pizelo, Dennis Martin, Dr. Patty Luckenbach, and all the previously mentioned editors.

Introduction

Man’s Authentic Self

The Abyss

I shall leap into another dimension of space. Is it my decision, or am I driven by energy from another time and place? I only know it is this life I can no longer face.

Reasons disappear as I move slowly to a destiny full of fear. The cold rock beneath my feet glistens from morning dew. I must not fall before that moment when I choose to stay or follow through.

The mountains which call from the horizon fade away; distance makes mountains small in shades of gray.

Look at boulders with craggy smiles waiting on the canyon floor below. They urge me to jump to end this show.

After moving back on the ledge, raging gusts of wind drag me back across the shiny rock to the outer edge.

Fear grows bold within my heart in response to unfulfilled choice, but I will not face life without true voice.

The wind takes my choice, and rapidly I fall to feed the hungry rocks below. Total panic surrounds, and my upper limbs reach out to grab shelter from death.

Now my descent begins to slow as a blast of air racing up from within the abyss lifts my body in nature’s care.

The thrill of discovery runs through my being and I cry out, I have wings! Wings move up and down because this is why they were meant for me, and this is the truth that will set me free.

I am flying! The piercing sound of ecstasy echoes in a high-pitched scream across the canyon floor below.

Now I see other eagles soaring high above, watching over me. It is as if they always knew death can never be in response to authenticity.

A colleague responded to my poem, The Abyss, as follows: I am in service to a purpose, stewardship. I am an instrument, a vehicle, professor, underclassman, servant, voice, agent of change, change. Though I am author of my journey, I am also its tourist, witness, and subject. Despite my awkward stumbling novitiate, I will fly, must fly, can fly. I race to thrust myself into the abyss—blindly, yet knowingly even as self doubt exists mindful, conscious, aware, I must Be. I will Be. I am (Dennis Martin).

Defining and Comparing Philosophical Concepts of Authenticity

This book compares Existentialism and New Thought philosophies as a means of understanding and simplifying a complex psychological and philosophical problem called authenticity. Stated as a question, this problem asks, what really is authenticity, and what stands in the way of expressing a person’s real self? Many quotations are used throughout the book for clarification, exemplification, and validation by well-known philosophers and psychologists. In addition, stories by the author have been included to exemplify, clarify, and color the concepts.

This is a book about the importance of choice in the lives of people. Two philosophies, Existentialism and New Thought, 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 lives; it is about the courageous adventure of being authentic. It is a book about you and me; it is about the evolution of humankind.

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 naive authenticity. Colorful meditations are included at the end of the book with the intention of facilitating introspection and self-acceptance.

What Inspired Me to Write This Book?

While completing my studies in the ministry, followed by a master’s degree in adult education and finally a doctoral degree in spiritual studies, I had the privilege of visiting hospice patients in Denver, Colorado. Initially, I felt uncomfortable talking with people who had to face the same mortality we each must eventually confront as a defining part of our life process. These people seemed, for the most part, resigned but surprisingly upbeat during our visits. However, one woman expressed regrets that she had not been herself during her life. She went on to say that from early childhood, she had caved in to the expectations and demands put on her by people in her life. She had dreamed of being a nurse, but she had not followed her dream. She went on to say her mother also lamented at having always wanted a career in journalism and had even been encouraged by a teacher saying she was an excellent writer, but she too had somehow allowed herself to be pushed into making a living doing something else.

During a six-month internship, I talked with many people who, in facing the end of their lives, regretted that they had not expressed their true selves. They had not followed an inner call to do or be something that utilized their innate gifts. It seems they had only lived to survive. I felt puzzled when one man remarked, I completed a task, but not the task. He seemed to be saying he had lived the life of someone else, a stranger unknown to him. Other people said it was as if they had lived their lives robotically addicted to a habitual daily routine. As far back as they could remember, they had a sense of being unfulfilled or incomplete. It was like an artist with brush in hand waiting to paint but forever standing frozen in front of a canvas, waiting for permission from some mystical outside source to begin life’s creation.

For a period of years, I have spoken at universities on the subject of entrepreneurship and self-responsibility. I have facilitated many workshops dealing with the spiritual concerns of different types of people, including men confined in prison. I worked as a chaplain in a city hospital and in a mental health facility with the mentally ill. During this time, I became increasingly aware of problems relating to authenticity expressed by people in a wide variety of situations and forms.

In a time of high unemployment, many people often hold out for jobs that they never liked in the first place. This could be a wonderful time to explore areas of employment that more closely fit what a person would most likely enjoy doing. I am not suggesting that a butcher should move into brain surgery because he is good at separating chops from roasts; at least he should not change before he completes the requirements of medical school.

Many people will be surprised to learn that a large portion of our population shares the same problem of having never experienced their own natural creative expression of dreams and aspirations hidden within. I think this subject has been approached in different ways, but to my knowledge, it has never been approached by comparing what some might believe are two very different philosophical concepts encompassing theism, atheism, agnosticism, and spirituality.

Creativity is an area of learning that contains a solution to many of the current problems in pedagogy. Individuality breeds creativity in the arts and also demands the attention of business by sparking production and marketing. Authenticity is the mother of all creativity and individuality. Freedom engenders all the above while embracing social functionality in political systems that are only maintained through