POSSIBLE FOUNDATIONS OF

INNER EXERCISES
Obus by Alexander Calder
The present study begins with notes of an exercise given by Gurdjieff In New York
(which he describes in his Third Series of Writings ! which is reproduced after our
co""entary# The reader can then see for herse$f whether our ana$ysis ho$ds water#
%ur purpose is to de$ineate the essentia$ characteristics of this exercise to serve as a
guide to other exercises! such as those deve$oped by &ohn 'ennett in $ater years fro"
Gurdjieff(s# Gurdjieff hi"se$f exp$ains "any things about (attention(! (I )"( and so on
in his Third Series of writings and we co"e to so"e of these exp$anations at the very
end of our discussion#
Outline
Gurdjieff refers to this exercise as the *co"pro"ise* exercise# In this exercise!
attention is divided between the breathing and the head brain and the resu$ts of this
are gathered into or concentrated in the so$ar p$exus# Gurdjieff says that this wi$$
enhance the sense of (I )+(! which he coup$es with what he ca$$s (active "entation(#
Attention & Associations
In describing the exercise! Gurdjieff "akes a nu"ber of state"ents about attention#
,# -or (rea$ "en( there is an attention that can be divided into two directions#
.# There are three kinds of attention
/# The attention of a rea$ "an can be free of associations#
The attention of a rea$ "an wou$d be (conscious(# The prag"atic test is that such an
attention can be divided# The three kinds of attention are referred to by Gurdjieff as (to
sense! fee$ and constate( 0 which we "ight know "ore abstract$y as sensing! fee$ing
and thinking#
)ssociations go on by the"se$ves and Gurdjieff says they not on$y go in our s$eep!
when we drea"! but even after death1 In describing (conscious attention! he says that
it can be concentrated away fro" such auto"atic proceedings#
In the course of describing the exercise! he te$$s his pupi$s to concentrate their
attention on specific aspects of their (experientia$ organis"# In everyday $ife! we
wou$d not do this# Though not specifica$$y "entioned in this description! we shou$d
bear in "ind the kind of ideas he put forward in the beginning of his teaching about
"an as a (factory(! taking in raw "ateria$s of food! air and i"pressions and
transfor"ing the" (see in In Search of the +iracu$ous by 2# 3# %uspensky# 2art of
this transfor"ation goes auto"atica$$y! by itse$f! but there are stages that re4uire
conscious work# This is where the attention of a rea$ "an co"es in#
Warning
'oth at the beginning and at the end of his description! Gurdjieff warns against auto0
suggestion# 5e a$so warns against excessive 6ea$ and (se$f0enthusing(# In conte"porary
co$$o4uia$ $anguage! we "ight say that if so"eone is (getting off( on this exercise! then
it is going wrong# Gurdjieff is e"phasising that doing this exercise shou$d have
nothing to do with generating e"otiona$ experiences# The rea$ resu$ts accu"u$ate
gradua$$y through repeated practice#
In "odern ti"es! inner exercises of various kinds have been taken up precise$y
because they give rise to e"otiona$ experiences# It is forgotten that! for exa"p$e! in
'uddhis" +ara the (evi$ one( was the na"e given to b$iss experienced in "editation1
Gurdjieff is a$so fo$$owing the core tradition of "ysticis" in 7hristianity! which
tended to reject (experiences( as distractions# 5e "akes the exercise see" $ike
shove$$ing coa$1
In a technica$ sense! (b$iss( (as in the ananda of the 5indu sat0chit0ananda 0 being0
consciousness0b$iss is a$ways a descending pheno"enon! which "eans that a higher
energy is transfor"ing down into $ower energies# Gurdjieff(s exercise appears to have
the intent of an ascending process# -$ying in the face of his repeated assertion that
("an cannot do( he c$ai"s that this exercise wi$$ enab$e his pupi$s to *do*! which "ay
be to bui$d up a substance giving the possibi$ity of doing#
5ere we wi$$ si"p$y re"ark that &ohn 'ennett described such a possibi$ity in ter"s of
his own $anguage! drawn fro" science! of (potentia$ energy(# 8nergy withdrawn fro"
actua$isation! fro" anything happening! enab$es rea$ choices to be "ade! or vo$untary
action taken (see his series of $ectures recent$y repub$ished under the tit$e +aking a
Sou$#
Assimilating Air
In this exercise! Gurdjieff says! the attention is divided into two parts# The first part
concentrates on breathing9 beco"ing aware of the air co"ing into the $ungs and then
$eaving! but not entire$y! since so"e of it is assi"i$ated# The air that is assi"i$ated
(f$ows in "y presence(# Now! it is $ike$y that Gurdjieff was not referring to oxygen
here as the part of the air that is assi"i$ated (there is a tanta$ising passage about the
active ingredients in the air! which is de$iberate$y broken off and $eft unfinished! in the
