The Two Spirits

A Contest of Two Spirits The following is a record of a lecture, entitled Two Spirits, given by Gurdjieff It is said in some ancient teachings that on the day God created man he also created for each man two spirits — the spirit of good and the spirit of evil,...

Gurdjieff on Hypnosis

Hypnotic Trance The following is a record of a lecture on hypnosis given by Gurdjieff in Tiflis “In Europe, hypnotism is much spoken about and much used in medical treatment. However the knowledge of it is very superficial which explains the frequently...

The Perils of Perfectionism

The Perils of Perfectionism Writ Large The Problem What is wrong with striving for perfection? Aren’t we encouraged to strive to do our best, to always improve, to learn from our mistakes, to try not to commit the same errors a second time? As a psychotherapist, I...

Consciousness in Motion

The Harmony of Nature I realize it is morning.  I am lying in bed. My body is relaxed, warm, comfortable. I am aware of the feeling of, “I don’t want to get up”.  I don’t necessarily hear the words in my head, but I know I don’t want to get out of bed.  I don’t need...

Exploring the Mystery of Attention

The Attention of the Eagle Beyond Conditioning: The Mystery of Interior Sight There is a deep level of mystery that is discernible even in ordinary life. We can occasionally realize “what we are thinking,” occasionally recognize we are “lying to ourselves,” see our...