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The title of today's post, is the title of a book by P.D. Ouspensky written many many years ago - *(before your mother was born) - about his search for `esoteric' knowledge held by humans here on planet Earth. What he found was the supposed esoteric knowledge of G.I. Gurdjieff - who elaborated on many `truths' about mankind and his condition within the world and universe. Indeed, Ouspensky found his miracle which he described with just five words on page 261 that I will never forget:
`And then, the miracle began.'
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I'm going to get back to Ouspensky momentarily - but - the phrase `In Search Of The Miraculous' (ISOTM) certainly can be applied to the whole field of anomalous actualization's from UFOs to Bigfoot, Ghosts and beyond - perhaps. `Imagined' or not - when humans come across some `space' of what I call `the able to not be' - within them or around them - it may seem that the word `miracle' is the only word that is appropriate.
I think of Blossom Goodchild believing she was being told a `alien contact date'. I think of the exopolitics folks being convinced that a web bot was suggesting Nov. 27th, 2009 as a `alien contact date'. I think of Stanley Fulham and his `special contacts mentally' which brought to him a process of `alien contact dates'. And on and on and on.
I am of the belief the some events are miraculous - to the singular human observer/experiencer. Events that are embedded with the quality of `real' as humans think they experience it. But which, are events that simply `cannot continue' within our phenomenological structure upon the loss of a certain quality associated with their space actualization.
For Ouspensky, like Goodchild and probably like Stanley - `the other' `spoke' `within them'. An other that somehow one was able to objectively separate from our own internal space/body/actualization. Something, that when it happens, almost compels one to `report' about it.
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But, back to I-SO-TM, - today I was looking at the reviews of the book on Amazon (link later) and wanted to feature a few of them:
First, the Amazon Description:
Since its original publication in 1949, In Search of the Miraculous has been hailed as the most valuable and reliable documentation of G. I. Gurdjieff's thoughts and universal view. This historic and influential work is considered by many to be a primer of mystical thought as expressed through the Work, a combination of Eastern philosophies that had for centuries been passed on orally from teacher to student. Gurdjieff's goal, to introduce the Work to the West, attracted many students, among them Ouspensky, an established mathematician, journalist, and, with the publication of In Search of the Miraculous, an eloquent and persuasive proselyte.
Ouspensky describes Gurdjieff's teachings in fascinating and accessible detail, providing what has proven to be a stellar introduction to the universal view of both student and teacher. It goes without saying that In Search of the Miraculous has inspired great thinkers and writers of ensuing spiritual movements, including Marianne Williamson, the highly acclaimed author of A Return to Love and Illuminata. In a new and never-before-published foreword, Williamson shares the influence of Ouspensky's book and Gurdjieff's teachings on the New Thought movement and her own life, providing a contemporary look at an already timeless classic.
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First, an admission; I first became aware of O and G from the book called `The Fourth Way' - as potentially an `esoteric' book as you are ever likely to encounter, that led to reading many works by O and a couple more by G. These are books, as the Amazon description above said - inspire folks. Inspire folks to think that their brain can be organized in perhaps a different manner than what is normal accepted.
Indeed, these books inspired a `movement' (with devotees probably like those who ascribe to the coming Thrive Movement perhaps) of folks that EXIST TO THIS DAY - who get together in almost cult like groups to `practice' THE WORK. ----- Yes, the esoteric thought about ones mind for folks following O and G is called `The Work'.
I know, I went to a few `meetings'. Or. This one knows, this one went to a few meetings.
You see, you are forbidden to use the word `I' when attending one of these meetings and are `reminded' EVERY time one speaks in such a manner. And, it really, meaning `the work', IMO, is built upon building awareness via following certain guidelines (and understanding the reasons behind how they build awareness-consciousness). And, as one into the whole consciousness saga, I enjoyed nearly all of O's and G's readings I came across or could find.
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The book ISOTM has over 70 Amazon reviews and the average is nearly a FIVE - it's that good a read. Nonetheless, here's some reviewers words:
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.
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At the very end of his life, Ouspensky seemed to repudiate "the System", as he understood it, although glassy-eyed disciples in that time and this try to rationalize that fact away. Perhaps he realized that any systematic approach to developing our consciousness is impossible, since if we are on a road with a known destination that destination can only be our own projection of what we imagine it to be. No matter. The ability of this man Ouspensky to think systematically was indeed his great strength, and it lent all his writing a clarity and throughness simply unmatched in all of twentieth century "occultism". Nowhere did he need it more than in this reporting of the early teachings of Gurdjieff, when that particular unique idiot was at the zenith of his own development.
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discovered this amazing gem in a used book store and interestingly read it at the same time I read Kuhn's "Structure of Scientific Revolutions". I couldn't possibly heap too much praise on either of these books. Both are life-transforming for those of a scientific bent, and for others too. I opened Ouspensky at random and started reading about the distribution of knowledge among people. He cured me of untold anxiety concerning why so few people have a clue when he said that knowledge has power only to the extent it is concentrated in a few people, how the mass of humanity freely discards what little knowledge is allotted them, and particularly how at certain times humanity discards vast amounts of knowledge in favor of mass insanity.
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So, yes, I'm using the bully pulpit to push some `knowledge' at you. LOL. As I know that when UDCC did our focus on those who follow this blog - many have an esoteric bent. So, IF you are not familiar with O and G and you have been warned that the knowledge may make you join a cultlike train of thought - then you are approved to dig into any of the offerings below.
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Oh, thanks to the TWO people who picked up THEIR OWN 2012 UFO Calendars - YESTERDAY. Link at the top of the page.
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Begin Your Own Mind Trip Today
- The book about The Work
Find out what G did To O.
Another view of both of them.
A G book of interest.
G's most known work perhaps.
click books for more info. Here's the latest from an insider.