Third Series# In $ater years! &ohn 'ennett wou$d exp$ain that there is an (active
substance( in the air 0 he even at one ti"e said that it derived fro" the sun 0 and that
this active substance can on$y be assi"i$ated into us if it is taken in conscious$y# The
under$ying reference is to the theory of the (food factory( we "entioned before9 in
order for the second0being food or (air( to be transfor"ed it re4uires at a certain point
assistance fro" (intentiona$ i"pressions 0 i#e# conscious attention#
It is wide$y known that awareness of our breathing changes our state# 'ut the idea that
it can produce a certain substance in us is very "uch Gurdjieff(s a$one# &ohn 'ennett
speaks of it as prana 0 a 5indu ter" that is usua$$y trans$ated as so"ething $ike ($ife0
force(# Need$ess to say! there is no evidence whatsoever for there being such a
substance! besides the changes in state that are subjective and we are even warned
about by Gurdjieff hi"se$f#
The Mental Component
'y concentrating on the breathing! the pu$$ of "enta$ associations has beco"e weak#
5owever! next (the other ha$f( of the attention is put onto the ("ind( or! as Gurdjieff
a$so ca$$s it ("y head brain(# 5e says that with practice we can detect so"ething
arising there fro" our associations! at first faint$y# Nowhere does he say what this
(so"ething( is# 5e even says that *what arises in the brain is not i"portant*: instead he
says that there shou$d be a f$ow in to the so$ar p$exus#
The austerity of $anguage shou$d be re"arked# In this case it is "ost fitting since! in
genera$! the substance of the head brain is taken as abstract#
5owever! there is a sense in which we can take what arises and what f$ows as in so"e
way being the (substance under$ying associations! thoughts or knowing(#
Solar Plexus
What f$ows in "y presence fro" the air and what co"es fro" "y head brain co"bine
together in the so$ar p$exus# Gurdjieff does not say that they b$end together or "ake
any state"ent about their conjunction# The $ocation of the so$ar p$exus is on$y
exp$ained indirect$y when Gurdjieff says that the exercise increases the strength of his
(I )+(# So"eone who actua$$y does the exercise can see what this "eans for herse$f#
Specu$ations based on the chakra syste" tend to be tota$$y "is$eading since Gurdjieff
never used this syste" or "ade reference to it# Nor does he "ake use of other )sian
concepts such as the (stove of the be$$y(#
What is striking is that the 3esert -athers practised bringing their thoughts into the
region of their nave$s (hence the origin of the phrase (nave$0ga6ers( and readers of the
i""ense$y inf$uentia$ 2hi$oka$ia "ay recognise the si"i$arities#
In Gurdjieff(s own syste"! it is fair to say that (I( wou$d be "ost associated with the
head brain and ()+( with the so$ar p$exus#
Proceeding Automatically
+ore than once! Gurdjieff says that the exercise or part of it is proceeding in hi" by
itse$f or auto"atica$$y# It is worth taking note of this# Whi$e Gurdjieff is ta$king! the
exercise is bui$ding and proceeding in hi"# 'ut! how can it proceed auto"atica$$y
when the who$e e"phasis has been on concentrating the attention;
It wou$d confuse the c$arity of the exercise to say very "uch about this: but it see"s
to us that it is i"portant to observe that concentrating the attention is not rea$$y a
"atter of effort# Nor is it a "atter of (I a" doing this(# There is "ore a sense of an
i"persona$ act proceeding by itse$f# %ne intends so"ething such as a f$ow fro" the
head brain to the so$ar p$exus and then one has to a$$ow it to happen as it wi$$9 it is no
good (doing( anything to try and "ake it happen# It is as if the act of seeing creates
what is to be seen#
Trying to describe and exp$ain what happens can generate "etaphysica$ sickness! and
a stark si"p$icity is ca$$ed for in the doing of the exercise# 5owever! it is i"portant to
grasp that what Gurdjieff ca$$s (auto"atic( has two sides to it#
Intended Results
Gurdjieff says that the practice of this exercise by his pupi$s is *on$y a preparation to
have an (I(* but in his own case it provides (food( for his (I(# The task for the pupi$s is to
recognise the two sources 0 the f$ow fro" the head brain and the assi"i$ation fro" the
air# We have a$ready "entioned that he a$so said it wou$d enab$e peop$e to (do( or have
the possibi$ity of doing as we$$ as the wish to do#
We want to draw attention here to a co""on feature of Gurdjieff(s "ethods! which
"ight be expressed as9 first detach! then divide and then unite into a new who$e# What
can be taught or i"parted is so"ething about detach"ent and division# 'ut the new
unification cannot be taught# )s $ong as peop$e re"ain fo$$owers of the instructions!
