Work for Next Meeting

Challenge

When a smell stirs a memory, pause. How does it feel? Recall what you can. Does it relate to the present? Turn your head and look back. Let the memory settle in.

Reading

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Newspeak

Reflections on the Challenge

When you notice you are about to do something that isn’t good for you, pinch yourself. How do you feel about the intended action? Try to understand what is behind the impulse.

• Experiences

  N had questioned what truly counted as “not good” for him. He focused on his tendency to indulge in things like croissants, especially around 4pm. Sometimes he pinched himself and resisted; other times he gave in. He had thought about what was behind the impulse. He sensed it was not just about sugar, but connected to a deeper longing, perhaps for love.

  T had noticed how much she relied on external pressures to act, especially in creative work. On one occasion, she had followed a familiar routine instead of her plan, then remembered the challenge and pinched herself. In reflection, she saw the action was less an impulse than a return to something habitual which, although a self-development practice, may not have been timely.

  L had realised his morning habit of reading the news was both depressing and uninformative. One day, about to open the paper online, he pinched himself and became aware of a deep unwillingness to read it, and that his motivation was partly nostalgia for a time when news felt more meaningful. Instead of reading the paper, he began moving away from mainstream sources and sought out alternative ways to stay informed.

• Responses

  C said that until hearing L speak, she hadn’t thought of herself as intentionally doing things that were bad for her. However, she realised that she did. She was addicted to consuming the news because she wanted to be informed, but after doing so she would feel depressesed.

  Responding to N, T said that routine could be reassuring, but might obscure the original impulse behind an action. She suggested consciously questioning whether a routine still served its purpose, or whether it was simply familiar.

Beelzebub’s Tales, Chapter 33

• Passage

  This definite sacred something would have remained for untold centuries in its pristine state among these three-brained beings who long ago ceased to have any reverence in their essence; but ... they committed that blasphemous deed whose result is now the cause of my becoming aware with all my being of my mistake—of just that mistake I made when I so confidently assured you that nothing whatever had reached the beings of the contemporary civilization from the beings of epochs long past ...

• Discussion

  L suggested the passage pointed to a form of historical betrayal, a loss of reverence for what earlier generations had preserved. N observed that Beelzebub spoke with strong moral judgement about the desecration of the tomb, describing it as a blasphemous act that caused him to realise his earlier mistake.

• Passage

  ... the common presence of the planetary body of every being and in general of any other ‘relatively independent’ great or small cosmic unit must consist of all the three localized sacred substance-forces of the holy Triamazikamno, namely, of the substance-forces of the Holy-Affirming, Holy-Denying, and Holy-Reconciling, and that it must be sustained by them all the time in a corresponding and balanced state; and if for some reason or other, there enters into any presence a superfluity of the vibrations of any one of these three sacred forces, then infallibly and unconditionally, the sacred Rascooarno must occur to it, that is the total destruction of its ordinary existence as such.

• Discussion

  L gave examples of how the Holy-Reconciling (Gurdjieff's "Third Force") might apply in daily life: one force acts, another resists, and the reconciling force mediates between them — not simply cancelling out the others, but introducing some give and take, doubt, or elements of reasoning.

  L said that this part of the reading had shifted from historical narrative to something with a more abstract meanng — the idea that without balance of the three forces described, destruction (Rascooarno) must follow.

Remember to Breathe

Reflections on the Challenge

Decide on an "essence-word", close to your heart, to work with until the next meeting. Thereafter, every day, when you see or hear your name, pause, hug yourself, and plan to do something that feels good to you.

• Experiences

  T had chosen “breathing” as her essence word. On one occasion, while sitting in stillness and about to begin a breathing practice, she heard her name called. She recalled the challenge, remained quiet, responded briefly, then hugged herself and decided she was already doing something that felt good, so she continued. Initially, she had thought the trigger was only hearing her name, but later realised it also included seeing it. Although she regularly saw her name on her phone or in emails, she did not remember the challenge at those moments. The one recorded instance took on special significance, as writing it down seemed to give it greater substance amid otherwise fleeting days.

  L had found it difficult to choose a word, eventually settling on “inviolate” rather than “inviolable,” as it implied the need for conscious effort to preserve something sacred. He related this to his artistic motto, “inspiration is inviolate.” In one instance, seeing his name in an email from a music technology colleague, he hugged himself, recalled his word, and planned a walk. On another occasion, seeing his name during a Zoom meeting, he again hugged himself and looked forward to composing.

• Responses

  Responding to T, N found it interesting that T had set aside time to do the challenge within a structured morning practice, incorporating it into prayer and breathing. He noted that this gave the experience a certain sanctity and intentional separation from everyday life. L remarked that breathing, when done with attention, is the second being-food — a concept in the Work.

