American Awakening

In 'American Awakening: Evolutionary Spirituality, Non-Duality, and Free Thinking in the Tradition of American Philosophy', meditation teacher and mystical philosopher Jeff Carreira takes you on a journey through the revolutionary and evolutionary wisdom of American philosophy. From Transcendentalism in the mid 19th century, through the rise of Pragmatism, right up to the late 20th century ideas of Richard Rorty, you will discover a radical understanding of reality based in a deep recognition of the inherent unity of mind and matter. You will be amazed to see how many of the notions of contemporary alternative spirituality were incubated and developed by some of America’s most prominent thinkers. Complex and subtle conceptions are elucidated clearly and simply so that you leave the reading of this book feeling enlightened and enriched. This is not philosophy the way you might have learned it in school. This is an exciting adventure through the lives and thoughts of some extraordinary individuals and an exploration of the deeply mysterious nature of life. The story you will discover in this book reveals a seldom recognized American tradition of spiritual enlightenment.

American Philosophy contains a Magnificent Vision...

When I speak to people — including Americans — about American philosophy, people often look back at me somewhat bewildered. Americans are not known for their philosophy. And yet the truth is that we do have one, and it contains a magnificent vision of a universe that grows as one dynamically interconnected whole. We are not separate from the universe any more than our mouths are separate from our faces. We grew out of the universe like a leaf grows out of a tree.

This book presents an awe-inspiring vision of reality that was initiated by Ralph Waldo Emerson and later expanded upon in the philosophy of pragmatism. As you read, you will discover a new way of thinking about reality, not as a collection of interconnected parts, but as single living event that has grown - from the inside and out — since before time.