they re"ain divided# No one can te$$ the" to unite the"se$ves! to ("ake( I )+ in
the"se$ves# Gurdjieff suggests that he unites hi"se$f and then $eaves it there#
5is a$"ost fina$ state"ent about the exercise is that it wi$$ enab$e his pupi$s to have
(rea$ active "entation(# This "ay be the key to the who$e thing# The very idea that
inner exercises shou$d be devoted to so"ething that is akin to thinking is anathe"a to
"ost so0ca$$ed (spiritua$( seekers at the present ti"e# It is a$so a side of Gurdjieff that
has been strange$y neg$ected by those professing to fo$$ow his ideas# Though
Gurdjieff(s active "entation is not just our usua$ (thinking( it is sti$$ conscious! wi$$ed
direction based on understanding and is what thinking ought to be#
)nother way of regarding active "entation is as (thinking with the who$e of onese$f(#
ssential !eatures
It is usefu$ to "ake a su""ary of the essentia$ features of this exercise# <eaders "ay
differ with us on our choices and interpretations# Such a su""ary "ay a$so be tested
against other exercises (as we wi$$ do in the fo$$owing essay# )t the outset! we have
to state that it is our contention that such an exercise is integra$$y connected with the
rest of Gurdjieff(s teaching! particu$ar$y with his theories of hu"an structure and
process# We be$ieve that his account of the assi"i$ation and transfor"ation of the
three (foods( of food! air and i"pressions is of para"ount i"portance# The genera$
inference fro" this teaching is that conscious attention can affect the process of
transfor"ation: in particu$ar! to produce (substances( that wou$d not otherwise be
"ade# These substances share in the characteristic of enab$e"ent9 if we have the"! we
can (do( and if we do not then wanting to do is just wishfu$ thinking# In a word! these
substances turn our view of ourse$ves as free! who$e! creative beings fro" fantasy into
rea$ity# We spoke of (wishfu$ thinking( and "ight consider that such substances when
added to the e4uation produce a rea$ resu$t9 thinking = wish = substance > rea$ doing#
,# The purpose of such an exercise is to produce an enab$ing substance (or energy
that can "ake $ife "ore rea$
.# It depends on exercising a free attention that can be divided into at $east two parts#
/# There is an energy or substance that can be assi"i$ated or "ade avai$ab$e to us by
bringing attention onto our breathing#
?# In a perhaps si"i$ar way! there is an energy or substance that can be re$eased fro"
the thinking process or head brain by carefu$ attention#
@# Such energies can be co"bined together to produce a new sense of who$eness or (I0
)"ness(#
The (sense( of new who$eness that is posited at the end of the exercise is the "ost
i"portant (proof( of the efficacy of the exercise# 'ut! as we co""ented! it is the "ost
prob$e"atic 0 not $east because it has to be se$f0defining# 5owever! during the course
of the exercise! it is possib$e for us to test out and exp$ore the "eaning of points .! /
and ?# These features give us a chance to strugg$e with our convictions# We just have
to co"e to ter"s with how things work out in us when we try to fo$$ow the
instructions# We have to decide what is rea$ in our experience#
There is no way of knowing whether what happens to one person is the sa"e as to
another# 8ach wi$$ describe their experience in different ter"s# We have adopted the
"ethod of (experienting( to take account of this! which has the advantage of providing
"utua$ support without the i"position of any one person(s "ode$s of the experience#
8xperienting a$so fo$$ows the situation exe"p$ified by Gurdjieff hi"se$f in describing
the exercise! where it is c$ear 0 and even stated by hi" 0 that the exercise can be
working in hi" as he speaks about it Asee be$ow on (Trans"itting 8xercises(B# In
(experienting( every participant is encouraged to articu$ate the process going on in her
or hi" whi$e it is taking p$ace# )t first this fee$s $ike an added difficu$ty and an
i""ense distraction# 'ut it faci$itates detach"ent fro" e"otiona$ experiences (see
Gurdjieff(s warning and can a$so assist in the end! through practice! in attaining the
condition indicated by Gurdjieff of the exercise (proceeding auto"atica$$y(#
The five essentia$ features we have $isted a$$ be$ong to what can be ca$$ed a (psycho0
cos"o$ogy(# It is difficu$t to estab$ish whether knowing about this is an integra$ part of
the exercise or not# %ne i"agines that Gurdjieff(s pupi$s were we$$ aware of the
background to the exercise they were being shown# The exercise can be done without
knowing anything about the (food factory( "ode$ but wou$d it be the sa"e; Gurdjieff
gives the essentia$s without any appea$ to theory but it wou$d be hard to put it a$$
together without so"e theoretica$ support#
We tentative$y! then! add a sixth feature9
C# To constate and reason on the purpose and "eaning of the exercise! with the
provisos *don(t i"agine things* and *don(t be the s$aves of the data you have within
yourse$ves for autosuggestion*#
T" #RCIS AS $I%& '( MR) $ *+ith some minimal editing,
this -ersion di..ers slightly .rom the text gi-en in the Third Series
The tota$ity of "an(s attention received fro" the who$e of hi"! fro" a$$ his
spiritua$ised parts! he can divide into two directions# -or rea$ "an there is one
attention# %n$y this attention can be divided into two directions# In genera$ If the
sources of "an(s attention are taken into account! there are three kinds of attention#
You "ust first understand and then recognise the difference# When this attention is
concentrated! then our associations are (in ga$oches(#
)ssociations can never stop# If they wou$d stop "en wou$d die# )ssociations a$ways
f$ow# 8ven after death they continue to f$ow by "o"entu"# %n$y when attention is
serious$y occupied! associations are not constated: a$$ the sa"e they f$ow
