Gurdjieff Unveiled
Reviewed by Kenneth W. James Ph. D

Kenneth W. James Ph. D,

is a professor and Jungian psychoanalyst in private practice in Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A. A student of Gurdjieff since 1976, as well as of Jung, he teaches courses on connections between The Work and Analytical Psychology at the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago. A former mathematician and musician, he first became interested in Gurdjieff’s teachings through the writings of Ouspensky, and then Nicoll.

With Gurdjieff Unveiled, Seymour Ginsburg has provided an exceptionally useful text, fulfilling his commitment to the third line of work (work for the Work) and facilitating the first line of work (on oneself) for all his readers. The text is organized in six chapters (perhaps mirroring Beelzebub’s six descents to Earth), and includes four appendices. Gurdjieff Unveiled is based on Ginsburg’s earlier work, written with Nicholas Tereshchenko, and is designed as a modern introduction to the Gurdjieff work. According to Ginsburg, the book is directed toward “good householders,” those who have accepted the responsibilities that life has brought to them, but who crave a connection to a deeper stratum of meaning than is ordinarily available in day-to-day life.

The text is well-organized, each chapter providing an investigation into a particular facet of Gurdjieff’s teaching, as well as consciousness-exercises based on the chapter topic. The chapters follow a sequence that is itself revelatory of the way a seeker may become connected to Gurdjieff today. First, the question “Who am I?” presents itself (chapter one), and if asked sincerely, the questioner must acknowledge that the answer is really a precious mystery in spite of how often we speak of “I”. This acknowledgement leads to the admission that one’s awareness of self and other must be severely limited, and brings the desire to expand consciousness as much as possible (chapter two). To increase consciousness, it is necessary to produce, or rather transmute energy, through efforts to save it from being released unconsciously or mechanically. The goal and methods for transmutation of energy form the content of the book’s third chapter, which includes a treatment on inner alchemy as it relates to the sacred triamazikamno (law of three) and the sacred heptaparaparshinokh (law of seven). This chapter also examines the enneagram succinctly and admirably, from a distinctly Gurdjieffian perspective.

Once the reader becomes aware of the need to save energy in order to transmute it, the next task is to conserve this energy by becoming sensitive to “leaks” such as identification, expressing negative emotions, lying, unnecessary talking, internal considering, idle imagination, and daydreaming. This is the content of the fourth chapter. Chapter five continues this focus by introducing the practice of meditation, and provides ample instruction for carrying out a meditative practice that is in line with work teachings. Finally, the sixth chapter addresses the need for group work and suggests ways in which a group can be organized and conducted. Ginsburg’s long experience and expertise at group facilitation is clearly evident in this chapter, which is full of practical guidance.

Ginsburg includes four appendices in his text. The first addresses the question of Gurdjieff’s identity and nature. The second appendix, which could easily become a complete book in itself at some future time, examines the study of dreams and the significant question of whether dream work is truly a part of Gurdjieff’s teaching. Through a subtle and well-reasoned examination of the notions of “personality” and “essence”, as well as a consideration of the writings of Dr Maurice Nicoll and Margaret Anderson, Ginsburg concludes that work with dreams can be a valuable adjunct to the work. Ginsburg supports his conclusions through an examination of the principles of dream analysis given to him by his teacher Madhava Ashish, as well as through references to the teachings of Swiss psychoanalyst C.G. Jung, a mentor of Dr Nicoll.

Appendix three summarizes various exercises used by followers of Gurdjieff, and includes a valuable table summarizing the principal exercises outlined in Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson. This appendix also includes a table of psychological exercises taken from the Tales, and which, according to Ginsburg, is subject to continuing revision as the reader derives insights from repeated readings of the Tales and other writings of Gurdjieff. The fourth appendix provides a short summary of Tales, and gives recommendations for the often daunting task of approaching the text for the first time.

Gurdjieff Unveiled is true to the texts it references, but also includes Ginsburg’s own unique and energized perspective on the teachings. He is not reluctant to provide his own reflections on aspects of Gurdjieff’s thought, reflections based on decades of work experience. For example, it is refreshing to read Ginsburg’s assessment of the many forms of Gurdjieff’s teaching. He says, “Gurdjieff brought his teaching in various ways to appeal to various ‘types’ of people. He took the science of ‘types’ as a major part of his own work.” This emphasizes a valuable aspect of Gurdjieff’s teaching, so often misunderstood by casual investigators into the Fourth Way. The various strands of the teaching may seem like a chaotic mix, a hodge-podge, if approached as though the Gurdjieff work is a mathematics of human unfoldment. Rather, it is a multi-pronged methodology to awaken and de-mechanize a sleeping and mechanical humanity. Gurdjieff’s recognition of types resonates with Jung’s insistence that different types of human beings necessitate different approaches to the psyche. Ginsburg’s recognition of this typological sensitivity in Gurdjieff’s Work, and his reflection of the needs of different types of seekers through the various exercises he provides in each chapter, is an important aspect of this text.

In writing Gurdjieff Unveiled, Ginsburg has provided a text that speaks to the consciousness of the twenty-first century with respect to the Gurdjieff teachings, while remaining faithful to the essential elements of the tradition. An excellent introduction to Gurdjieff, it also serves the needs of seasoned students who always look for new insights into the profound teachings of Mr Gurdjieff, the enigmatic teacher of dances. Ginsburg’s book is required reading for anyone interested in the Work today.