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Fragmentos de una Enseñanza Desconocida: En busca de los milagroso
La búsqueda llevada a cabo por P.D. Ouspensky en Europa, en Egipto y en Oriente de una enseñanza que resolviese para él los problemas del Hombre y del Universo, le llevaron en 1915 a reunirse, en San Petersburgo, con Georges Gurdjieff. Esta obra es la crónica que cuenta los años que Ouspensky pasó trabajando con Gurdjieff. Es un libro muy sugestivo que puede obligar al lector a efectuar una nueva valoración de lo que considera su conocimiento.
424 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1947
About the author
P.D. Ouspensky
145 books427 followersPyotr Demianovich Ouspenskii (known in English as Peter D. Ouspensky, Пётр Демья́нович Успе́нский; was a Russian mathematician and esotericist known for his expositions of the early work of the Greek-Armenian teacher of esoteric doctrine George Gurdjieff, whom he met in Moscow in 1915. He was associated with the ideas and practices originating with Gurdjieff from then on. He shared the (Gurdjieff) "system" for 25 years in England and the United States, having separated from Gurdjieff in 1924 personally, for reasons he explains in the last chapter of his book In Search of the Miraculous.
All in all, Ouspensky studied the Gurdjieff system directly under Gurdjieff's own supervision for a period of ten years, from 1915 to 1924. His book In Search of the Miraculous is a recounting of what he learned from Gurdjieff during those years. While lecturing in London in 1924, he announced that he would continue independently the way he had begun in 1921. Some, including his close pupil Rodney Collin, say that he finally gave up the system in 1947, just before his death, but his own recorded words on the subject ("A Record of Meetings", published posthumously) do not clearly endorse this judgement, nor does Ouspensky's emphasis on "you must make a new beginning" after confessing "I've left the system".
All in all, Ouspensky studied the Gurdjieff system directly under Gurdjieff's own supervision for a period of ten years, from 1915 to 1924. His book In Search of the Miraculous is a recounting of what he learned from Gurdjieff during those years. While lecturing in London in 1924, he announced that he would continue independently the way he had begun in 1921. Some, including his close pupil Rodney Collin, say that he finally gave up the system in 1947, just before his death, but his own recorded words on the subject ("A Record of Meetings", published posthumously) do not clearly endorse this judgement, nor does Ouspensky's emphasis on "you must make a new beginning" after confessing "I've left the system".
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January 24, 2008
This is another book that totally changed the way I view the world. I read it over a period of 2 or 3 years. I would read a paragraph or two at a time, or sometimes a few pages, and then try to digest it. In this book, Ouspensky meets up with Gurdjieff, a self-professed esoteric teacher. There is a good deal of debate as to whether or not the latter was an authentic teacher or a charlatan. It seems he was some of both and Ouspensky broke with him in the end. It also seems that Gurdjieff got most of his teachings from the Sufis. Nonetheless, I find him and his teachings quite fascinating. One doesn't have to become a true believer to benefit from some of the amazing concepts put forth in The Fourth Way, the system of conscious evolution he espoused. There is also a book by the same name which is quite dense and dry, though also interesting.
Some of the concepts which have stuck with me are:
The formatory apparatus - the lowest level of logical thinking, which is essentially either/or thinking. Most people do not progress beyond this and it becomes a hindrance because it rarely applies.
Physical evolution only takes us so far and we must consciously evolve ourselves beyond this point. This way is "against god". In other words, we can all exist quite well without becoming truly conscious, just going about our lives in the ordinary way. We must go against much in our lives to become truly conscious. This latter property is not what most people mean when they use this word. Few people are actually truly conscious, which is something like being fully aware of ourselves at all times, not being lulled into stupors by our lives.
There are in fact many I's, not just one, as when we refer to ourselves in the first person. This is because our minds are split into many different factions based on our feelings. Essentially the unity we think we possess is an illusion supported by buffers between the different parts that prevent harsh collisions. In this sense we are not one person but many, which explains how we can react in ways seemingly contrary to our previous convictions.
There is no real basis for negative emotions and these drain us of the energy needed to become conscious. We actually require higher emotional energy to become conscious, and negative emotions drain us of this.
All-in-all this book is quite good because Ouspensky tells the story of his search for, meeting and breaking with this enigmatic character. He learns some intriguing things but still ends up confused in the end, without the final answers he longed for.
Some of the concepts which have stuck with me are:
The formatory apparatus - the lowest level of logical thinking, which is essentially either/or thinking. Most people do not progress beyond this and it becomes a hindrance because it rarely applies.
Physical evolution only takes us so far and we must consciously evolve ourselves beyond this point. This way is "against god". In other words, we can all exist quite well without becoming truly conscious, just going about our lives in the ordinary way. We must go against much in our lives to become truly conscious. This latter property is not what most people mean when they use this word. Few people are actually truly conscious, which is something like being fully aware of ourselves at all times, not being lulled into stupors by our lives.
There are in fact many I's, not just one, as when we refer to ourselves in the first person. This is because our minds are split into many different factions based on our feelings. Essentially the unity we think we possess is an illusion supported by buffers between the different parts that prevent harsh collisions. In this sense we are not one person but many, which explains how we can react in ways seemingly contrary to our previous convictions.
There is no real basis for negative emotions and these drain us of the energy needed to become conscious. We actually require higher emotional energy to become conscious, and negative emotions drain us of this.
All-in-all this book is quite good because Ouspensky tells the story of his search for, meeting and breaking with this enigmatic character. He learns some intriguing things but still ends up confused in the end, without the final answers he longed for.
July 18, 2013
Having read just about everything written by or about Gurdjieff, Ouspensky, Collin, Orage, Nicoll, and countless disciples, spin-offs, Sufis, etc., etc., and having been drawn by them into spending years in a Gurdjieff "school," and being familiar with the traditions on which the Gurdjieff approach was based, I take a lot of the "fourth way" material with a large grain of salt. The core of the "work" is a powerful methodology, but no more so than, say, vipassana, zen, dzogchen or other solid, meditation-based tradition. There is nothing about the fourth way that is any more "esoteric" than these other traditions (that's right, nothing). The biggest difference is that Gurdjieff left behind a legacy of fraudulent teachers and cults, whereas there are many Buddhist and other groups that are reliable. (Certainly, Buddhist and other groups, being made up of people, have their flaws, and there are things to be learned in some (not all!) Gurdjieff groups, but decades of hard-won experience allows me to say that the Gurdjieff tradition is peculiar in attracting power-hungry charlatans who exploit the "rascal sage" idea to gather suckers around themselves. It happens in other traditions, but there, it tends to end in disgrace. In fourth way groups, duping people seems to be a point of pride.) Even groups that are not necessarily exploitative or fraudulent tend to attract people who especially like the idea of being "esoteric," to use a term Ouspensky used, but which was far more appropriate eighty years ago than it is today. That is, they like to imagine they've contacted the "real" inner work--as opposed to those fools who imagine any other traditions can lead to awakening. In other words, the ego-driven, cult mentality that turns useful information into its opposite. The "my fourth way group is more esoteric/Gurdjieffian/cooler than your fourth way group" dynamic is out of control.
Regardless, I strongly recommend In Search of the Miraculous. It's the single best book on Gurdjieff's work ever written. It's reasonably comprehensive on the important theories and methods. It's clear--no Beelzebub's Talesian mumbo-jumbo. It includes enough of Ouspensky's personal comments and experiences to make an entertaining story, but it isn't a self-indulgent book about the author ("and then he said this to me, and then I said that to him.") I find Ouspensky's other works overly dry and intellectual, but this one is both fun and profound. (And if you happen to buy a copy that has a bookmark in it from a purported Gurdjieff "school" -- toss the bookmark. Trust me about that.)
pub 1949
read 1975
September 4, 2010
Way too much esoteric stuff for my tastes. Some paragraphs were interesting, but the rest became a diagonal read.