auto"atica$$y# 8ven in s$eep they continue and are so"eti"e re"e"bered0 this is
what constitutes drea"s# Those who re"e"ber their drea"s were on$y ha$f as$eep# If
a "an rea$$y s$eeps! his attention a$so s$eeps#
<ea$ "an has one attention# When this is concentrated serious$y so"ewhere! whether
on his body or on so"ething outside! and a$$ the forces of his attention are
concentrated! his associations do not hinder hi"# -or exa"p$e I a" now $ooking at D##
and "y attention is directed on "y right foot: so a$though I $ook! I see on$y
auto"atica$$y! "y attention being e$sewhere#
I wi$$ now show you that new exercise! the one to which is attached the risk I spoke
of! the *co"pro"ise* exercise#
It Is a serious experi"ent: "any of you have such data In you for auto0suggestion that
i"pressions "ay be obtained which wi$$ be the resu$t of so"e kind of se$f0hypnotis"#
If you are now a nonentity! you "ay beco"e a thousand ti"es "ore so# You "ight! if
you wi$$ excuse "y using this word! *stink*# 'e carefu$ with the experi"ent # It is not
4ua$ity that is necessary! but 4uantity# 3o it often# 3on (t try to get abso$ute resu$ts#
+ake repeated efforts# Then on$y $itt$e by $itt$e! can you actua$i6e resu$ts# Then on$y
wi$$ you be ab$e to *do*# )nd para$$e$ with wishing to *do*! there wi$$ arise in you the
possibi$ity of *doing*#
3o this without excessive 6ea$! without se$f0 enthusing! which is a very har"fu$
property# If you repeat this exercise often! your auto0suggestiveness wi$$ di"inish#
This is the exercise#
%utward$y ! at the first g$ance! this exercise is si"p$e# -or instance! you see! I sit here
in "y usua$ posture# I a" dividing "y attention# 'ut no one can see this inner process#
I divide "y attention conscious$y into two parts# With one part I now sense! fee$ and
constate si"u$taneous$y with one conscious concentration# Now I breathe# I fee$ that
so"ething happening to the air that I breath in# 2art of it goes in! part goes out! and a
part re"ains# +y organis"! that is "y $ungs! take a part! then a part $eaves and a part
re"ains# I fee$ what is happening in "y $ungs# When I breath in! part of the air is
assi"i$ated and I fee$ its f$ow a$$ over the body# It goes everywhere# I keep "y
attention fixed: I fee$! I sense how this air is being assi"i$ated in "e and how It f$ows
in "y presence# It is not necessary to find out where it goes! it just f$ows in "y
presence#
%ne part of "y attention is occupied with this 0 breathing! assi"i$ating and f$owing of
the air# )$ready "y "enta$ associations are very weak# I notice the" so"eti"es! by
the way! because part of "y attention is free! and is ab$e to notice "enta$ associations#
Now I wi$$ concentrate the ether ha$f of "y attention on "y "ind# "y head brain# I
fee$ that in "y head0brain so"ething arises fro" the tota$ of the f$ow of associations
there# I don(t know what is taking p$ace there! but there is so"ething! and with "y
ha$f attention I notice this very thin so"ething arise! so s"a$$! so $ight! so thin! that
nobody fee$ it the first few ti"es! not unti$ constant practice gives the fee$ing# I know
this subjective$y because I have practised it# I fee$ ! I sense! $ constate! that so"ething
arises in "y head0brain# )$$ the ti"e! of course! the other ha$f of "y attention is
occupied with the breathing process# 8ven whi$e speaking! this exercise is being
auto"atica$$y done#
Now I direct "y attention to he$p this so"ething in "y brain to f$ow towards "y so$ar
p$exus# What arises in the brain is not i"portant# What is i"portant is that the
so"ething that arises there shou$d f$ow into the so$ar p$exus# Now I fee$ how it f$ows#
+y attention is fu$$y occupied and I don(t see any "ore associations )$$ "y attention
is occupied pied with fee$ing! sensing! and assi"i$ating the f$ow of air# and a$so with
this arising in "y head0brain#
This f$ow of assi"i$ated air! and this so"ething which arises in "y head brain! I
specia$$y! conscious$y! with "y wish! concentrate to $et it f$ow Into "y so$ar p$exus##
Now# by the way I fee$ and constate that I breathe ! I assi"i$ate and that this f$ow goes
to the so$ar p$exus# )nd a$$ the ti"e the f$ow fro" the air I breathe and the f$ow fro"
"y head0associations go to the so$ar p$exus a$though they issue fro" different
sources#
-or "e persona$$y! at the sa"e ti"e! I fee$ very strong$y that I )+# I fee$ that I )+
ten ti"es stronger# +y *I* takes in this food "ore intense$y! but for you! at the present
"o"ent! do not do this exercise in order to be stronger# -or you this exercise is on$y a
preparation to have an *I* and so that you shou$d constate the two sources fro" which
this *I* can arise# -or "e it gives food to "y *I*# It "akes it stronger! so that now I a"
not *tai$ of donkey*# I )+#
'ut you can not yet use this exercise to "ake yourse$f stronger: you "ust first $earn
and constate the two sources fro" which this possibi$ity can arise! to have a rea$ * I* 0
fro" air and fro" "entation! even auto"atic "entation: and then ! when you wi$$
have practised this exercise a great dea$! you "ay be ab$e to have possibi$ities for rea$
active "entation# )nd then with rea$ active "entation! the * I* can beco"e stronger#
8nough# I stop and $et these processes proceed in "e auto"atica$$y# Now! without
titi$$ation without phi$osophi6ing and "anipu$ation! try to understand the tota$ of a$$
this and for"u$ate it according to your subjective understanding! according to
whatever kind of idiot you are# Then do AitB#
3on(t i"agine things#
3on(t be the s$ave of the data you have in yourse$ves for autosuggestion! but try very
hard#
We have at hand another report of an exercise dictated by Mr Gurdjieff, this time
dated to 1939. It is instructive to read this account in the liht of our previous
discussion. We add some comments after!ards.
