The impact the transcendental movement had on American literature cannot be
             underestimated. "Reawakening an interest in the great problems of human nature and destiny,"
             authors such as Emerson, Alcott and Brownson, for example, forced the transcendental
             movement into the path of Henry David Thoreau. (Spiller, 346) As a self proclaimed "mystic, a
             transcendentalist, and a natural philosopher," Thoreau's works invite the reader to explore his
             intuitive philosophy (Spiller, 121). Furthermore, Walden proves itself to be an adventure based
             Initially, the transcendentalist movement in New England was sparked by controversy
             with the Unitarian church. Critics began to view the Unitarian religion as based on a set of rules
             which could not support their need for spiritual and emotional exploration. The church's
             philosophy was moving more toward rational and reason based doctrines, and away from
             "experiment and observation" (Spiller, 348). This included the ideals of intuition, feeling and
             mysticism. In "Emerson's Nature, the original- and probably the best systematic expression of
             transcendentalist philosophy," a theoretical examination is made, attempting to link a simple
             knowledge of nature with a higher knowledge of the cause and source of nature. Emerson, who
             acted as Thoreau's mentor and subsequent inspiration, spoke theoretically through Nature, while
             Thoreau in contrast, actually created his own experiment at Walden Pond from July 4, 1845 to
             September 6, 1847. His purpose is made evident in Walden, as he states "I know of no more
             encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious
             endeavor" (1765) Thoreau immersed himself into nature, allowed his mind to create a
             consciousness of divinity, and thus "transcended" to spiritual fulfillment.
             As a true transcendentalist, Th...