The Upstart Spring: Esalen and the Human Potential Movement: The First Twenty Years

by Walter Truett Anderson

"The first responsible account of an important, uniquely American happening - worthwhile reading for anyone who wants to piece together the social undercurrents of the '60s"
-Robert Marquand, Christian Science Monitor "A charming, gossipy multiple biography of the curious gurus who spawned Esalen . . . a complex story, but a sequential one nonetheless, with feuds and psychic shoot-outs, games of capture the flag and smell the roses."
-Arthur Hough, San Francisco Chronicle "Upstart Spring tells Esalen's riveting, unfinished story - even-handedly, entertainingly, with sympathy, and yet holding little back."
-David Toolan, Commonwealth "An absolute brimming with juicy gossip, and as carefully crafted as a page-turner novel. And it has substance, the gift of a therapist who also happens to be a cultural historian with a good eye for the telling meta-detail."
-Sandy McDonald, New Age Journal "Walt Anderson has the requisite experience, humor, and affection (if not detachment, since Esalen teaches, indeed proves, that detachment is a universal impossibility) to carry off a wonderful account."
-Stewart Brand, Co-Evolution Quarterly "A wonderful read, consistently entertaining on several levels."
-Michael Rossman, Associate for Humanistic Psychology Newsletter "A superb wrap-up of a notable influence on our popular culture."-Rita Fink, Pacific Sun

Genres: Psychology, Cultural Studies, History, Nonfiction

351 pages, Paperback

First published February 4, 2004

About the author

Walter Truett Anderson is a political scientist, social psychologist, and author of numerous non-fiction books and articles in newspapers and magazines.

In his public lectures, he frequently speculates that, if we had a history of every advanced species in the universe, we would find that they all had to pass through two large, difficult and unavoidable transitions: (1) accepting conscious responsibility for the future of all life on their planets; and (2) recognizing that their systems of symbolic communication – such as language and mathematics – don’t merely describe reality, but participate in creating it.

Most of his major writing efforts have engaged one or both of these evolutionary themes. His defining statement on the first was To Govern Evolution: Further Adventures of the Political Animal. Its vision of human impacts on Earth’s life systems had been foreshadowed in his earlier book on American natural history, A Place of Power: The American Episode in Human Evolution, and was further developed in Evolution Isn’t What It Used To Be and All Connected Now. He is now at work on a new book that explores the evolutionary challenges and frontiers of the 21st century.

His major statements on the second (constructivist) theme were Reality Isn’t What It Used to Be and the subsequent anthology The Truth About the Truth. In other books on related subjects, The Future of the Self described changing ways that people are constructing personal identities in contemporary global society, and The Next Enlightenment points out the similarities between Western constructivist thought and Eastern spiritual traditions such as Buddhism.

He is currently President Emeritus of the World Academy of Art and Science (having served as president 2000-2008); a founding Fellow of the Meridian International Institute; a Fellow of the Western Behavioral Sciences Institute (LaJolla, CA); and a Distinguished Consulting Faculty member of Saybrook University in San Francisco.

Reviews

[Eric Vollmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this social history of the Esalen Center in Big Sur fascinating. It traces the origin of this eclectic and eccentric "Human Potential Movement" Institute co-founded by Michael Murphy and Richard Price - from its intellectual beginnings in 1962 when guest authors like Aldous Huxley and Abraham Maslow held court - through the "Experiential Learning Phase" featuring the "Encounter Session Movement Guru, William Shutz - and the outlandish Gestalt Therapist, Fritz Perls - to the 'East Meets West' mysticism of the flamboyant Alan Watts - all the way through their flirtation with Russian Parapsychology in the early 1980s... I loved being reminded of the idealism and psychological exploration that was fostered there - alongside the wildness that took place in the Hot Springs Tubs and the flirtation with psychedelics and various mind-expanding drugs. It seems improbable now, but author William Truett Anderson paints a credible portrait of an incredible 'Cultural Moment!"

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prior to reading this book a few years ago, I did not know much about Esalen except from the awareness of the famous massage style that came out of this Big Sur educational center and from flipping through the catalog for their very expensive New Agey classes. The book goes into great detail about the history of this center for the "human potential movement." Definitely an interesting and quick read covering encounter groups, Gestalt therapy, primal scream therapy, and various other psychological theories and practices. Though a bit on the gossipy side, it provides a good overview of many aspects of Esalen's early history. I came away thinking that most of the programs at Esalen promoted self-absorption, narcissism, lots of nakedness and sex, and not a whole lot more. But I still wouldn't mind going there once just to sit in that hot tub overlooking the Pacific Ocean...

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A historical account of an American cultural revolution of sorts, The Upstart Spring is an absorbing and fun read. Anderson takes the reader through the history of Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California starting from it's beginnings in the 1960's. Founded by Michael Murphy and Dick Price, they brought a number of well known figures to lead seminars such as Aldous Huxley, Abraham Maslow, Joan Baez, Ida Rolf, Fritz Pearls, and many others. Interested in human potential and development, I found the subject matter fascinating. A culturally important part of history, the book is an entertaining, sometimes sobering, and informative read.

[Joel Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and well researched history for me as I spent two years or so at Esalen from '68 to '70. I felt the book was very balanced in terms of evaluating people and events at Esalen, and brought different currents together very well.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

An admirably level-headed account of an interesting subject that can elicit disproportionate reactions.

[Jeannette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book. An especially important book for understanding what was going on at Esalen when it was starting up. Very enlightening on many other subjects as well.