In Search of the Miraculous

a reply to: Willtell

oooo...

John G. Bennett was a British scientist, mathematician, and philosopher who integrated scientific research with studies of Asiatic languages and religions. Born on June 8, 1897, Bennett travelled widely and worked with many spiritual leaders. While in Constantinople in 1921—during the aftermath of the Great War and the Russian Revolution—he met both G. I. Gurdjieff and P. D. Ouspensky. These meetings shaped the direction of his spiritual development and in the summer of 1923, he spent three months at Gurdjieff's Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man in France. In spite of the shortness of his stay, Bennett was shown things that convinced him that man is capable of spiritual transformation and that Gurdjieff had profound knowledge and understanding of the techniques by which this could be achieved. Soon thereafter, Bennett returned to England and worked with Ouspensky's groups for the next fifteen years. Then, in the summer of 1949, he spent a month working very intensively with Gurdjieff in Paris, and this experience laid the foundation for a significant transformation in his life. J. G. Bennett died on December 13, 1974, leaving a legacy of selfless giving and unrelenting inquiry into the mystery and meaning of existence.

Time to flesh this ideal out....That will definitely help. Thank you very much.

originally posted by: Admitted

originally posted by: ClovenSky
a reply to: Admitted

Have you been studying this path long? Can results be achieved through reading and trying to understand the written material or is a teacher definitely needed to progress?

Have you been able to enter the state of awareness as described by Ouspensky towards the end of the literature?

Have you discovered any other writing or philosophical methods that are similar to this teaching?

I discovered this teaching about 20 years ago when I was 19 years old. I actively practiced (with guidance) through much of my 20's before life and family became too much and kind of "took over". It's never left me though and has had a definite effect on my life. I hope to return.

The state of awareness described by Ouspensky is the result of a long and dedicated work. This state can be achieved by anyone temporarily (often accidentally). My experience with it is just that; fleeting and accidental. To be able to bring it about by oneself and at will is a great challenge. There are methods of cultivating this awareness, smaller/doable steps to get started.

I have not come across anything similar to this teaching. Similarities can be found in various religious practices, however. Try and compare the way of fakir, monk and yogi to the father, son and holy ghost, for example.

In my experience solely studying the literature and practicing on one's own just leads to a lot of questions. I hit a wall doing this and it created a hunger that led to me seeking out a group. It's impossible to break yourself out of your own prison.

Did nobody spot the hidden gem in there?

It was not brought it up again, so perhaps it was not noticed?

Anyone?

a reply to: ClovenSky

This video has a really cool discussion how experiments in quantum mechanics have been show to peculate up change at the macro level. The video also goes on to speculate the IT that decides which quantum state gets realized has an order or purpose.



Dogmatic materialist dismiss the content of this video with the wave of a hand and sour face expression. But if you can suspend your dogmatic beliefs for a while and just accept the evidence presented by the experiments presented in the video you have to at least admit we do not have hard determinism implied by materialism and the possibility of idealism best fits the evidence even if you do not agree with the idealistic interpretation of the data presented by the author of the video.

a reply to: Admitted

This may help you get out of your prison. It sounds like Ouspensky was simply talking about non-duality states of being. Here's a really good video on the subject. But it starts out a little slow and becomes more interesting as it progresses:



A state of non-duality is not so dramatic as people make it.

originally posted by: Peeple
a reply to: ClovenSky

Interesting

wiki
But I'm not sure if I like a philosophy that promotes a "flat line" experience of life?

Wow, there are so many similarities between these viewpoints and modern understanding of universal physics.

I wonder which was developed first, and if this is just coincidence.
active, passive, neutral
electron, proton, neutron

Law of Seven sounds like a tip toe around the idea of entropy or probability on an infinite scale.

originally posted by: dfnj2015
a reply to: Admitted

This may help you get out of your prison. It sounds like Ouspensky was simply talking about non-duality states of being. Here's a really good video on the subject. But it starts out a little slow and becomes more interesting as it progresses:

A state of non-duality is not so dramatic as people make it.

Before I watch this, does this address the duality of light waves/photons?

If it means a spiritual duality, I don't want to waste my time.

a reply to: ClovenSky

I have read 'In Search of the Miraculous' as well as some Gurdjieff. By far the easiest entry into this is Mouravieff, a three volume work that is plainly spoken. The only criticism I have seen is his claim of 'polar opposites' akin to twin flames.

He was a friend of Ouspensky and begged him to write plainly. When he didn't Mouravieff did.

The first section of each book concerns politics, the 2nd, harmonics (which was a struggle), the 3rd is the main precept of Gurdjieff's work, life.

I need to go back and reread both Ouspensky and Gurdjieff. Glad you brought this up.

a reply to: Admitted

What if you go through all of the ways of the yogi etc make it to the top back to the origional LOGO's and find out that this is a simply the creation of a family who are as dysfunctional as any other happy family making their way in a creation that honestly nobody has a clue as to what it's all about. At one stage it was all about the Chaos, organised Chaos but chaos nonetheless than it was about Light, the bloody Light what a headache thats being after Light No idea your guess is as good as anyones, all folk know is that it has something to do with a family who need to sort out their differences and the problems/divisions that Light caused. If folk have learned anything is that you should enjoy the life and skin that you are in. Your a human enjoy the experience of it and don't worry to much. You think you have problems nothing compared to what this family have. We will all return home at some point whats the rush!
Etta James would rather go blind a great version of a brilliant song
www.youtube.com...

a reply to: ClovenSky

The fourth way is that of the sly or cunning man. He forms a group of like minded individuals who endeavour to keep each other awake.