#RCIS '( MR $/R01I!!
!rom hand2+ritten note 3454
-ifteen "inutes re$ax# 'reak te"po of ordinary $ife before doing exercise#
'reathe in 0 (I(# 'reathe out 0 (a"(# With a$$ three parts do# Not just "ind# -ee$ing and
body a$so# +ake strong1 Not easy thing#
When breathe out! i"agine part of air stays in and f$ows to corresponding p$ace#
Where f$ow! how f$ow! that is its business# %n$y fee$ that part re"ains# 'efore
beginning exercise say9 (I wish to keep this substance for "yse$f(#
Without this conscious and vo$untary $abour on your part nothing at a$$ wi$$ be coated#
)$$ in ti"e wi$$ evaporate# &ust this s"a$$ property in b$ood "akes possib$e very big
resu$t if done with conscious $abour# Without this! one "onth you "ust work for such
resu$t#
When doing! "ust be carefu$ not to change exterior# It is inner thing# No one need
know# %utside keep sa"e exterior# Inside you do# Not ho$d breath# &ust breathe in and
out# %f course! to change thinking wi$$ take ti"e# )uto"atica$$y breath wi$$ adjust# To
be ab$e to do exercise not $opsided$y you "ust who$e attention on it#
To arouse fee$ing! interest and attention! for co0operation you "ust think fo$$owing
before beginning9 (I a" now about to begin this exercise# With fu$$ attention I wi$$
draw in "y breath! saying *I* and sensing the who$e of "yse$f# I wish very "uch to
do this in order that I "ay digest air#(
To arouse body to co0operate! take corresponding posture# Inner tension of forces#
+obi$ise your centres for working together for this ai"#
In breathing! i"agine so"ething f$ows! $ike when inha$ing cigarette# I a" now about
to begin this exercise! which I have been fortunate enough to $earn fro" +r#
Gurdjieff! and which wi$$ enab$e "e with the aid of conscious $abour! to coat higher
bodies in "yse$f fro" active e$e"ents in the air I breathe#
-irst of a$$! it is c$ear that this exercise constitutes on$y a part of the one we reviewed
before (the (co"pro"ise( exercise as Gurdjieff ca$$ed it# This part concerns awareness
of breathing and! in particu$ar! of part of the indrawn air being assi"i$ated and
f$owing to its (corresponding p$ace(# It is i"portant to note that these exercises had a
so"ewhat "odu$ar character in that "ore si"p$e exercises cou$d be co"bined to for"
"ore co"p$ex ones#
Though he does not use the sa"e words 0 sense! fee$ and constate 0 that we
encountered before! the intent is exact$y the sa"e9 *with a$$ three parts do*# 5e
e"phasises wish in this exercise! and speaks of *fee$ing! interest and attention*
instead of just attention#
)n i"portant word in this description is *i"agine*#
%f particu$ar interest is his co""ents on preparation and disposition# These inc$ude9
,# -ifteen "inutes re$axation *to break the te"po of ordinary $ife*
.# Taking a *corresponding posture* for the body to co0operate Aas we $earned this
fro" &ohn 'ennett! it was to sit with erect posture with the hands on the knees! in
ba$ance and not s$ouchedB
/# 5aving a c$ear "enta$ intent to do the exercise and rea$ise that it is for the
conscious (digestion( of the air that wi$$ "ake a *coating* for an inner body# AGurdjieff
a$so i"p$ies there shou$d be a fee$ing of gratitude towards hi"se$f for providing the
exerciseB#
In our essay on (Inner 8xercises( we spoke of the three stages of preparation!
concentration and rea$isation# 5ere we see preparation pointing to the engage"ent of
the who$e of onese$f in the act of concentration# In this instance! the preparation
inc$udes an inte$$ectua$ understanding of what the exercise is for# In our previous
co""ents we $eft this open as a 4uestion9 Is it necessary to know the (theory( behind
the exercise; Now we see that the answer to this 4uestion is (Yes(#
It is for the person doing the exercise to decide whether what is happening in
connection with his breathing is (just( her i"agination or whether this i"agination is
si"p$y the "eans of rea$ising what is taking p$ace (because of( i"agination# In his
teaching! &ohn 'ennett used to caution against using the concept of (just i"agination(
i"p$ying that i"agination was not necessari$y indu$ging in fiction but a rea$ action
that cou$d produce definite resu$ts in us#
The supposed resu$t of the exercise! however! is so"ething out of sight# )s far as we
