Patrick H. Pappas MD
Author of FAMILY NARRATIVE and Collected Poems of Patrick and Christine Pappas
About
Biography
Patrick Henry Pappas was born in Dallas, Texas in 1929, graduated from Sunset High School, attended North Texas Agricultural College, now the University of Texas Arlington, and Southern Methodist University before graduating from the University of Texas School of Medicine Galveston.
He returned to the University of Texas School of Medicine Galveston for a residency in Internal Medicine, 1955-1958, following which he practiced for 9 months in Jacksonville, Texas before moving to Lubbock in 1959, where he practiced medicine until retiring in 2005.
He married Margaret MacMurdo R,N. in 1953, having 4 children with her. followed by a divorce. He then married Christine Jewell, R.N. in 1975 and adopted her one child. He retired in 2005, and devote himself to writing, which was his lifetime ambition.
When Patrick was in the third grade, he read a child's history book, leading him to develop a deep interest in history. On exposure to poetry and the essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson in the seventh grade, he developed an everlasting interest in writing poetry and philosophy. In High School, he frequently played hooky in order to write or read the great philosophers, especially of Ancient Greece, deciding that Plato was an idealist, creating the world to his liking; while Aristotle was a pragmatic realist, seeking to understand the world so that we may better adapt to it.
At age 15, while viewing the night sky, he had a mystical experience, prompting him to write a short poem describing the experience. Many years later, neuroscientists, with development of brain imaging techniques, were able to explain the mechanisms of mysticical experences. Falling in love with Christine Jewell at first sight, the definition of romantic love, which was also experienced by Christine, led them to write love poems to each other. Romantic love, in contrast to companionate love, produces profound neurochemical changes, which alter one’s behavior.
He then interned at City County Hospital of Ft. Worth, now John Peter Smith, in 1952, followed by 2 years of service as a flight surgeon in the Air Rescue Service of the Air Force, in Anchorage, Alaska.
Writings
The book, The Collected Poems of Patrick and Christine Pappas, available on Amazon, is a combination of the emotional experiences of romantic love followed by an explanation of the neurochemical changes producing it. The same is true with mysticism, with the poem, "A Mystic Moment," expressing the emotional experience followed by a neuroscientific explanation of mysticism. It is felt that the book is unique for poetry, which ordinarily expresses the emotional aspects only .The book of poems also includes the long poem, "In Search of Happiness," which is an autobiographical search for happiness.
Also available on Amazon is my book, A Family Narrative of the Pappas, Macmurdo and Related Families: Braswell, Mavrogeni, Fitzpatrick, Maury, Jewell and Groce. This book records the genetic history of the family, dating back to 140,000 BCE for the males, called Y-Chromosome Adam; and 180,000 BCE for the female, called Mitochondrial Eve. These genes were traced during the Out of Africa Movement of 70,000 BCE. As new branches appeared, the location could be identified; and, since spontaneous genetic modification occurred af a relatively constant rate, the time and location of the development of new branches to the genetic family tree could be established, permitting one to trace his own family’s migration.
Also, the genealogy of the Braswell family is presented going person to person back to King Alfred the Great (849-899 CE), As the trail finds distinguished or interesting people, such as Lady Godiva, William the Conqueror, Charlemagne, El Cid, and Saint Vladimer the Great of Kiev and many others, the biographies of them is presented.
AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE ON AMAZON
His next book, published by Palmetto Press, is A Summary Account of the Greek War for Independence, 1821-1832, a war in which his great grandfather fought.
AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE AT BARNES N NOBLE AND AMAZON
His major project, however, is to complete and publish Reflections on Man's Eternal Plight: The Quest for the Meaning of Life and the Pursuit of Happiness, in five volumes. Volume I. Man's Search for Meaning and God. Mythos Answers the Call: Comparative Mythology. Volume II. Man's Search for Meaning and God. Mythos Answers the Call: Religions of the Western Tradition. Volume III. Man's Search for Meaning and God. Mythos Answers the Call: Religions of the Eastern Tradition. Volume IV. Man's Search for Understanding. Logos Answers the Call: Philosophy and Science. Volume V. Man's Search for Happiness. Eudaimonia Answers the Call.
The above begins with primitive man identifying and naming the objects in the universe, followed by the inherent cognitive imperative, man's need to know, in which he uses reason to find answers; but, if no reasons can be found, he makes up an answer. This is thought to be the basis for animism and mythology.
Also discussed is mystical experiences and the neuroscientific explanation for them, followed by its importance for the origin of religion. Neurotheology is then reviewed, in which neuro imaging can distinguish between believers and non-believers.
This is followed by the origin and history of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, as well as the origins and history of Hinduism, Taoism, and Shintoism.
More information on the above may be seen on the Patrick H. Pappas MD Blog
A summary of A Summary Account of the Greek War of Independence 1821-1832.
This book emphasizes that the Greek War for Independence was thought to be impossible to succeed, occurring when it did following the excesses of the French Revolution and the great powers signing the Concert of Europe, vowing to militarily suppress any revolutionary activity in Europe, which they did in Spain, Italy and elswhere, but not in Greece, due to overwhelming popular respect for the ancient Greeks. It was popular philhellenism that won the war for Greece, in spite of their apparent defeat at the hands of the French trained Egyptian army serving the Ottoman Turks, and the intervening Greek civil war.
Also discussed is the fact that the theocratic Greek Byzantine Empire suppressed information about pagan Greece, leaving the current Greeks largely ignorant of their own glorious past. The brutal suppression of the Greek Christians by the Turks is elaborated upon, followed by a prolonged discussion of the long standing recurring wars between Russia and Turkey, and Russia assuming protective status for Orthodox Christians.
Factors giving rise to the revolution are discussed, followed by the initiation in 1821, with the progress of the war being covered year by year.
Finally, complicated diplomatic relations prolonged getting a peace agreement, and a kingship for independent Greece.