I would suggest Charles Tart's "Waking Up", which sums up the essence of G.'s awakening methods (most prominently self-observation and self-remembering), if you want to get practical.
I would suggest Charles Tart's "Waking Up", which sums up the essence of G.'s awakening methods (most prominently self-observation and self-remembering), if you want to get practical.
March 2, 2017
The first half of this book is very readable, straightforward, engaging and practical. Initially there were very few far-out claims, and I felt they were meant to be taken metaphorically. For instance, the idea that war is caused by the uncomfortable proximity of certain planets at certain times seems to be more an illustration of the way mass movements are the result of mechanical forces. But the book becomes more and more obtuse and really goes downhill after Ouspensky introduces this strange pretend chemistry that's way too precise and detailed to not be taken literally. It talks about 'hydrogens' and has the airs of an actual science, but is totally void of empirical justification. It's tedious and slightly embarrassing nonsense, and I don't see any value to it.
Repeated characterisations of people as machines are particularly poignant against the background of WWI and the October Revolution in Russia, but sometimes it's taken too far. There's occasionally this slightly distasteful sense that most of humankind are born dull and die dull, incapable of any sort of enlightenment or true consciousness. A quote: "[...] there are people who are definitely diseased, broken machines with whom nothing can be done. And such people are in the majority". Lovely, right? Also, it's somewhat suspicious that Ouspensky and Gurdjieff dedicate so much space to why you can't possibly attain freedom unless you become part of a group and obey a single leader unconditionally and unquestioningly.
This is inevitably Ouspensky's own interpretation of Gurdjieff's teachings, so although most of it is framed as direct quotation, I suspect he's included a lot of his own views just as Plato made Socrates a character in his own dialogues. Although this book was endorsed by Gurdjieff, it seems odd that the system insists on understanding being difficult to attain and then Ouspensky goes and puts large swathes of it in an easily digestible, 350-page novel. It stands in great contrast to Gurdjieff's own Beelzebub's Tales.
Having said all that, some of the ideas in this book are brilliant, like the concept of remembering oneself. Gurdjieff's talks about attaining true consciousness reminds me of David Foster Wallace's famous speech 'This is Water'. Some of the better ideas here also remind me of Steppenwolf. Like Hesse, Gurdjieff sees man as a plurality, and the singular 'I' as an illusion. There's also a deeply insightful discussion of the function of symbolism in art and esoteric systems near the end of the book. Ouspensky writes about how symbols are used as containers for meaning that can't be expressed through ordinary language. He also writes that approaching them with specific pre-conceived notions about their meaning in a real-world context only leads to a kind of confirmation bias and distorts or distracts from the essential meaning of the symbol.
Repeated characterisations of people as machines are particularly poignant against the background of WWI and the October Revolution in Russia, but sometimes it's taken too far. There's occasionally this slightly distasteful sense that most of humankind are born dull and die dull, incapable of any sort of enlightenment or true consciousness. A quote: "[...] there are people who are definitely diseased, broken machines with whom nothing can be done. And such people are in the majority". Lovely, right? Also, it's somewhat suspicious that Ouspensky and Gurdjieff dedicate so much space to why you can't possibly attain freedom unless you become part of a group and obey a single leader unconditionally and unquestioningly.
This is inevitably Ouspensky's own interpretation of Gurdjieff's teachings, so although most of it is framed as direct quotation, I suspect he's included a lot of his own views just as Plato made Socrates a character in his own dialogues. Although this book was endorsed by Gurdjieff, it seems odd that the system insists on understanding being difficult to attain and then Ouspensky goes and puts large swathes of it in an easily digestible, 350-page novel. It stands in great contrast to Gurdjieff's own Beelzebub's Tales.
Having said all that, some of the ideas in this book are brilliant, like the concept of remembering oneself. Gurdjieff's talks about attaining true consciousness reminds me of David Foster Wallace's famous speech 'This is Water'. Some of the better ideas here also remind me of Steppenwolf. Like Hesse, Gurdjieff sees man as a plurality, and the singular 'I' as an illusion. There's also a deeply insightful discussion of the function of symbolism in art and esoteric systems near the end of the book. Ouspensky writes about how symbols are used as containers for meaning that can't be expressed through ordinary language. He also writes that approaching them with specific pre-conceived notions about their meaning in a real-world context only leads to a kind of confirmation bias and distorts or distracts from the essential meaning of the symbol.
May 20, 2012
This is the most dangerous book you will ever read if your world is filled with sacred old ideas you have never questioned.
A masterpiece. I am still reading it after twenty years.
A masterpiece. I am still reading it after twenty years.
June 17, 2008
This book is a treasure trove for anyone wishing to know more about the Gurdjieff work. My copy of it is littered with underlined sentences, enneagrams, scribbled notes on will, being and function, and notes on octaves and self-observation. Is this an easy read? Easier than Gurdjieff, certainly, but so jam-packed with useful information, that it needs to be read over the course weeks, or even months. In these pages you will learn the way of the fakir, the monk, and the yogi, and, with a little luck, something about your own impermanent "I."
October 27, 2019
It feels sacreligious to speak of a book in my top 7 for life. If given the choice for all memory of my life to be removed forever from earth or all memory of this book forever I would say let the earth forget me. Gurdjieff’s only complaint of this book was that it was too clear, hahaha!
I have spent 30 years seeking like a rabid dog every primordial esoteric world culture’s teaching on the soul and life on earth before known common history and I can tell you nothing is more representative of the eldest teachings on the 11 Cosmoses and the levels in beinghood in man as once known. Nothing shows better how the human energically works beyond mere biology (and yet including it some), how the keys to all mathematics, chemistry, cosmically objective chronology, symbolism, human relations, levels of consciousness, esoteric schools, creativity and culture creation, the deep morality and esoteric politics works on earth.
If you know how to look you may find a third of this in all our culture’s most sacred texts but all of those came out from what we have still in our day not yet buried over (the primordial spring of perennial wisdom teachings from great school behind and within not yet awakened present man form: this work).
I can’t suggest anything more than reading this 5 times then 5 times again. Most of it becomes fairly understandable - and not just in bits and pieces in one’s memory but as a whole, united, body of thought - the second time reading it.
I have spent 30 years seeking like a rabid dog every primordial esoteric world culture’s teaching on the soul and life on earth before known common history and I can tell you nothing is more representative of the eldest teachings on the 11 Cosmoses and the levels in beinghood in man as once known. Nothing shows better how the human energically works beyond mere biology (and yet including it some), how the keys to all mathematics, chemistry, cosmically objective chronology, symbolism, human relations, levels of consciousness, esoteric schools, creativity and culture creation, the deep morality and esoteric politics works on earth.
If you know how to look you may find a third of this in all our culture’s most sacred texts but all of those came out from what we have still in our day not yet buried over (the primordial spring of perennial wisdom teachings from great school behind and within not yet awakened present man form: this work).
I can’t suggest anything more than reading this 5 times then 5 times again. Most of it becomes fairly understandable - and not just in bits and pieces in one’s memory but as a whole, united, body of thought - the second time reading it.
August 25, 2011
Sometimes I agreed, sometimes disagreed, sometimes I learned something, sometimes I didn't understand at all, sometimes I felt angry, sometimes I tried to analyse it, then I skipped some pages, then there was something wise again, then when I understood I became frustrated, then I continued and tried to understand the enneagram, then I thought I did but I didn't, then I thought Ouspensky is just making stuff up, then I reminded myself that I don't have to understand everything but it's good that I got something valuable out of it.
August 6, 2014
I'd been interesting in learning more about Gurdjieff for a while, with the vague understanding that he was a Greek / Armenian turn-of-the-century mystic with some schools and some teachings. This is perhaps the best introduction to him & his school of thought, written by an acquaintance and later follower and popularizer, P.D. Ouspensky.
