To Transcendent means to rise above the self, the ego & the mind to higher states of consciousness.
Transcendentalism isn't a religion in itself but a logical & rational ideal that can be applied to religion itself. It seems to be a mix of literature, religion, culture and philosophy.
Its main philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual above the material.
The Transcendentalism movement began in the early 19th century, primarily around the 1830s. It emerged in the United States as a philosophical and literary response to rationalism and the constraints of organized religion. Key figures, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, played significant roles in its development, promoting ideas of individual intuition, nature, and self-reliance.
Transcendentalists believe that religion and politics essentially corrupted the individual, it was a movement created in response to intellectualism. There are many that would still agree with transendentalism.
One modern day transcendentalist is the organizer Peter Walsh from Clean Sweep. Thoreau would love that he understands material things do not make people happy. Another example of transendentalism is Kurt Kawohl, an immigrant who nearly died as a teenager and ever since he has believed in a greater force and he knows that you can not buy happiness. we got our info from www.transendentalists.org - Hillary, Amanda and Miranda