know! no one supposes that it is possib$e to observe (coating( 0 which wou$d be
tanta"ount to observing the for"ation of one(s sou$# It is in the rea$" of being or
(what is( and cannot be seen as a process# In our ana$ysis in (Inner 8xercises( we
e4uated it with sa"adhi for the reason that no observation is possib$e# The di$e""a
then is that we have to take this resu$t on faith because there is no way in which we
can know it direct$y for ourse$ves! which contradicts the basic foundation of these
"ethods on verifying for onese$f#
&ohn 'ennett appeared to have c$ai"ed that he cou$d perceive such resu$ts# We
re"e"ber hi" once re"arking to a $ady that she now had her kesdjan body! which
was "uch to her surprise since she had no sense of it herse$f1
We shou$d e"phasise that the use of breathing advocated by Gurdjieff did not invo$ve
changing the breathing in any way# The breathing tends to change of itse$f and this
shou$d be a$$owed to happen in a natura$ and easy way# Gurdjieff was against a$tering
the natura$ te"po of breathing! instead e"phasising the supre"e i"portance of
awareness and attention as changing the very substance of the air itse$f in us#
In the next section! we $ook at other features of the exercises which have co"e down
to us over the years# We a$so take into account so"e of the "ateria$ to be found in
%uspensky(s book In Search of the +iracu$ous# Need$ess to say! atte"pting any of
these things at rando" is of $itt$e conse4uence#
'ennett6s Struggle in Paris
In the book written by his widow! 8$i6abeth! Idiots In 2aris! we can read of &ohn
'ennett(s strugg$e with a basic exercise apparent$y given hi" by Gurdjieff# Though
we cannot presu"e to know the who$e of this! he does provide an out$ine of what it
entai$ed# Eery si"p$y! he wou$d knee$ with ar"s out sideways! fixing his attention on
a fixed spot on the wa$$# The accu"u$ating sensation (even pain perhaps in his ar"s
wou$d estab$ish ()"( and the "enta$ focus wou$d provide (I(#
Gurdjieff see"ed to have been consistent$y concerned with (I )"( exercises# <eaders
of In Search of the +iracu$ous "ay re"e"ber his account of "onks in +ount )thos
who wou$d pronounce the word *I* whi$e noticing where it (sounded( in the" (see $oc#
cit# page /F?# -or so"e it wou$d be in the chest and others in the head 0 or even
above the head# 5e a$so "entions that they wou$d adopt a certain posture! such as
knee$ing with the ar"s $ifted and bent at the e$bows#
*The purpose of this exercise is to fee$ (I( every "o"ent a "an thinks of hi"se$f and
to bring (I( fro" one center to another#*
%ne of the reasons for discussing this exercise is that it "akes very c$ear that
Gurdjieff was not at a$$ concerned with what is now genera$$y ca$$ed ("editation(#
&ohn 'ennett a$ways "ade it c$ear that the exercises derived fro" Gurdjieff were
active! whi$e "editation was essentia$$y receptive: a distinction that is discussed in his
book The Sevenfo$d Work# We wou$d do the active exercises in the "orning and the
receptive ones at night#
If we were to atte"pt a sing$e si"p$istic for"u$a for the Gurdjieff exercises! it wou$d
be
To rea$ise (I )"( inc$uding the generation or accu"u$ation of energies enab$ing (I( to
()"(#
In doing an exercise! the person wou$d have to draw on the who$e of the"se$ves#
Thus! Gurdjieff wou$d speak of integrating the i"pu$ses of (I can! (I wish(! and (I a"(
as can0wish0a"# This was nothing but a direct app$ication of his teaching that "an
consists of four persona$ities# These are now on$y crude$y understood in ter"s of
body! fee$ings! "ind and (I(# 'ehind this "ode$ stands the "ode$ of the food factory!
and the i"p$ications ste""ing fro" correspondences such as9 body0food! fee$ings0air!
"ind0i"pressions#
Relaxing and !illing
-ro" the ear$y days in <ussia! Gurdjieff taught re$axation and sensing (see In Search
of the +iracu$ous pp# /@F0,# There he initiated the practice fo$$owed "ore or $ess
since of beginning re$axation starting fro" the "usc$es of the face# 5e a$so showed
how to (fee$( (i#e# sense in fact any part of the body at wi$$# The exercise in (circu$ar
sensation( shown around ,G,H beca"e 'ennett(s (Six 2oint 8xercise( used at
Sherborne "ore than fifty years $ater#
It is not docu"ented when Gurdjieff exp$icit$y introduced the practice of (fi$$ing(!