The book is mostly a recounting of Gurdjieff's lectures with a loose scaffolding of autobiographical and historical details, and is quite telling. Gurdjieff launches almost immediately into a bizarre metaphysics: a theory of substances, vibrations, an order of creation, the octave, atoms, etc. It's extremely complex, involves some degree of calculation, and is apparently very well thought-out with some underlying order in mind.
Much of this probably sounded plausible at the time. Subatomic particles, radiation (the craze to label every new thing a "this ray" and "that ray") and relativity were cutting edge science at the time and seemed to open up a previously unsuspected invisible realm. However, it is all pretty clearly incompatible with even a rudimentary understanding of the world from the 21st century standpoint (Gurdjieff denies evolution, astronomy, etc., substituting in their place some quite outlandish theories).
He presents it all matter-of-factly. He states that life on earth is "food for the moon" for example, or that an additional effort is required on top of eating, breathing and perceiving in order for the human body to manufacture the "finer substances of the astral body", for example. But how? Why? How does he know this stuff? He's cagey about his past, hints broadly about ancient traditional knowledge & schools of thought, but never comes out and gives any lineage or reason why we should believe what he says. According to Ouspensky and others, he had a very magnetic personality.
His psychology is at times interesting and is probably what attracts people to this system in the first place. He teaches that human beings live their lives in a state of sleep and are controlled principally by fleeting desires and drives, only thinking that they are in control of their lives. He holds a pessimistic view of the ability of any person to free themselves from this bondage (hence the inevitable failure of New Years's resolutions) except for the intervention of a higher power, or teacher.
And here, I think, we see the true nature of his enterprise. He establishes early on a complete dependence on the will of the teacher, the necessity of sacrifice, payment, obedience, etc. He strikes me as a one of the would-be cult leaders or spiritualist hucksters, like Blavatsky, who cropped up around this time.
All in all I got very little out of reading this book but I did stick with it to the end. After all it is fun to view the world through a different paradigm. I can only find connection between his methods and other, historical systems in the widest sense — perhaps some Sufism, and Hindu spiritual techniques. His metaphysics bears no resemblance to anything I've encountered before and I suspect he had a very active imagination.
The book is mostly a recounting of Gurdjieff's lectures with a loose scaffolding of autobiographical and historical details, and is quite telling. Gurdjieff launches almost immediately into a bizarre metaphysics: a theory of substances, vibrations, an order of creation, the octave, atoms, etc. It's extremely complex, involves some degree of calculation, and is apparently very well thought-out with some underlying order in mind.
Much of this probably sounded plausible at the time. Subatomic particles, radiation (the craze to label every new thing a "this ray" and "that ray") and relativity were cutting edge science at the time and seemed to open up a previously unsuspected invisible realm. However, it is all pretty clearly incompatible with even a rudimentary understanding of the world from the 21st century standpoint (Gurdjieff denies evolution, astronomy, etc., substituting in their place some quite outlandish theories).
He presents it all matter-of-factly. He states that life on earth is "food for the moon" for example, or that an additional effort is required on top of eating, breathing and perceiving in order for the human body to manufacture the "finer substances of the astral body", for example. But how? Why? How does he know this stuff? He's cagey about his past, hints broadly about ancient traditional knowledge & schools of thought, but never comes out and gives any lineage or reason why we should believe what he says. According to Ouspensky and others, he had a very magnetic personality.
His psychology is at times interesting and is probably what attracts people to this system in the first place. He teaches that human beings live their lives in a state of sleep and are controlled principally by fleeting desires and drives, only thinking that they are in control of their lives. He holds a pessimistic view of the ability of any person to free themselves from this bondage (hence the inevitable failure of New Years's resolutions) except for the intervention of a higher power, or teacher.
And here, I think, we see the true nature of his enterprise. He establishes early on a complete dependence on the will of the teacher, the necessity of sacrifice, payment, obedience, etc. He strikes me as a one of the would-be cult leaders or spiritualist hucksters, like Blavatsky, who cropped up around this time.
All in all I got very little out of reading this book but I did stick with it to the end. After all it is fun to view the world through a different paradigm. I can only find connection between his methods and other, historical systems in the widest sense — perhaps some Sufism, and Hindu spiritual techniques. His metaphysics bears no resemblance to anything I've encountered before and I suspect he had a very active imagination.
November 29, 2015
This book was weird.
I was thinking that this book was going to be "it." Yes, the holy grail, the meaning of life, the Cubs winning the World Series. (Okay, I know that'll never happen.)
I'd read a couple of books by Vernon Howard that I enjoyed and several times he referred to G.I. Gurdjieff and the amazing "Fourth Way." So I checked around. The ultimate book for Gurdjieff's teaching was In Search of the Miraculous by P.D. Ouspensky. I'd read Ouspensky's novel Strange Life of Ivan Osokin and that had a brilliant premise (what would happen if a person actually got a chance to re-live their life?) and a decent execution of it so I figured, Okay.
Well. There are some good things in the book.
Of people living unconsciously:
...what is necessary to awake a sleeping man? A good shock is necessary. But when a man is fast asleep one shock is not enough. A long period of continual shocks is needed.
And that's his basic premise: People are machines (living unconsciously) and it takes shocks and "super effort" to wake them (us) up.
Okay. I'm hanging with him so far. But then he gets weird.
Life is actually moved by the planets. He includes all these chemistry symbols. It's all about octaves. And there are different stages of existence for everything. Man #1, Man #2 yada yada yada.
And the ultimate answer? You guessed it. Only Gurdjieff has it.
In the book Ouspensky trails Gurdjieff around like a puppy dog and he's at times (mildly) frustrated with Gurdjieff's mysterious theories but mostly a sycophant. (It reminded me of Plato's Ion where Ion is constantly shilling (and so toady-ish) for whatever Plato wants to say. (Ion: "You've proved it Socrates!"))
This book (and I know there are plenty of people out there who think this book offers the ultimate in spiritual attainment) really reminded me of Scientology. It's like the words we know don't mean the same thing is Gurdjieff's vocabulary. And all the charts and symbols and all-around obfuscation. I suppose if you are a cult-susceptible person you could be drawn in by all the double-talk and mystery. (Please don't! Ah, I'm not really worried about you—you'll be okay.)
The book's really not worth your time.
I was thinking that this book was going to be "it." Yes, the holy grail, the meaning of life, the Cubs winning the World Series. (Okay, I know that'll never happen.)
I'd read a couple of books by Vernon Howard that I enjoyed and several times he referred to G.I. Gurdjieff and the amazing "Fourth Way." So I checked around. The ultimate book for Gurdjieff's teaching was In Search of the Miraculous by P.D. Ouspensky. I'd read Ouspensky's novel Strange Life of Ivan Osokin and that had a brilliant premise (what would happen if a person actually got a chance to re-live their life?) and a decent execution of it so I figured, Okay.
Well. There are some good things in the book.
Of people living unconsciously:
...what is necessary to awake a sleeping man? A good shock is necessary. But when a man is fast asleep one shock is not enough. A long period of continual shocks is needed.
And that's his basic premise: People are machines (living unconsciously) and it takes shocks and "super effort" to wake them (us) up.
Okay. I'm hanging with him so far. But then he gets weird.
Life is actually moved by the planets. He includes all these chemistry symbols. It's all about octaves. And there are different stages of existence for everything. Man #1, Man #2 yada yada yada.
And the ultimate answer? You guessed it. Only Gurdjieff has it.
In the book Ouspensky trails Gurdjieff around like a puppy dog and he's at times (mildly) frustrated with Gurdjieff's mysterious theories but mostly a sycophant. (It reminded me of Plato's Ion where Ion is constantly shilling (and so toady-ish) for whatever Plato wants to say. (Ion: "You've proved it Socrates!"))
