Background
Richard Maurice Bucke was born on March 18, 1837 in Methwold, England, the son of Reverend Horatio Walpole Bucke (a parish curate) and his wife Clarissa Andrews. He was one of seven children.
He enrolled at McGill University to study medicine, and graduated with his M.D. in 1862.
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Richard Maurice Bucke was born on March 18, 1837 in Methwold, England, the son of Reverend Horatio Walpole Bucke (a parish curate) and his wife Clarissa Andrews. He was one of seven children.
Bucke's father introduced him to challenging studies, including all manners of literature, political and social writings, religious readings, and other philosophical pursuits. Although naturally inclined and interested in his rigorous studies, Bucke's youthful spirit temporarily captured his attention in 1954 and seduced him into setting forth on a quest for riches during the California gold rush. Unfortunately, instead of becoming an overnight millionaire, Bucke suffered the consequences of travelling over the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the middle of winter, permanently disfiguring his feet with a severe case of frostbite.
Humbled by his travelling experiences, he returned to Canada to aspire to what he did best, which was to utilize his exceptional mind. He enrolled at McGill University to study medicine, and graduated with his M.D. in 1862. Eager to further his professional edification, Bucke went to Europe to study psychiatry, where he stayed for two years.
Bucke returned to Ontario and set up a general practice in 1864. Apparently, Bucke was good at what he did, because by 1876 he was working as the superintendent of an insane asylum, and he held that challenging post for the rest of his life.
Despite the prestige and demands of his position as superintendent, Bucke allotted a substantial amount of time, energy and attention to his personal interests - namely, his philosophical questions and considerations.
He became enamored with the works of the German philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and made it a point to learn German, striving for fair comprehension so he could understand the philosopher's work in untainted translation. He immersed himself in poetry, not only to enjoy its aestheticism, but also to purposefully search for mystical messages and common philosophical themes. Some of the English poets that caught his attention included Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Algernon Charles Swinburne. He poured over the works of Charles Darwin, Voltaire, and other forward or controversial thinkers of the time. He began to develop theories regarding enlightenment and universal truths exposed through the epiphanies of talented or distinctive individuals. Most often, these individuals were artists, writers, or some variation of creatively gifted persons.
Once again, it was in Cosmic Consciousness that Bucke tried to elucidate his findings. In this ambitious book, he worked hard to maintain objectivity and presented the philosophical ruminations of noted thinkers throughout history. The longest chapter was dedicated to Walt Whitman and his works. Bucke prefaced this collection with an extensive introduction in which he shared his personal views.
True to his convictions, passions, and virtues, Bucke was extraordinarily thorough in his biographical works of Whitman. Having set out to meet him in 1877 and consequently earning the poet's respect, Bucke gained approval to write an authorized biography of Whitman. Despite the provocative nature of the subject matter with which he spent most of his life enthralled, Bucke succeeded in maintaining an honest - albeit enthusiastic - perspective and professional temperament when reviewing, sharing, and editing Whitman's creations and persona. Published in 1883, the biography has influenced Whitman's literary legacy and has been regarded as one of the best tools to gain insight into the poet's life.
On February 19, 1902, Bucke slipped on a patch of ice in front of his home and struck his head. He died a few hours later without regaining consciousness.
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
(This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)
In his work with asylum inmates, he was a reformer who encouraged organized sports and what is now called occupational therapy.
According to Bucke, various people in past ages and modern times have experienced a mystical state that releases their individual genius and reveals the potential of the human race to move toward increasingly higher intellectual and spiritual levels.
Quotations:
"Deep in the soul, below pain, below all the distraction of life, is a silence vast and grand - an infinite ocean of calm, which nothing can disturb; Nature's own exceeding peace, which "passes understanding". That which we seek with passionate longing, here and there, upward and outward; we find at last within ourselves."
"It is alone that part of the external universe which we call material which acts on man through his senses - that part of which we ordinarily feel our knowledge to be the surest; but in reality, strangely enough, as will soon appear, this is one of the aspects of the external world, of which we can know nothing."
Bucke married Jessie Gurd in 1865 and they had eight children.