though it beca"e (The( exercise for "any after his death# In (fi$$ing( we bring sensation
energy into the body# Starting with the feet# Thus! re$axation goes fro" top to toe and
fi$$ing fro" toe to top# The head is the $ast thing to be fi$$ed with sensation#
The de$iberate sensing and "ove"ent of sensation is at first an astonishing thing# )s
far as we know! no one besides Gurdjieff has drawn attention to this as a funda"enta$
practice of vo$untary experience# It predates biofeedback by ha$f a century# It is a$so
intriguing! as %uspensky points out! that none of this to be found in yogic practice#
In teaching about re$axation and fi$$ing it was a$ways e"phasised that attention shou$d
never be drawn into the inner organs such as the heart! $iver! sp$een! etc# This advice is
echoed in e#g# autogenic therapy# The reason for it is that unski$$ed attention can a$ter
the te"po of functioning or other features of the organ# In genera$! Gurdjieff was
against any a$tering of diet! chewing! breathing! etc#
'ennett(s ar"s out sideways (a practice that certain$y ca"e fro" Gurdjieff wi$$
inevitab$y produce sensation1 It "ust be e"phasised over and over again that
Gurdjieff taught that we do not need to get beyond the physica$ because we are not in
it yet 0 and the first step is to attain the physica$1
Stillness
'esides keeping the body sti$$! there was a$so taught a way of having an inner sti$$ness
as we$$# This concerned two things# The first was the (ba$ancing of the three centers(
and the second was (non0e"anation(# The (a$$0three0centred0ba$anced0state( was as it
sounds! bringing the three centres into e4ua$ attention#
A)s an aside! we "ight refer to the Sa"khya syste" in which the pri"a$ nature or
prakriti consists of the three gunas in e4ua$ proportions# In this condition! nature no
$onger obstructs or hides the (witness(! the spirit or purusha# Sa"khya is the c$osest
e4uiva$ent of the Gurdjieff syste" in )sian teaching! as was pointed out by Sri
)nirvan in Di6e$$e <ey"ond(s book To Dive Within (readers shou$d atte"pt to find
the 7oo"be Springs 2ress edition since the current one is $acking so"e "ateria$#B
The non0e"anating state is a$$uded to in the exercise of the I""ovab$e 2oint
discussed in our previous essay# In this! we i"agine that our psyche is $ike a c$oud
surrounding the physica$ body through which (vibrations( co"e and go# In the non0
e"anating state this f$ow of vibrations is ca$"ed down and di"inished# ) "ore
"odern description wou$d be (contain"ent(# The state is re$axed but not distracted#
The two 0 (ba$anced( and (non0e"anating( 0 a"ount to the sa"e thing in practice (at
$east! we have found so
Conscious stealing
%ne of the "any things that Gurdjieff taught was that there were concentrations of
energy that inc$uded higher energies 0 we "ight a$so say now! that inc$uded
infor"ation# 5e even suggested that there were such concentrations on the sca$e of the
so$ar syste"! e"bodying (i"ages( of the higher princip$es# %n 8arth! he said that there
were concentrations of energy around p$aces associated with sacred individua$s# The
four usua$$y referred to were9 Dhasa (Saint Da"a! +ecca (+uha""ad! 'enares
('uddha and &erusa$e" (&esus# It was possib$e to (down$oad( we "ight say fro"
such concentrations into ourse$ves for our own work#
This was associated with the concept of (conscious stea$ing(! which postu$ated that we
cou$d just (take( so"ething if we cou$d rea$$y "ake use of it# 5ow we "ight contact
and draw into ourse$ves substance fro" such concentrations cannot easi$y be
described here# Suffice it to say that we have to visua$ise such concentrations and
connect with the" by "eans of a (thread(! whence we bring their substance into
$ocations in our bodies#
This $inking with concentrations of energy associated with p$aces extended to
de$iberate$y bringing higher energies into (non0sacred( p$aces such as Dondon# This we
did on$y once with &ohn 'ennett# It is "entioned here to e"phasise this side of the
exercises9 "aking connections with p$aces and energies outside of ourse$ves#
Sacred exercises
5ow the exercises deve$oped with &ohn 'ennett is $arge$y unknown# 5e introduced
"ateria$ fro" Sufi! 5indu and Taoist sources! though it is our contention that he
re"ained true to Gurdjieff(s "ethod# We speak of sacred exercises here because as he
deve$oped or taught the"! so"e of the exercises were re$igious in character# In (The
8ye of the Need$e( exercise! for exa"p$e! we were to rea$ise what it is of us that can
pass into the sacred rea$"#
We have no evidence whether Gurdjieff taught an exercise si"i$ar to (The +aster(# In
this as in so"e other exercises! the atte"pt is "ade to connect with the (<ea$ *I*(
e"p$oying "eans that treat this (I( as a sacred i"age# There are de"anding tasks of
visua$isation invo$ved#
Transmitting xercises
In the Third Series (Dife Is <ea$ Then! %n$y when (I )"( Gurdjieff exp$ains9
*# # # I was convinced of the i"possibi$ity of exact$y exp$aining and fu$$y for"u$ating
in words the various fine points of the procedures of any intentiona$ experiencings
and exercises for the purpose of se$f0perfection # # #knowing at the sa"e ti"e of the
existence a"ong our re"ote ancestors of a specia$ "ethod which was then ca$$ed the
(princip$e of i$$ustrative incu$cation( for the purpose of better taking in new
infor"ation! I therefore introduced this "ethod a$so in genera$ progra" # #*
I$$ustrative incu$cation "eans taking peop$e through the exercise whi$e doing it
onese$f! so that the person teaching the exercise is in actua$ contact with what happens
in it as he speaks# 'esides "aking the exp$anations "ore authentic! there "ay be a
bioche"ica$ factor# It see"s fro" recent research that the action of peptides in one
person can affect those in others who are near# The peptides are critica$ for the
interco""unication between the three "ain physica$ syste"s9 $i"bic0digestive:
respiratory0circu$atory and neura$0brain#