This book (and I know there are plenty of people out there who think this book offers the ultimate in spiritual attainment) really reminded me of Scientology. It's like the words we know don't mean the same thing is Gurdjieff's vocabulary. And all the charts and symbols and all-around obfuscation. I suppose if you are a cult-susceptible person you could be drawn in by all the double-talk and mystery. (Please don't! Ah, I'm not really worried about you—you'll be okay.)
The book's really not worth your time.
August 1, 2012
An excellent introduction to the teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff. Fascinating, thorough, engaging and readable; but these traits are secondary.
To those interested in esoteric traditions, this book should be considered an account of one man's crash course in the teachings that underlie the others.
If you're into this sort of thing, this book will likely take a position of strong influence on your perception from here on.
Gurdjieff was a practical man, likely a Sufi master. His teachings sidestepped the symbols and mysticism of ancient esoteric initiation systems, in favor of a direct approach that could perhaps be described as cosmic-atomic psychology. Ouspensky, an independent thinker and the perfect man to bring such experiences to the page, did the world a great service by insisting upon the right to posthumously publish his interactions with his one-time teacher.
This was my first encounter with Gurdjieff, and though I certainly recommend his own writings as well, this book has served as a perfect introduction for many people in the last half century.
Own a copy - begs multiple reads.
(Some argue that in the Western esoteric tradition, Gurdjieff was the one true master keyholder, far surpassing Crowley, Blavatsky or any other of the western guru-types for the depth and clarity of both his teachings and his being.)
To those interested in esoteric traditions, this book should be considered an account of one man's crash course in the teachings that underlie the others.
If you're into this sort of thing, this book will likely take a position of strong influence on your perception from here on.
Gurdjieff was a practical man, likely a Sufi master. His teachings sidestepped the symbols and mysticism of ancient esoteric initiation systems, in favor of a direct approach that could perhaps be described as cosmic-atomic psychology. Ouspensky, an independent thinker and the perfect man to bring such experiences to the page, did the world a great service by insisting upon the right to posthumously publish his interactions with his one-time teacher.
This was my first encounter with Gurdjieff, and though I certainly recommend his own writings as well, this book has served as a perfect introduction for many people in the last half century.
Own a copy - begs multiple reads.
(Some argue that in the Western esoteric tradition, Gurdjieff was the one true master keyholder, far surpassing Crowley, Blavatsky or any other of the western guru-types for the depth and clarity of both his teachings and his being.)
March 25, 2016
Probably one of the best summaries of the whole of Gurdjieff's teachings, and also a nice map of the whole 'generally accepted' story of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky's work. The best parts can be found in regards to self-observation, self-remembering, and the notion of 'man as a machine'. The worst parts involve ridiculous theories about the universe's origins, strange interpretations for chemical interactions and how they fit in with made-up conceptual models like the 'Octaves', 'Law of three', 'energy transformation', and other not-very-useful conceptual theories. Overall, a great introductory read for anyone interested in Gurdjieff / Fourth Way. The whole storyline is rather enthralling, and Ouspensky who had a background in journalism, makes for an interesting read regardless of the theories contained therein.
April 13, 2012
I had this book on my shelf for years, and had read about Gurdjieff from other authors, but never from one so close to G. as Ouspensky. I had imagined this book would be a hard one to finish, but I actually raced through it and found it vastly interesting. Not only because the many ideas, of which I enjoyed the ones on psychology much more than the ones on the cosmic order of things. But also because of the sketches of the man Gurdjieff himself and how he went about with his work and students. Set against World War I and the coming of the bolsheviks this book reads as a wonderful tale of history in turmoil and intense personal discovery. Fantastic.
November 16, 2025
Leggendo alcune interviste di Franco Battiato sono venuto a conoscenza di questo testo, e la curiosità mi ha portato a leggerlo.
Devo dire che il testo è molto interessante e stimolante. Tratta del rapporto maestro e allievo, di come debba essere condotto. Contiene idee anche di rilievo, ma necessita di una lettura matura con spirito critico, cosa che ho tentato di fare nei limiti delle mie possibilità.
Un pensiero mi ha accompagnato durante la lettura del testo.
Tutti vogliamo vivere al meglio ed al pieno delle nostre potenzialità, si può discutere a lungo su cosa questo significhi ma non è il punto focale. Credo che la parola essenziale da ricordarsi è rispetto. Rispetto per chi ha vissuto prima di noi, rispetto per chi vive con noi e rispetto per chi vivrà dopo di noi.
Vi propongo un esercizio di immaginazione: provate a visualizzare la vita di uomo primitivo che come noi vuole vivere al meglio, provate a visualizzare la vita delle persone che con condividono la nostra stessa epoca e che come noi vogliono vivere al meglio, provate a visualizzare la vita di chi verrà dopo di noi nelle ere a venire che come noi vorranno vivere al meglio. Questa visualizzazione condotta tra presente, passato e futuro e basata sul rispetto della vita credo possa donare la sensazione di quanto l’attuale abbia una goccia di eternità, e di come l’eternità abbia qualcosa di questo preciso momento.
Se il libro vi attira leggetelo.
Devo dire che il testo è molto interessante e stimolante. Tratta del rapporto maestro e allievo, di come debba essere condotto. Contiene idee anche di rilievo, ma necessita di una lettura matura con spirito critico, cosa che ho tentato di fare nei limiti delle mie possibilità.
Un pensiero mi ha accompagnato durante la lettura del testo.
Tutti vogliamo vivere al meglio ed al pieno delle nostre potenzialità, si può discutere a lungo su cosa questo significhi ma non è il punto focale. Credo che la parola essenziale da ricordarsi è rispetto. Rispetto per chi ha vissuto prima di noi, rispetto per chi vive con noi e rispetto per chi vivrà dopo di noi.
Vi propongo un esercizio di immaginazione: provate a visualizzare la vita di uomo primitivo che come noi vuole vivere al meglio, provate a visualizzare la vita delle persone che con condividono la nostra stessa epoca e che come noi vogliono vivere al meglio, provate a visualizzare la vita di chi verrà dopo di noi nelle ere a venire che come noi vorranno vivere al meglio. Questa visualizzazione condotta tra presente, passato e futuro e basata sul rispetto della vita credo possa donare la sensazione di quanto l’attuale abbia una goccia di eternità, e di come l’eternità abbia qualcosa di questo preciso momento.
Se il libro vi attira leggetelo.
September 3, 2014
I first must apologize. I didn't finish reading this book. For that reason I hesitated to offer a review, but I feel obligated to do so anyway.
The reason I failed to finish this book (believe me, I tried several times) is that it was an immense disappointment. At every turn it was disappointing. And I originally picked it up after discovering what I described as the most important book I have ever read, P. D. Ouspensky's Tertium Organum. Another reader referred me to this as his recommended second reading of Ouspensky, saying it was his favorite. So I had really high hopes.
None of those hopes came to fruition. This book is a ponderous, wearying exposition of an extremely vague and varied approach to ...literally everything. When you take "everything" as your objective, and then flavor your route to that objective with a complex system of changes in focus, apparent dead-ends in thinking, and a multitude of different approaches in descriptive terminology, you wind up disappointing people who have just come from reading one of the most "miraculous" accounts ever written in Tertium Organum. The latter exhibited a wonderfully inspiring revelation of interpretations, which were simple, clear, and directly perceivable--not to mention being also clearly interconnected. What an incredible let-down it is to go from that kind of an atmosphere to In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching. The "fragments" part I can attest to. The miraculous part escaped me.
Who knows, though. Maybe someday I will have the extra time, stubbornness, and lack of other things to do, to actually finish this book.
