New Thinking Nov 21, 2023 Who is America’s Greatest Spiritual teacher? Arguably at the core of the American spiritual experience lies this man: Ralph Waldo Emerson. Unitarian minister, Transcendentalist (the uniquely American philosophy promising direct connection to the divine), venerated author of Self Reliance, Nature and The Oversoul and one of the earliest synthesizers of East-West spiritual thinking, Emerson laid the groundwork for the father of American psychology William James, the ensuing New Thought movement, even the New Age movement of the late 20th century. In his latest book Lessons from an American Stoic: How Emerson Can Change Your Life, award-winning author Mark Matousek shows how Emerson reminds his countrymen to trust the higher angels of their nature, trust their human potential, and remember the importance of an examined life. Mark is a teacher, spiritual seeker, and author of seven books including Sex Death Enlightenment and Writing to Awaken. His work has been featured in The New Yorker, O: The Oprah Magazine, and Harper’s Bazaar. Matousek’s transformative workshops and mentoring have inspired thousands of people around the world to reach their artistic and personal goals, using writing as a tool for insight, innovation, and clarity of purpose. He is the founder of The Seekers Forum, an online community for self-inquiry, and lives in Springs, New York. His website is MarkMatousek.com. In this interview, Matousek reveals how Emerson’s timeless wisdom can help us with the problems we’re facing today. In twelve powerful lessons, he shows how Emerson’s path of self-reliance can radically improve one’s quality of life. 00:00 Introduction 05:21 Transcendentalists & Perennial Philosophy 11:47 Engaging the Shadow 16:45 American Mysticism & William James 20:21 Spiritual Not Religious, New Age 2.0 28:32 “Pragmatic Mystics” 31:41 America’s “Mystical Core” 40:00 Gen Z/Millennials 44:47 International Emersonianism 47:13 Conclusion New Thinking Allowed Guest Host, Christopher Naughton, JD, is a former prosecutor and multiple Emmy Award-winning host of The American Law Journal television program. His website is ChristopherNaughton.com. Naughton is author of America’s Next Great Awakening: What the Convergence of Mysticism, Religion, Atheism, and Science Means for the Nation. And You. To order America’s Next Great Awakening by Christopher Naughton, click here: https://amzn.to/3P1ab7x Edited subtitles for this video are available in Russian, Portuguese, Italian, German, French, Swedish, and Spanish. (Recorded on September 22, 2023)
Tag Archives: Emerson
Book: “Lessons from an American Stoic: How Emerson Can Change Your Life”
Lessons from an American Stoic: How Emerson Can Change Your Life
Mark Matousek
A lifelong Emerson lover, teacher, and spiritual seeker reveals how American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson’s twelve essential teachings hold the answer to living an authentic and fulfilling life, one that is in harmony with our souls.
In this wise, illuminating book, award-winning author Mark Matousek reveals how Emerson’s timeless wisdom can help us with the problems we’re facing today. America’s ‘original Stoic’ confronted many of the issues before us, from polarization to fake news, from crooked politicians and rampant materialism, to the scourge of racism.
Matousek explains that Emerson’s path of self-reliance can radically improve your quality of life. The mentor and friend of Henry David Thoreau, Emerson (aka the Oracle of Concord) was America’s first self-help author, and his nation’s conscience for half a century. Like the Stoics before him, he emphasized self-knowledge and mindfulness as paths to happiness; also, self-reliance, cooperation, non-conformity, originality, adaptability, and receptiveness.
As Americans are once again discovering the power of Stoicism, Matousek shows why Emerson’s vision is precisely the medicine we need today. The principles of Waldo’s philosophy are universal and require no spiritual faith to put into practice.
Each person creates her own realityObstacles are teachers in disguiseYour character is your destinyWonder and awe are the keys to the kingdomNonconformity is the greatest virtueNature is the doorway to GodLife without self-knowledge is not worth livingEmerson encourages us to throw-off conventions and platitudes, explore ourselves in depth, tell the truth about what we find there, and awaken to our greatest potential.
(Goodreads.com)
Book: “The Over-Soul”
The Over-Soul
Ralph Waldo Emerson
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world’s literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.
(Goodreads.com)