Si"i$ar$y! the instructor "ay be ab$e to tune in to his audience and adjust what he says
to suit their $eve$ of experience#
!inal Comments
We propose that there is a basic Gurdjieffian (I )"( exercise in which the subjective
(I and the objective (a" are fused# No one e$se has this basic exercise# <a"ana
+aharshi(s (Who a" I;( is not the sa"e thing#
To fuse I with )" we have to bring into p$ay the three rea$"s that are rough$y
indicated by thought! fee$ing and sensation# This bringing into p$ay a$so "ini"ises
distraction fro" "enta$ associations# The exercises are done whi$e sitting sti$$# We do
not know whether Gurdjieff taught the" to be done with eyes c$osed or open#
The exercises re4uire preparation and right disposition to begin! inc$uding so"e
background understanding of what they are for# The exercises are not concerned with
generating e"otiona$ experiences but with ("aking a substance(# This substance is
characterised so"ewhat as an (ab$eness(! such as in being ab$e to *do*#
The exercises are e"bedded in deep views of rea$ity! or psycho0cos"o$ogies# The
$atter ter" "eans an understanding of the wor$d that a$so "akes account of hu"an
experience and possibi$ities# Gurdjieff connects his exercises with active "entation#
This "ight "ean that it is possib$e to (do( the" whi$e (thinking( as $ong as there is
sensation as we$$#
They are a$so re$ated to so"e kind of practice (in $ife(# Gurdjieff see"s to advocate
(returning to onese$f( 0 $ike touching base again 0 in his we$$ known but obscure se$f0
re"e"bering (*to fee$ (I( when he thinks of hi"se$f*# ) typica$ experience of se$f0
re"e"bering is $ike a c$ean wave of energy sweeping through onese$f that it is
difficu$t to sustain without turning it into so"ething of $ess va$ue# There can a$so be a
sense of the body that is very new and different fro" usua$#
The exercises can beco"e very co"p$ex! but everything depends on being ab$e to
beco"e aware of energies or just (so"ething( 0 and to $ocate and direct the"#
Sensation! wish and attention are key# If anything! attention is the (2hi$osopher(s
Stone(! by which the enab$ing energies are generated#
"xtracts from a section on #$ttention# in %ohn &ennett#s boo' Deeper Man
*To be effective! the wi$$ needs an energy that is $ike itse$f# +an has been given such
an energy and with this he can set hi"se$f free#
*+any peop$e be$ieve this energy to be thought or consciousness: but it takes very
$itt$e to rea$i6e that so"ething deeper sti"u$ates thought and that consciousness does
not initiate anything# Neither thought nor consciousness are a true beginning# In every
act of wi$$ there is a beginning of so"ething new and the on$y thing that corresponds
to an act of wi$$ is creative energy# # # #
*)t the "o"ent of bringing attention to so"ething there is no effort: effort on$y
co"es in when we try to sustain our attention# # # #
*Work with attention enters into a$$ work on onese$f# It is the ground on which a great
dea$ is based# If we cannot te$$ the difference between vo$untary and invo$untary
attention! we are $iving in a drea" wor$d#* (pages /?0C
Gurdjieff on the possible transmutation of the physical body, from In Search of the
Miraculous
*The who$e of the physica$ body! a$$ its ce$$s! are! so to speak! per"eated by
e"anations of the "atter si ,.# )nd when they have beco"e sufficient$y saturated the
"atter si ,. begins to crysta$$ise# The crysta$$isation of this "atter constitutes the
for"ation of the (astra$ body(#
*The transition of "atter si ,. into e"anations and the gradua$ saturation of the who$e
organis" by it is what a$che"y ca$$s (trans"utation( or transfor"ation# It is just this
transfor"ation of the physica$ body into the astra$ that a$che"y ca$$ed the
transfor"ation of (coarse( into the (fine( or the transfor"ation of base "eta$s into
go$d#* (page .@C
Gurdjieff on attention! fee$ing and sensing! fro" Dife is <ea$ %n$y Then# When *I
)"*
* # # # it is indispensab$e first to $earn to divide one(s entire attention in three
approxi"ate$y e4ua$ parts! and to concentrate each separate part si"u$taneous$y for a
definite ti"e on three diverse inner or outer (objects(#
*-or the possibi$ity of a practica$ achieving of this ai"! in the sa"e "entioned
detai$ed progra" Aof G(s InstituteB were indicated a series of exercises under the na"e
(soi$ preparing(# # # #
*-irst! a$$ one(s attention "ust be divided approxi"ate$y into three e4ua$ parts: each of
these parts "ust be concentrated on one of the three fingers of the right or $eft hand!
for instance the forefinger! the third and the fourth! constating in one finger 0 the resu$t
proceeding in it of the organic process ca$$ed (sensing(! in another 0 the resu$t of the
process ca$$ed (fee$ing(! and with the third 0 "aking any rhyth"ica$ "ove"ent and at
the sa"e ti"e auto"atica$$y conducting with the f$owing of "enta$ association a
se4uentia$ or varied "anner of counting# # #
* # # you )"ericans # # # tota$$y $ack any understanding of the difference between two
entire$y distinct i"pu$ses of an average "an! na"e$y! between the i"pu$ses of
(fee$ing( and (sensing(#*
$fter connectin feelin !ith the solar plexus and sensin !ith the spine, he oes on
to ure his audience
*# # # to understand the sense and significance of this exercise Aexercise ? in a seriesB!
without expecting to obtain any concrete resu$ts#*
)nd he speaks of these exercises as *re4uired for the ac4uisition of one(s own
individua$ity*# (pages ,,.0@
(n the solar plexus
*# # # a "an who a$ready has his rea$ I! his wi$$ # # # pronounces a$oud or to hi"se$f the
words (I a"(! then there a$ways proceeds in hi"! in his! as it is ca$$ed! (so$ar p$exus(! a
so to say (reverberation(! that is! so"ething $ike a vibration! a fee$ing! or so"ething of
the sort# ## # # without this even if on$y i"agined experiencing of the reverberation! the
pronouncing a$oud or to onese$f of the words (I a"( wi$$ have no significance at a$$ # #*
(pages ,/?0@