The reason I failed to finish this book (believe me, I tried several times) is that it was an immense disappointment. At every turn it was disappointing. And I originally picked it up after discovering what I described as the most important book I have ever read, P. D. Ouspensky's Tertium Organum. Another reader referred me to this as his recommended second reading of Ouspensky, saying it was his favorite. So I had really high hopes.
None of those hopes came to fruition. This book is a ponderous, wearying exposition of an extremely vague and varied approach to ...literally everything. When you take "everything" as your objective, and then flavor your route to that objective with a complex system of changes in focus, apparent dead-ends in thinking, and a multitude of different approaches in descriptive terminology, you wind up disappointing people who have just come from reading one of the most "miraculous" accounts ever written in Tertium Organum. The latter exhibited a wonderfully inspiring revelation of interpretations, which were simple, clear, and directly perceivable--not to mention being also clearly interconnected. What an incredible let-down it is to go from that kind of an atmosphere to In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching. The "fragments" part I can attest to. The miraculous part escaped me.
Who knows, though. Maybe someday I will have the extra time, stubbornness, and lack of other things to do, to actually finish this book.
January 21, 2019
When in your life, whether by a search or by chance, you meet a guru in your life, you may have found the best gift or fallen into the worst hell.
The reason to follow a guru is because books sometimes are not enough, the turn teaches us things that only in practice we can do.
There are at least four spiritual paths, the one who practices is asceticism, the monk who does it socially and emotionally, the intellectual and finally the follow a guru.
What happens when you fall with a false guru? you simply waste time and money.
When I went to see the exhibition of Remedios Varo I saw a book that interested me among his collection, one of Peter D. Ouspensky with the title "In search of the miraculous: fragments of an unknown teaching".
In this book he tells us how he met his teacher (who was simply a seeker who had heard multiple theories and studied with several teachers in the East) and how he became his disciple. This teacher, whom he only calls "G" (he does not want to use names because Peter is Russian and the narration of the book is at the time of the Russian Revolution) was simply another seeker. Inventor of fantastic theories that he could not explain to his students because he himself did not understand them, what is now called "pseudo-science", which finally after years of following he decides to separate to go his own way.
I've met a leader like that and I've seen him stay alone, because his teachings were more an opportunity to sexually abuse his followers ... That's why in these things you have to be very careful, the true path ends in solitary, after many searches you discover that the teacher is you.
The reason to follow a guru is because books sometimes are not enough, the turn teaches us things that only in practice we can do.
There are at least four spiritual paths, the one who practices is asceticism, the monk who does it socially and emotionally, the intellectual and finally the follow a guru.
What happens when you fall with a false guru? you simply waste time and money.
When I went to see the exhibition of Remedios Varo I saw a book that interested me among his collection, one of Peter D. Ouspensky with the title "In search of the miraculous: fragments of an unknown teaching".
In this book he tells us how he met his teacher (who was simply a seeker who had heard multiple theories and studied with several teachers in the East) and how he became his disciple. This teacher, whom he only calls "G" (he does not want to use names because Peter is Russian and the narration of the book is at the time of the Russian Revolution) was simply another seeker. Inventor of fantastic theories that he could not explain to his students because he himself did not understand them, what is now called "pseudo-science", which finally after years of following he decides to separate to go his own way.
I've met a leader like that and I've seen him stay alone, because his teachings were more an opportunity to sexually abuse his followers ... That's why in these things you have to be very careful, the true path ends in solitary, after many searches you discover that the teacher is you.
March 1, 2018
This book is a good introduction to Gurdjieff's teachings, presented in a clear and understandable way by the author, who was a student of Gurdjieff himself from 1915 to 1924. Interspersed with this are some interesting personal observations of how Gurdjieff conducted his practice and any special effects of the teachings that the student Ouspensky experienced (which is very little). Ouspensky appears at first attractively somewhat on the side of scepticism rather than blind faith, and seems honest, dutifully focused on understanding and practicing the teachings. However, I get the feeling that he came to be under the spell of Gurdjieff and perhaps lacked much ability to step outside of the work to question the bigger picture and the personal motivations of the master, for I sense that there are omissions.
As for Gurdjieff's Fourth Way, while I have sympathy for the spiritual seeking of something further, not too unlike religion, the teachings are vague, fantastic, contradictory, beguiling, and unlikely to be any more positive than many 'unbelievers' or non-practitioners in practice. All in all, it seems likely to me that Gurdjieff was a charismatic charlatan, but this is an interesting look into an alternative worldview set with a backdrop of war and revolution.
As for Gurdjieff's Fourth Way, while I have sympathy for the spiritual seeking of something further, not too unlike religion, the teachings are vague, fantastic, contradictory, beguiling, and unlikely to be any more positive than many 'unbelievers' or non-practitioners in practice. All in all, it seems likely to me that Gurdjieff was a charismatic charlatan, but this is an interesting look into an alternative worldview set with a backdrop of war and revolution.
October 2, 2008
This is also one of my most favorite books. I don't know anyone who understands everything who reads it, however what you do understand will change your life. This work is brilliant in the way that the information is described. It is a very mental book. It will require you to think while reading it.
December 6, 2008
One of the most valuable books I've ever read, multiple times. A must for anyone even remotely interested in the Fourth Way.
October 15, 2019
Z 20% można pewnie uznać za niezły kocopał, ale pozostała część jest tak dobra <3
July 23, 2022
Frustrerande, inspirerande, förvirrande, men med möjlighet att lämna efter sig tankar under lång tid framöver.
June 6, 2018
Hard to rate, but giving it five due to the rarity of the nature of the Fourth Way (or does that mean I should have given it Four stars? lololol), as well as Ouspensky’s place of special closeness with its founder, Gurdjieff. A most interestingly-writ biography of not just Gurdjieff and his teachings, but of Ouspensky himself and the unavoidable intertwining of a master and his pupil. The style makes you feel as though you, too, are traveling by train through the Caucasus alongside its author.
December 26, 2024
Edit: I picked this up again without remembering that I’d tried to read it six years ago. This time around, certain chapters seemed to be of the utmost importance, giving description to the subconscious. Although some chapters were still very dry and impenetrable, others felt like material I’d been searching for my whole life. Perhaps a form of hypnotism or mind control had begun six years ago, and this time around I was receptive to it because of that initial planting. Perhaps all knowledge works like that, after all, as Plato says, all learning is remembering. Upon the second reading, chapter five alone feels like something I could spend at least the next year studying - alongside the study of myself. Chapter 11 also felt extremely important, as an esoteric view on The Gospels. As someone who has had a focus on gnosticism and the mysteries, this book seems of the utmost importance. I am convinced what enlightenment means is being on some level awoken, and that to be human is to be on some level, asleep. The Work is not an easy task, and requires a constant watch unto oneself and a willingness to be honest with oneself, and perhaps an honesty that this task cannot be done without joining a group with a leader who is willing to be a shepherd of a sort, to guide the traveler along this path. In an age where individualism easily trumps joining any religion, or certainly any group that has a way of worrying outsiders to be a cult of any sort, The Work becomes a path that much more narrow. I will certainly return to the beginning of this book to make it through again, if not immediately. If I have ever had a certainty in beginning a book study with others in a time in my life I haven’t made time for such things, this book awakens a need for it.
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I couldn't finish it. I had two chapters left, and now I see what the reviewers below mean. He goes on and on about different hydrogens, and starts to really make the most ridiculous claims. You get the feeling that there was something magical about being part of G's community, but that something is very hard to translate into words, even for someone as eloquent as Ouspensky. I really enjoyed his "New Model OTU" and still want to read his Tertium Organum, but I couldn't finish this. I really wanted to, but it became so dry that I am more than willing to admit that there may have been diamonds waiting for me in these last two chapters, but those are for another mining session. I need to give myself a break from Gurdjieff, mostly.
