Richard Rose (mystic)

Richard Stephen Rose (March 14, 1917 – July 6, 2005) was an American mystic, esoteric philosopher, author, poet, and investigator of paranormal phenomena. He published a number of books and spoke widely in universities and other venues across the country during the 1970s and 1980s.

Rose developed a system which he described as the "retreat from untruth" an examination of personal belief systems and lifestyles. In that system one discards what one finds to be false on a case-by-case basis. He believed a spiritual "Ultimate truth" exists and can be found for oneself with sufficient application of effort, and recommended skeptical approaches such as his.

Richard Rose set himself apart from mainstream psychology by grounding his approach in Absolute Truth and advocating direct action toward mental clarity and self-improvement. He was highly critical of modern psychology, arguing that it had lost scientific rigor in favor of political trends and conflicting schools of thought. Rose emphasized intuition and direct experience, believing a true psychologist should fully understand another's mind from within. His method, which blended discipline, hard work, and esoteric exploration, proved effective in transforming the lives of many struggling individuals. He insisted that real growth came from action rather than belief, advocating a systematic, no-nonsense approach to both psychology and spiritual work. He studied human psychology, human weakness, and human potential, then wrote challenges to psychology, psychiatry, religion, academia, the legal system, and the New Age movement. His criticism included issues of group-think, dogmatism, financial motives, emotional appeals, and reliance on questionable authorities.