ABSTRACT
In the mid-1990s, a group of therapists founded Aurora Commons (a pseudonym), a planned residential community forty miles from two midsized southeastern cities, in order to “live in accord with our deepest selves,” “trust others with our deepest vulnerabilities,” and “understand each other” (mission statement). They believed that in a competitive and hierarchical society, most people are unwilling to endure the pain of deeply felt emotions and are embarrassed to express them. As an antidote to this corrosive culture, the community’s first goal-listed in their mission statement-is to live “authentically,” which to them meant expressing emotions that are normally stifled in the interest of social conformity. For them, only an authentic self can find personal growth and be in healthy relationships. The more authentic you are the more you will grow, and the more you grow, the more authentic you will be able to be.