—————————
I couldn't finish it. I had two chapters left, and now I see what the reviewers below mean. He goes on and on about different hydrogens, and starts to really make the most ridiculous claims. You get the feeling that there was something magical about being part of G's community, but that something is very hard to translate into words, even for someone as eloquent as Ouspensky. I really enjoyed his "New Model OTU" and still want to read his Tertium Organum, but I couldn't finish this. I really wanted to, but it became so dry that I am more than willing to admit that there may have been diamonds waiting for me in these last two chapters, but those are for another mining session. I need to give myself a break from Gurdjieff, mostly.
April 12, 2008
An indispensible introduction to and explication of the philosophical/psychological/spiritual system brought to the West by Gurdjieff in the first half of the 20th century. The Russian mathematician and philosopher Ouspensky had been a spiritual seeker for many years before running into Gurdjieff in Moscow. It changed his life forever. The ideas are dificult for most people to acept and dificult for those who accept to understand fully. The book is dense and deserves several readings and study over a period of years. I first read it more than 25 years ago, in college, and reread it recently and will be rereading it for years to come.
April 8, 2013
I would normally not have picked up a book like In Search of the Miraculous, were it not that this one is referenced by the Dutch conceptual artist Bas Jan Ader, who named one of his art works after it. I read it quite a while ago and I still want to return to it, it's quite a strange book and some aspects of it - its readings of Biblical stories from the angle of Eastern philosphy for example, esp. 'set thine house in order' - have stuck with me over the years.
December 18, 2008
best quotes so far:
"time is breath"
"All at once I remembered I had forgotten to remember."
My Dad recommended this metaphysics/physics series to me. I accidentally started with the last one, but now I am going to go back to the first. Pretty awesome stuff.
"time is breath"
"All at once I remembered I had forgotten to remember."
My Dad recommended this metaphysics/physics series to me. I accidentally started with the last one, but now I am going to go back to the first. Pretty awesome stuff.
August 12, 2008
brilliant book, explaing the forces and laws that govern the universe and mankind
June 12, 2023
It's been some years since I've written a review, but for this book I felt I had to. Probably one of the more challenging but also fulfilling reads of my life. The fact that I'm taking the time to write this well past midnight on a Saturday night should tell you enough.
This book was gifted to me about 2 years ago, at a time when I was on a zealous reading streak of philosophical books, among which some of the major works of Eastern philosophy. In other words, I was keen to dig deeper, and it seemed to come at exactly the right moment. I began reading with great curiosity, though it didn't take long for me to realize that this book would take me completely out of my comfort zone. But that seems to be precisely the message of the book: outside the ordinary circumstances of life is where you discover and develop your true potential.
In In Search of the Miraculous, P.D. Ouspensky takes his readers along on his spiritual journey that began when he first met George Gurdjieff in Moscow in 1915. For much of his adult life, Gurdjieff had wandered Central Asia, Egypt, Iran, India, Tibet, and many other places. He had met with dervishes, fakirs, monks, and members of the most diverse occult brotherhoods, each of whom searching for truth in their own way. Prior to their meeting, Ouspensky had himself also ventured East "in search of the Miraculous," but had returned to Russia largely disappointed. He had not found the answers he was looking for, but his curiosity was sparked upon meeting the enigmatic Gurdjieff, who seemed to be brimming with ancient wisdom.
In 1916, Gurdjieff took Ouspensky on as his pupil, and soon others joined to hear his teachings. Gurdjieff's key message: contrary to what we like to think, most humans barely have any control over their actions and can best be classified as unconscious "automatons" going through life in a state of waking sleep. What we think of as an individual choice oftentimes really is just us acting (or, to be more precise, reacting) according to the impulses that are ingrained in us and to external forces. Shockingly little we do comes from a truly conscious choice. In fact, without properly developed consciousness, we are very susceptible to outside control – and with the mass psychosis of World War I and the Russian Civil War raging on in the background, it is easy to see why this is problematic.
Luckily, Gurdjieff told his students, there are ways to gain consciousness, and to in turn unlock one's full potential. There are the traditional paths to spiritual knowledge – those of the fakir, the monk, and the yogi – but each of these he considered too one-sided, as they tend to focus too much on either the physical, the emotional, or the intellectual aspect of self-knowledge. Instead, Gurdjieff presents a "Fourth Way", which strives to develop each of these centers in harmony. His method of teaching involved everything from intense study and discussion to exercises in self-observation, to intricate dances, music, writing, and many other innovative approaches, all of which aimed at improving one's (self-)awareness.
This all sounds well and good, so why only 4/5? Here I should be honest: this book is certainly not for everyone. In fact, I am not even certain if it was for me, because there sure were many moments where I thought about giving up. Some of the metaphysical theories were lost on me, such as the claims about the ways in which all organic life is connected and influenced by the sun and the planets, about humankind serving as food to the moon, etc. Even if it was presented in a semi-convincing, quasi-scientific way, I still don't really know what to make of all this. Gurdjieff's wisdom is beyond question, but I can see why opinions about Gurdjieff are divided. Indeed, there were times where the way he kept throwing this esoteric knowledge at his pupils while dodging questions and forcing them to not share his secrets with anyone outside their little groups reminded me of a sect leader.
I came for the Eastern ideas, but funnily enough it was rather the topics that are already quite central to Western philosophy that made me stay: Gurdjieff's questioning of human freedom, his distrust of the prevailing norms, values and morality, his ideas on self-remembering and self-realization, his distinction between objective and subjective truth — all of these things I found remarkably interesting to read about. Throughout the last year and a half or so of reading this book, it forced me time and again to rethink the degree of control I have over my own life, to question dominant norms and values, to assess whether I am spending my energy correctly, and generally just to think of ways to improve myself. For these reasons alone, I think that anyone interested in these topics would do well to read this.
Tl;dr thought-provoking book, but at times a bit too much on the astrology side to my taste.
This book was gifted to me about 2 years ago, at a time when I was on a zealous reading streak of philosophical books, among which some of the major works of Eastern philosophy. In other words, I was keen to dig deeper, and it seemed to come at exactly the right moment. I began reading with great curiosity, though it didn't take long for me to realize that this book would take me completely out of my comfort zone. But that seems to be precisely the message of the book: outside the ordinary circumstances of life is where you discover and develop your true potential.
In In Search of the Miraculous, P.D. Ouspensky takes his readers along on his spiritual journey that began when he first met George Gurdjieff in Moscow in 1915. For much of his adult life, Gurdjieff had wandered Central Asia, Egypt, Iran, India, Tibet, and many other places. He had met with dervishes, fakirs, monks, and members of the most diverse occult brotherhoods, each of whom searching for truth in their own way. Prior to their meeting, Ouspensky had himself also ventured East "in search of the Miraculous," but had returned to Russia largely disappointed. He had not found the answers he was looking for, but his curiosity was sparked upon meeting the enigmatic Gurdjieff, who seemed to be brimming with ancient wisdom.
In 1916, Gurdjieff took Ouspensky on as his pupil, and soon others joined to hear his teachings. Gurdjieff's key message: contrary to what we like to think, most humans barely have any control over their actions and can best be classified as unconscious "automatons" going through life in a state of waking sleep. What we think of as an individual choice oftentimes really is just us acting (or, to be more precise, reacting) according to the impulses that are ingrained in us and to external forces. Shockingly little we do comes from a truly conscious choice. In fact, without properly developed consciousness, we are very susceptible to outside control – and with the mass psychosis of World War I and the Russian Civil War raging on in the background, it is easy to see why this is problematic.
Luckily, Gurdjieff told his students, there are ways to gain consciousness, and to in turn unlock one's full potential. There are the traditional paths to spiritual knowledge – those of the fakir, the monk, and the yogi – but each of these he considered too one-sided, as they tend to focus too much on either the physical, the emotional, or the intellectual aspect of self-knowledge. Instead, Gurdjieff presents a "Fourth Way", which strives to develop each of these centers in harmony. His method of teaching involved everything from intense study and discussion to exercises in self-observation, to intricate dances, music, writing, and many other innovative approaches, all of which aimed at improving one's (self-)awareness.