Beelzebub’s Tales, Chapter 33

• Passage

  Do you remember, I already told you that I was in this Egypt for the first time during my fourth appearance on the surface of that planet of yours ...

  At my sixth descent, of all the numerous interesting constructions that had previously existed there scarcely anything existed any longer.

  They had all been destroyed, partly by the beings there themselves, thanks to what are called their ‘wars’ and ‘revolutions,’ and partly they came to be covered by sands.

  These sands were a consequence partly of those great winds I have already mentioned, and partly also of that planetary tremor which was afterwards called by the beings of this Egypt the ‘Alnepoosian earthquake.’ ...

• Discussion

  T considered whether Beelzebub’s repeated visits to Earth might allude to reincarnation. L responded that the periods described spanned thousands of years, possibly equating one of Beelzebub’s days to hundreds of ours. T drew attention to the planetary tremor, linking it to the Work idea of “shock,” and speculated that the image of sands and winds might symbolise the covering over of something essential. L agreed, noting that shocks and changes are intrinsic to the Work.

• Passage

  Now do you know, my boy, what has gradually arisen in me while I have been telling you all this about Egypt and of what all my being has now already become finally aware—namely, an unpardonable error I made in my tales concerning the three-brained beings breeding on the planet Earth.

  Do you remember that at one time I told you that not one of the achievements of the beings of past generations had ever reached beings of subsequent generations?

  Well it has become aware in me that I have made a mistake about this.

• Discussion

  T noted Beelzebub’s admission of fallibility, and remarked on how unusual and humanising this was. She found it striking that a figure of such stature would openly acknowledge an error.

An Essential Word

Reflections on the Challenge

When your direction is diverted by the spell of a voice that assumes it is right, splay your fingers, and remember your purpose.

• Experiences

  One morning, T had been drawn off course from her morning routine by an interview with Ernest Gellner, who was critiquing linguistic philosophy. Absorbed for hours, she eventually resumed her routine in the afternoon, remembered her purpose, and splayed her fingers.

  While on holiday in a forest resort, L had been urged to join a full day of group activities starting early the next morning. It was already late, and he hadn’t yet composed - a daily commitment. He splayed his fingers, remembered his purpose, and left the gathering to compose. Throughout the trip, emails also tried to pull his attention away, but he continued to use the gesture to refocus on his work.

• Responses

  T reflected on L’s story, observing how he had stayed in the same place and time as the group but chosen not to follow their momentum. She saw this as a quiet act of remaining with his purpose, even while others were calling the tune — a stance that many artists would recognise.

Beelzebub’s Tales, Chapter 33

• Passage

  ... among the three-brained beings breeding on this part of the surface of this planet of yours there was developed at that period more strongly than usual two forms of their most pernicious what are called ‘organic habits,’ which also had become proper to be acquired in the presences of the beings of that ill-fated planet.

  “One of these pernicious organic habits was what is called there the ‘smoking of opium,’ and the other was the ‘chewing of anasha,’ or, as it is otherwise named, ‘hashish.’

• Discussion

  L remarked on the word "breeding", noting how it referred to humans as one might describe animals. N added that ants, or insects, might thus be described.

• Passage

  From the use of the said vodka, not only does the psyche of the ill-fated three-brained beings there become, just as from ‘opium’ and ‘anasha’ also, utterly ‘nonsensical’ but in addition certain important parts of their planetary body also gradually completely degenerate.

  ... Well then, while I existed as a physician there among the beings breeding in the towns of Turkestan, I had to work so hard, especially towards the end, that certain functions of my planetary body began to get out of order, and I began to consider therefore how to manage to have the possibility at least for a certain time of doing nothing but only rest..

  “I could of course return to my home on the planet Mars for this purpose, but then there arose before me my personal-individual ‘being-Dimtzoneero,’ that is, my being-duty towards what is called the ‘essence-word’ I had given to myself.



• Discussion

  T said that as a physician, Beelzebub would have witnessed firsthand the damaging effects of vodka, such as cirrhosis of the liver. N said that working with addiction in any form is demanding, especially when people relapse, and that most people struggle with some kind of craving or dependence.

  T said that addiction diverted people from a direct experience of themselves and the world, offering instead a distorted or substituted reality.

  T said that although Beelzebub had previously adapted his hypnotic methods to be less exhausting, his continued work with degraded beings had left him physically depleted.

  L said that Beelzebub had been tempted to return to Mars for rest, but resisted this diversion out of a sense of duty to the self-given essence-word, showing how he remained faithful to his inner aim despite exhaustion.

  

  דבר (Davar): Hebrew for 'word', also meaning 'essence' or 'thing'

A Dog's Dinner

Reflections on the Challenge

When you hear a dramatic political statement, notice the polarised reactions, and to what extent they are hypnotic. Observe your own emotional response without judgement. Raise a leg. As awareness returns, look out for synchronicities.