I always found 'A New Model of the Universe' more entertaining than 'In Search of the Miraculous'. I only ever found one thing useful in Gurdieff's teachings, that is...'Developing the second attention'. Or to put it more simply, self observation.

When Gurdjieff was in hospital the group quickly fell apart with internal squabbles showing how useless and ineffective his methods were.

I can also recall that when he moved to Paris it became all about the money.

a reply to: midicon


We come from a distant past that we've forgotten
And now we look up and aspire to the stars
We are the mystery that even we can't desipher
The mystery of man

The story is told in stone and broken arrows
In traces of cities unknown lost in sand
In colours and castle walls silent and unseen statues
The mystery of man

The wind stirs in the trees likes voices in dreams
And then just when it seems we know what it means
Simply its gone

The miracle is the mind asking the questions
Seeking to find it'self if it can
Only to see it'self endlessly echoed in mirrors
The mystery of man

www.youtube.com...

a reply to: DpatC

Love the lyrics...not so much the music lol...

a reply to: Archivalist

It is not about any type of duality.... it is about non duality.

a reply to: dfnj2015

Hey dfnj, thanks for stopping by. The first video you offered was kind of interesting, but either it is completely over my head, past my intellect or I feel it is heading in the wrong direction. Idealism, materialism or quantum physics, who cares? They strive to find out whether material is a wave or a particle, maybe both. Does matter change simply by observation or is matter not even there until it is observed. My question is, what is the impact from multiple observations and how would that vary from a single observation. If they are going away from idealism in support of matter only existing or being influenced by observation, what happens when multiple observations occur at the same time? Like I said, it is probably over my head. It just doesn't feel right for some reason.

Now that second video ... awesome. Joan Tollifson. I actually thought her way of being and speech was beautiful. I loved what she had to say on death. Now to me, those are the right questions and ponderance. She does simplify the entire concept pretty well imo. I just think or maybe I corrupt myself into believing it is a start or a base from which to build, but there is a lot more to this. I kind of want the road to be long and consuming. I am not sure why.

a reply to: ClovenSky

You may want to check out Toni Packer as she was Joan Tollifsons teacher and also J Kristnamurti as Toni learned much from him.
There is an insightful vid on you tube where Joan interviews Toni...... I feel you will enjoy it.

a reply to: ClovenSky

Are you aware?

a reply to: liveandlearn


www.gnosisinarabic.com...

Wow, the author certainly loves religion, favoring one of the branches of abraham. It almost appears they are trying to marry Gs work directly to religion.

I guess if the point of self discovery is pain and negative emotions, this literature has given me a great wealth to contemplate my own failures of remaining objective.

weird.

a reply to: Itisnowagain

Not even close. I encountered a genband technician once at work that was from california, helping us with a rollout. I felt pity that he didn't have/know anyone in our town so I took him out to dinner once a week. He was the first one that was able to bring about a glimpse of 'something'. Maybe it was being awake. I had such a rush of energy and excitement, my nose, hands and extremities were tingling. I mentioned this to him at the time and he just smiled. I will always remember that smile and I seek to discover what was behind it. But the weird thing is, our conversations were all over the place, a little spiritual (a lot compared to the people I encounter in this town) but just general for the most part.

I think I got a taste and now I want more. I also get a taste once in a while from others when I believe there is something there past the physical. I get a taste now and then from ATS. From good conversations that sometimes appear to create an energy link and a euphoric condition. Sucks trying to get to sleep at night sometimes, but that is what intoxication is for, a simple release.

I am probably just an addict/junkie chasing the dragon. But out of all the intoxicants I have encountered, this one is the master.

a reply to: ClovenSky

You are aware but you believe you are something...... and that's all it is..... just a case of misidentification.
What does thought or language say you are?

a reply to: Itisnowagain

Maybe it would be easier to go down that thought path and reduce this search to that simplicity.

You know what I think or suspect? That consciousness is spirit, completely independent from the material. Or maybe the spirit is also a form of the material but not very well understood. It is something that lives beyond and is enduring. Maybe being awake is simply recognizing and listening to the spirit. Essence vs Nature.

There is an energy there. Energy that is not recognized by mainstream science. With my view of mainstream science, when they ignore something so hard, I start paying attention. When they have to create so many theories that aren't based in reality, I start paying attention. When they try and hide something or dismiss it, it starts to outline what they are terrified of.

Maybe it is all in my head, but I firmly believe in a form of energy that is our soul. We can create spiritual contacts with each other that has nothing to do with the physical. Maybe that is why we crave intimate contact so much, it gives our subconscious a taste of that energy. But with the material desires of procreation, it is hidden well.

I also believe there are other forms of energy out there that are also undetectable by modern methods. I believe that our sun runs off a energy stream that we haven't been able to detect yet. Maybe that invisible energy stream also feeds the earth to a certain extent. Could humans also feed off of that energy steam?

It is all a gut feeling. Allowing myself to explore what feels right and trying to discover why certain hostilities to other ideals is a form of self discovery imo.

originally posted by: ClovenSky
a reply to: Itisnowagain

Maybe it would be easier to go down that thought path and reduce this search to that simplicity.

It is not about a thought path.... thought will not tell you what you essentially are.
Thought is an appearance.... what does thought appear and disappear on/in?
Without That no apparent thing can appear.
It is overlooked entirely.
I asked if you were aware and you denied it!