This all sounds well and good, so why only 4/5? Here I should be honest: this book is certainly not for everyone. In fact, I am not even certain if it was for me, because there sure were many moments where I thought about giving up. Some of the metaphysical theories were lost on me, such as the claims about the ways in which all organic life is connected and influenced by the sun and the planets, about humankind serving as food to the moon, etc. Even if it was presented in a semi-convincing, quasi-scientific way, I still don't really know what to make of all this. Gurdjieff's wisdom is beyond question, but I can see why opinions about Gurdjieff are divided. Indeed, there were times where the way he kept throwing this esoteric knowledge at his pupils while dodging questions and forcing them to not share his secrets with anyone outside their little groups reminded me of a sect leader.
I came for the Eastern ideas, but funnily enough it was rather the topics that are already quite central to Western philosophy that made me stay: Gurdjieff's questioning of human freedom, his distrust of the prevailing norms, values and morality, his ideas on self-remembering and self-realization, his distinction between objective and subjective truth — all of these things I found remarkably interesting to read about. Throughout the last year and a half or so of reading this book, it forced me time and again to rethink the degree of control I have over my own life, to question dominant norms and values, to assess whether I am spending my energy correctly, and generally just to think of ways to improve myself. For these reasons alone, I think that anyone interested in these topics would do well to read this.
Tl;dr thought-provoking book, but at times a bit too much on the astrology side to my taste.
May 4, 2017
Ho sempre sentito parlare di Gurdjieff e mi ero proposta di leggere prima o poi qualcosa su di lui e il suo insegnamento per cercare di capire come mai interessasse a tante persone. Ultimamente sentivo nominare spesso Frammenti di un insegnamento sconosciuto e alla fine mi sono decisa a comprarlo.
Nonostante la valutazione bassa sono contenta di aver letto finalmente del suo insegnamento perché ho capito che non fa per me. Sono una persona curiosa che cerca sempre di conoscere dottrine a me sconosciute per vedere se possono aiutare a vivere meglio o per vedere se danno risposte. Purtroppo non è che abbia capito molto di questo insegnamento perché è quasi tutto inverosimile, poco probabile, e alcune cose sono dette ma non dette perché i suoi allievi erano comunque tenuti a mantenere alcuni segreti.
Le cose che non ho assolutamente capito e che mi sembrano fuori da ogni comprensione sono: la legge dell'ottava, che non saprei nemmeno come spiegare ma che ha a che fare con le note musicali. Secondo Gurdjieff ogni cosa, dall'atomo all'Assoluto, può e deve essere divisa con la legge dell'ottava per essere compresa. Parla spesso di leggi universali, di scuole antiche, ma non entra mai in dettagli con la scusa che chi non è pronto non potrebbe comunque capire. Secondo una suddivisione che segue la legge dell'ottava, l'universo inizia con l'Assoluto e finisce con la Luna (cioè, dopo la Luna c'è di nuovo un do della scala musicale che rappresenta l'Assoluto) e la vita organica sulla Terra non è altro che nutrimento per la Luna in modo che possa evolversi. Ecco, cose del genere proprio non le capisco. Nomina anche la chimica dicendo che la chimica insegnata da questa scuola antica è diversa da quella comunemente conosciuta, e un atomo, un elettrone, una molecola, etc. hanno anche proprietà psichiche e cosmiche. Non ho capito assolutamente la tavola degli idrogeni e i metodi di calcolo, ma metto il link a una pagina dell'Istituto Tecnico per il Risveglio (già il nome è tutto un programma) perché non saprei proprio come spiegarla (http://www.iter-h.it/la-quarta-via-im...).
Ovviamente viene nominata anche la famosa Quarta Via, ma come già detto, le cose vengono dette ma non dette. Spiega anche l'enneagramma, ma, ovviamente, non l'ho mica capito.
Ci sono invece altre cose che mi sono suonate più familiari perché le conosco dallo Yoga, come i benefici delle tecniche di respirazione; il fatto che l'uomo è composto da tanti piccoli sé e non conosce il vero Sé finché non elimina il superfluo e l'inutile (l'ho spiegato proprio grossolanamente!); che l'uomo è pieno di abitudini che gli nuocciono ma è molto difficile liberarsi da un'abitudine anche se nociva, le vibrazioni dei suoni, etc. Ho avuto l'impressione che Gurdjieff attingesse dallo Yoga, dal Sufismo, dal Cristianesimo, dal misticismo, etc. ma diceva anche che queste strade non potevano portare lontano perché ad ognuna mancava qualcosa. Le persone molto probabilmente ne traevano giovamento, ma solo il suo insegnamento era quello completo che portava l'essere umano a un risveglio totale o all'illuminazione. Devo aggiungere però che Gurdjieff, onestamente e umilmente, non considerava questo insegnamento come suo, ma più di una volta afferma che lui è soltanto un Maestro e nemmeno l'unico. Il punto è anche che questo insegnamento può variare di epoca in epoca e in base alle persone che compongono un gruppo di allievi. Cioè, in base ai tipi di persone che formano un gruppo, gli esercizi e la parte pratica potevano variare.
Ouspensky è stato allievo di Gurdjieff per parecchi anni e ha portato avanti il suo insegnamento nonostante negli ultimi anni si fosse allontanato da lui, quindi il libro è sicuramente attendibile. Alcune parti sono scorrevoli e ho letto volentieri dell'incontro tra Gurdjieff e Ouspensky e di alcune parti dell'insegnamento. Altre parti invece erano veramente ostiche perché non soltanto non ci capivo niente, ma a un certo punto nemmeno m'impegnavo di capire perché, come detto, mi sembravano tesi strampalate. Forse è colpa mia e sono troppo ignorante per capire questi insegnamenti, ma già il fatto che questo libro mi abbia fatto capire che è meglio non approfondire l'argomento, me lo fa apprezzare.
Nonostante la valutazione bassa sono contenta di aver letto finalmente del suo insegnamento perché ho capito che non fa per me. Sono una persona curiosa che cerca sempre di conoscere dottrine a me sconosciute per vedere se possono aiutare a vivere meglio o per vedere se danno risposte. Purtroppo non è che abbia capito molto di questo insegnamento perché è quasi tutto inverosimile, poco probabile, e alcune cose sono dette ma non dette perché i suoi allievi erano comunque tenuti a mantenere alcuni segreti.
Le cose che non ho assolutamente capito e che mi sembrano fuori da ogni comprensione sono: la legge dell'ottava, che non saprei nemmeno come spiegare ma che ha a che fare con le note musicali. Secondo Gurdjieff ogni cosa, dall'atomo all'Assoluto, può e deve essere divisa con la legge dell'ottava per essere compresa. Parla spesso di leggi universali, di scuole antiche, ma non entra mai in dettagli con la scusa che chi non è pronto non potrebbe comunque capire. Secondo una suddivisione che segue la legge dell'ottava, l'universo inizia con l'Assoluto e finisce con la Luna (cioè, dopo la Luna c'è di nuovo un do della scala musicale che rappresenta l'Assoluto) e la vita organica sulla Terra non è altro che nutrimento per la Luna in modo che possa evolversi. Ecco, cose del genere proprio non le capisco. Nomina anche la chimica dicendo che la chimica insegnata da questa scuola antica è diversa da quella comunemente conosciuta, e un atomo, un elettrone, una molecola, etc. hanno anche proprietà psichiche e cosmiche. Non ho capito assolutamente la tavola degli idrogeni e i metodi di calcolo, ma metto il link a una pagina dell'Istituto Tecnico per il Risveglio (già il nome è tutto un programma) perché non saprei proprio come spiegarla (http://www.iter-h.it/la-quarta-via-im...).