• Experiences

  L recalled hearing a political statement by Richard Tice after the local elections, in which Tice pledged that his party would do everything possible to sabotage the green agenda. L had noticed the attitude behind this and found it identical to that of Tice’s opponents who had previously tried to frustrate Brexit. Although he had sympathised with Tice, he had seen both sides as hypnotised. He had performed the leg-raising exercise twice and noted that his emotional reaction had been neutral, expecting people to diverge from their stated intentions.

The Sacred and the Profane

Reflections on the Challenge

When you notice a media statement that feels as if it distorts reality, purse your lips and formulate an alternative statement about the same issue - whether contrasting or subtly different - which feels better to you.

• Experiences

  After reading a promotional article by the company building smart motorways, T had pursed her lips, recognising the claim of improved safety contrasted with fatal accidents caused by the removal of hard shoulders. She had noted the reliance on 'refuges', which offered no help if breakdowns occurred between them. She had also reacted similarly to Rachel Reeves' spring statement, which had portrayed the financial state as sound. However, she had observed that it failed to acknowledge widespread business failures, and redundancies due to people being more expensive to hire.

  L had responded to a news report about a car ramming incident in Germany. The media had described the perpetrator as someone known to police with mental health issues. L had pursed his lips and reframed it. It had later emerged that the driver was a far-right German. No further details had been released since. L had also awoken one night from a dream with a law in mind, that all human actions must inevitably diverge from their intention. He had seen this as related to the challenge, suggesting distortion was not necessarily deliberate. Later, he had responded to a government statement about restoring democratic NHS oversight by reframing it as a move to centralise control under direct government authority.

• Responses

  Responding to T, L said that the original motorway design had a clear mission — including a hard shoulder and other safety features — which had been compromised. N highlighted the danger caused by the new design, while T added that the changes had likely been driven by the political need to show progress, even at the cost of safety.

  N reflected on the law L had mentioned, suggesting that such divergence is common in life. T noted how easy it is to lose momentum on the monthly challenge — strong intentions often fizzle within days. L agreed, saying that even if one begins awake, there is always a drift once attention weakens. N linked this to Gurdjieff himself, who had to abandon his original plans in Russia but found ways to realise them elsewhere through extraordinary effort.

Beelzebub’s Tales, Chapters 32 - 33

• Passage

  Most recently, by the way, when I was on this ill-fated planet a new maleficent means began to flourish there for doing the same with the psyche of the beings there, as there did and still does this branch of their science hypnotism.

  And this new maleficent means they call ‘psychoanalysis.’

  You must without fail also know that when beings of the period of the Tikliamishian civilization constated for the first time about this particular psychic property of theirs, ... then the process itself of bringing someone into this state began to be regarded by them as a sacred process and was performed only in their temples before the congregation.

  But in the presences of your contemporary favorites ... not only do they not consider its concentrated manifestation, intentionally yet unavoidably evoked by them, as ‘sacred’; but they have already adapted it, the process itself and the accidentally obtained results, for serving them as a means for ‘tickling’ certain consequences of the properties of the organ Kundabuffer firmly fixed in them.

• Discussion

  T was struck by the use of the word tickle, both in the passage and in the name of the ancient Tikliamishian civilization. She wondered whether the similarity might be intentional — a kind of linguistic clue. L agreed it felt suggestive.

  N picked up on Beelzebub’s framing of psychoanalysis as a modern offshoot of hypnotism. He noted that early figures like Charcot and Freud had indeed used hypnosis before moving to the more familiar image of the analyst listening invisibly behind the couch — a structure which L linked to the Catholic tradition of confession.

• Passage

  For bringing them into this state, I had at first recourse to the same means by which the beings of the period of the Tikliamishian civilization brought each other into this state, namely, by acting upon them with my own Hanbledzoïn.

  But when later there often began to arise in my common presence the being-impulse called ‘love-of-kind’, and, apart from my personal aims, I had to produce this said state in very many three-brained beings there for their personal benefit, and as this means proved very harmful for my being-existence, I invented another means, thanks to which I obtained the same effect without the expenditure of my own Hanbledzoïn.

• Discussion

  N observed that the passage describes two forms of hypnosis: one that was energetically costly to Beelzebub, and a second that achieved the same effect without that cost. L suggested that Beelzebub may have been helping people with little motivation — those seeking change “cheaply” — and that this might have been ethically problematic, especially since it was draining to him.

  T pointed to the mention of the being-impulse of love-of-kind, and suggested that Beelzebub could not have continued the work without that impulse arising. N agreed, saying it seemed he was doing it for humanitarian reasons, and that this made the energetic cost more serious.

