Self-remembering

G. I. Gurdjieff at Mont St. Michel

We do not remember ourselves. We go through life, perform highly complex and responsible functions and we do not even know that we are there. We are not aware of our name, our physical body, our surroundings, or even what we are doing. It takes a long time of trying to remember yourself to truly see this, to be convinced of it. A shock from outside can make you momentarily remember yourself. The resolve to remember yourself can give you the impetus to remember yourself a few times during the day. Concerted work, as can take place in groups, can help you to remember yourself for longer periods, still only moments. Exercises can be given. Gradually, words, moods, situations become like talismans that can wake us up for an instant and perhaps we start to remember ourselves more frequently. But the vast majority of our lives just happen. We do not remember ourselves.

As a Man (Woman) we are entitled to remember ourselves. It is possible for us. It is our birthright. It is below our dignity to walk through life in sleep, stumbling into a continuous series of accidental happenings, one after the other. Surprised and outraged at the sudden rush of negativity from those around us. Where did that come from? From our sleep.

We can re-member ourselves. We need to begin to collect ourselves. Collect our disparate I’s and retain some permanent centre of gravity. It is possible to strive for the collected state. This is an inner state of stillness, sensation, presence: I know that I am here. We can know it and hold it despite the multitude of thoughts and confused work of instinct and emotion constantly passing through us. We can return to ‘I am’, to continue to re-centre our self. I am here. Emotion can become clean, love allowed to pass through us. I am. All is well and all manner of things will be well.

This requires regular, sustained practise, practise of exercises given in groups.

When we remember ourselves, time slows down, becomes elastic. Each second seems infinitely rich. We connect with the eternity of each moment. Chronos time is linear time as we usually perceive it, in sleep. Kairos time is eternity, the eternal moment as perceived in self-remembering. Ponder the cross, the ankh.

Self-remembering is an emotional state.
It can be stimulated and supported by group work. Alone we can do nothing.

We do not remember ourselves.

Initiation of the Priestess: Gurdjieff Movements, or sacred

dances are designed to awaken all three centres at once,

giving the participant a taste of a higher state of consciousness