Ovviamente viene nominata anche la famosa Quarta Via, ma come già detto, le cose vengono dette ma non dette. Spiega anche l'enneagramma, ma, ovviamente, non l'ho mica capito.
Ci sono invece altre cose che mi sono suonate più familiari perché le conosco dallo Yoga, come i benefici delle tecniche di respirazione; il fatto che l'uomo è composto da tanti piccoli sé e non conosce il vero Sé finché non elimina il superfluo e l'inutile (l'ho spiegato proprio grossolanamente!); che l'uomo è pieno di abitudini che gli nuocciono ma è molto difficile liberarsi da un'abitudine anche se nociva, le vibrazioni dei suoni, etc. Ho avuto l'impressione che Gurdjieff attingesse dallo Yoga, dal Sufismo, dal Cristianesimo, dal misticismo, etc. ma diceva anche che queste strade non potevano portare lontano perché ad ognuna mancava qualcosa. Le persone molto probabilmente ne traevano giovamento, ma solo il suo insegnamento era quello completo che portava l'essere umano a un risveglio totale o all'illuminazione. Devo aggiungere però che Gurdjieff, onestamente e umilmente, non considerava questo insegnamento come suo, ma più di una volta afferma che lui è soltanto un Maestro e nemmeno l'unico. Il punto è anche che questo insegnamento può variare di epoca in epoca e in base alle persone che compongono un gruppo di allievi. Cioè, in base ai tipi di persone che formano un gruppo, gli esercizi e la parte pratica potevano variare.
Ouspensky è stato allievo di Gurdjieff per parecchi anni e ha portato avanti il suo insegnamento nonostante negli ultimi anni si fosse allontanato da lui, quindi il libro è sicuramente attendibile. Alcune parti sono scorrevoli e ho letto volentieri dell'incontro tra Gurdjieff e Ouspensky e di alcune parti dell'insegnamento. Altre parti invece erano veramente ostiche perché non soltanto non ci capivo niente, ma a un certo punto nemmeno m'impegnavo di capire perché, come detto, mi sembravano tesi strampalate. Forse è colpa mia e sono troppo ignorante per capire questi insegnamenti, ma già il fatto che questo libro mi abbia fatto capire che è meglio non approfondire l'argomento, me lo fa apprezzare.
April 22, 2026
I grew up in the California foothills and there is a cult there called the Fellowship of Friends founded by Richard Burton in the 1970’s. My dad was a mechanic in the US Marines, when he got out, he came back north from Oceanside and did RV repair. The fellowship of friends have a compound in Oregon House called Apollo, he worked on RVs on the property, tales of sexual abuse by Burton were rampant. This book is their Bible. I befriended children of members and was allowed on Apollo’s property many times. Most members had framed photographs of Burton on their walls. I’ve known about the Fourth Way, Ouspensky and Gurdjieff since I was a child.
I recently finished Lee Smolin’s overview of the history of Quantum Mechanics and he mentions someone I admire- David Bohm- became mystical and embraced Gurdjieff’s teachings. I’ve had this book on my to read list for years so I felt it was a sign I should dust it off and keep an open mind. Conclusion:
This book is utter bullshit.
And it’s used to brainwash susceptible people.
It reminds me of the Peter Thiel book I just read- Ouspensky is like Rene Girard who believe there should philosophical truth for elites and symbolic religion for the masses. It has its root in Plato, that spiritual knowledge is finite and should be hoarded. Distribution of knowledge is not injustice because most people don’t want it any way, plus there’s not enough to go around so- like precious gold, the elite should hoard the knowledge. This elitist, we are better than you attitude, teaches: most people are asleep or mechanical, only a minority can “wake up,” real knowledge is rare and must be transmitted carefully, a teacher or school is necessary for that transmission
Those claims taken together create a built in power asymmetry that is textbook setup for control. Sociologists of religion and psychologists who study coercive groups have pointed out that ideologies built around hidden knowledge and staged initiation are especially prone to this outcome.
Ouspensky broke with Gurdieff but this book was published with Gurdieff’s blessing. In true Gurdieff teaching, students were expected to verify everything through direct experience. Ouspensky believed Gurdieff should have more authority, thus he broke with him. In classical Fourth Way groups, doubt is part of the work. You observe it, test it, refine it. In high control environments like the Fellowship, doubt is reframed as a failure of the student. Reports from former Fellowship members describe social and psychological pressure when questioning Burton or the structure of the group. Near the end of Ousoensky’s life, he told students to “abandon the Fourth Way system” and start fresh. I believe he regretted what his religion had become.
This book talks about how the moon feast on people. You can take it as an allegory - metaphorically the moon represents mechanical forces that consume whatever awareness we fail to integrate.. but here in Ouspensky’s account, Gurdjieff does present it as a literal, objective process: human life generates fine energies that are used in a larger cosmic system.
Groups like the Fellowship of Friends, led by Robert Burton, claim contact with higher intelligences or the consciousness of great historical figures. Unlike Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, who described higher influence more abstractly, this turns it into direct, personalized communication. It was not uncommon growing up to hear my friend’s parents refer to themselves by alternate “c influence” names. People in the fellowship adopted alternate names or identities tied to these other consciousnesses they could supposedly talk to.
I’ll have to go read more David Bohm to see a more logical view of this.
I recently finished Lee Smolin’s overview of the history of Quantum Mechanics and he mentions someone I admire- David Bohm- became mystical and embraced Gurdjieff’s teachings. I’ve had this book on my to read list for years so I felt it was a sign I should dust it off and keep an open mind. Conclusion:
This book is utter bullshit.
And it’s used to brainwash susceptible people.
It reminds me of the Peter Thiel book I just read- Ouspensky is like Rene Girard who believe there should philosophical truth for elites and symbolic religion for the masses. It has its root in Plato, that spiritual knowledge is finite and should be hoarded. Distribution of knowledge is not injustice because most people don’t want it any way, plus there’s not enough to go around so- like precious gold, the elite should hoard the knowledge. This elitist, we are better than you attitude, teaches: most people are asleep or mechanical, only a minority can “wake up,” real knowledge is rare and must be transmitted carefully, a teacher or school is necessary for that transmission
Those claims taken together create a built in power asymmetry that is textbook setup for control. Sociologists of religion and psychologists who study coercive groups have pointed out that ideologies built around hidden knowledge and staged initiation are especially prone to this outcome.
Ouspensky broke with Gurdieff but this book was published with Gurdieff’s blessing. In true Gurdieff teaching, students were expected to verify everything through direct experience. Ouspensky believed Gurdieff should have more authority, thus he broke with him. In classical Fourth Way groups, doubt is part of the work. You observe it, test it, refine it. In high control environments like the Fellowship, doubt is reframed as a failure of the student. Reports from former Fellowship members describe social and psychological pressure when questioning Burton or the structure of the group. Near the end of Ousoensky’s life, he told students to “abandon the Fourth Way system” and start fresh. I believe he regretted what his religion had become.
This book talks about how the moon feast on people. You can take it as an allegory - metaphorically the moon represents mechanical forces that consume whatever awareness we fail to integrate.. but here in Ouspensky’s account, Gurdjieff does present it as a literal, objective process: human life generates fine energies that are used in a larger cosmic system.
Groups like the Fellowship of Friends, led by Robert Burton, claim contact with higher intelligences or the consciousness of great historical figures. Unlike Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, who described higher influence more abstractly, this turns it into direct, personalized communication. It was not uncommon growing up to hear my friend’s parents refer to themselves by alternate “c influence” names. People in the fellowship adopted alternate names or identities tied to these other consciousnesses they could supposedly talk to.
I’ll have to go read more David Bohm to see a more logical view of this.
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