  T related this to the demands on therapists, especially in the NHS, where support and supervision are often lacking. She noted that without support, therapists can burn out. N added that the same applied more broadly: many people don’t recognise how much energy they use in everyday work and creative life, and don’t take steps to replenish it.

The Shining

Reflections on the Challenge

When you notice something shiny, snap your fingers and pause. Ask yourself, ‘Am I following my personal path or external demands?’ Allow yourself to smile.

• Experiences

  L had not taken notes this time but often noticed light reflections - on leaves or car bonnets - which reminded him of the challenge. Snapping his fingers, he questioned whether he was following his own path or external demands. He found that, more often than not, he was engaged in his own pursuits, particularly composing or work related to Gurdjieff. Occasionally, obligations to others arose, such as community projects or invitations, which sometimes carried a sense of duty rather than personal alignment.

  T had managed the challenge several times but felt something was missing. On one occasion, she fully engaged with it and recorded her experience. Walking down a sunlit, rain-wet path, she questioned whether she was following her own path or someone else’s. She realised that everything around her - the pavement, buildings, fences, and even planted trees - was the work of others. Even her own existence had been shaped by others’ choices and influences. The only thing truly hers was her daily walk, which she resolved to continue regardless of the weather. Smiling did not come naturally to her.

  N had engaged with the challenge several times, using the finger snap as a reminder. The question of whether he was following his own path or someone else’s had surfaced repeatedly throughout the month. He reflected on the idea of disruption, seeing Gurdjieff as a disruptive yet healthy force. A lecture on disruptors in marketing reinforced his awareness of how people are conditioned to follow external paths rather than their own. This led him to consider how his life might differ if he fully followed his own path, allowing his essence to flourish rather than conforming to external expectations. Moments of sunlight and encounters with people whose smiles radiated naturally served as triggers for these reflections. He also pondered how, in youth, people often have ideals they rarely realise in adulthood.

  J had engaged with the challenge only once, upon noticing a shiny locker coin at the swimming baths. Remembering the instruction to smile, he struggled with the act itself, questioning whether it should be spontaneous or performed. He realised that, as a child, a shiny object might have brought him joy, but as an adult, the smile felt artificial. Instead, he reflected on the reasoning behind the challenge and thought of L, which prompted a genuine smile. He recognised that his response had been influenced by the instruction itself rather than an intrinsic reaction, leading him to consider how often people follow external directions rather than their own thinking.

• Responses

  L noted that the challenge did not specify smiling but rather allowing it, which could be difficult - smiling usually arose naturally from amusement rather than conscious effort. J responded that he only found it difficult to allow himself to smile in diplomatic situations where reactions must be managed. Otherwise, he saw smiling as either a natural response or a deliberate form of communication. T pointed out the paradox of the challenge: it was about following one’s own path, yet it instructed participants to do something unnatural—smiling on cue. Since they had chosen to take part, the challenge became part of their path, but the act of smiling still felt externally imposed.

Beelzebub’s Tales, Chapter 32

• Passage

  ...they then soon became categorically convinced, firstly, that in almost any one of the three-brained beings without distinction of sex who gazes for a long time at shining and brilliant objects of a certain kind, there begins to proceed a state ... and secondly, they noticed further that the form of manifestation of the subject during the state varies and is found to be dependent on the former being-experiences which chanced to be predominant and on the shining objects with which a connection was accidentally established during such experiences of theirs.

  ... these latter also began wiseacring about it, and finally when by chance, as it usually happens among them, they learned that it is possible in beings similar to them when in this state, to change in an accelerated way the impressions formerly fixed in them to new ones, then certain of them began to use this particular psychic property inherent in them for the purpose of curing.

• Discussion

  N spoke of susceptibility to hypnotism - some people were more easily influenced or persuaded than others.

  T pointed out that this described the replacement of impressions, suggesting that people might seek to free themselves from the influence of past experiences.

• Passage

  Thanks merely to this branch of their science, there was acquired in the psyche of the ordinary beings of this ill-fated planet several still new forms of what are called ‘being-Kalkali,’ that is, ‘essential strivings’ which became cast into forms of definite ‘teachings’ existing there under the names of ‘Anoklinism,’ ‘Darwinism,’ ‘anthroposophism,’ ‘theosophism,’ and many others under names also ending with ‘ism,’ thanks to which even those two data of their presences, which still helped them to be at least a little as it is becoming to three-centered beings to be, finally disappeared in them.

• Discussion

  N observed that Darwinism can take on a dogmatic character, pointing out that figures like Richard Dawkins defend it as rigidly as religious fundamentalists defend their beliefs. T noted that theosophy (Blavatsky) and anthroposophy (Steiner) have also solidified into fixed doctrines, reflecting the process described in the extract.