Who was George Ivanovich Gurdjieff?
Q: Who was George Ivanovich Gurdjieff?
A: George Ivanovich Gurdjieff was an Armenian guru and writer who was influential in the spiritual teachings of the first half of the 20th century.
Q: What did Gurdjieff believe about most people?
A: Gurdjieff believed that most people live their entire lives in a state of hypnotic "waking sleep". He said that contemporary man is nothing more than merely a clockwork mechanism, though of a very complex construction.
Q: What did Gurdjieff develop to help people reach higher states of consciousness?
A: Gurdjieff developed a method for working towards a higher state of consciousness and achieving full human potential. He called this "The Work" or "The Method".
Q: How did his discipline differ from other spiritual practices?
A: His discipline differed from other spiritual practices such as fakir, monk or yogi, so it was originally called "The Fourth Way".
Q: Where did the teachings come from that he brought to the West?
A: The teachings that he brought to the West came from his own experiences and early travels. They were wisdom teachings relating to self-awareness in people's daily lives, and humanity's place in the universe.
Q: Did these teachings express truth found in ancient religions?
A: Yes, these teachings expressed truth found in ancient religions.
Q: What schools did he start and close around the world to teach his work?
A: At different times in his life, Gurdjieff started and closed various schools around the world to teach his work.
