The Spontaneous Self

About the Book

Many philosophers have argued that free will may be no more than a flattering illusion. Few have gone on, however, to spell out what life would be like without that illusion. In The Spontaneous Self Dr. Breer explores the many ways in which our everyday experience is likely to be affected by giving up a belief in free will. Topics include guilt, pride, credit, blame, ambition, fear, identity, power, and love. His analysis of what we stand to gain and lose by changing our beliefs draws upon the results of an eight-year attempt to dispel the illusion of free will in his own life. The Spontaneous Self describes the cognitive-emotional techniques he devised for uprooting the illusion of free will and the personal transformation that followed when he put those techniques into practice.

About the Author

Since retiring from a life as college teacher and researcher, the author has spent most of his time writing books, essays and music. Some of his books explore questions of value (sociology) and free will (philosophy); others focus on music and the fine arts. His essays offer analyses of humanistic psychology and Eastern philosophy. Some of his musical compositions feature full orchestra; others are written for smaller ensembles including classical guitar. The Lady and the Lord represents Breer’s most recent venture into literature, the previous four being Illusions of the Heart, a book-length work consisting of two novellas exploring the world of internet romance, Tashi, the tale of a young girl’s love for an older man, The Reluctant Savior, the story of a man who discovers the art of healing and spends the rest of his days exploring that gift, and The Unwanted, the account of two men whose lives intersect… a boy from Southern Mexico who journeys north to find a better life in United States, and a Phoenix Sheriff whose life is changed forever by their meeting.