`Author:` `Availability:` > [!info] > ## Summary ## Key Takeaways ## Quotes - ## Notes ### **[[George Gurdjieff|Gurdjieff]]’s Idea of "Sleep" – A Practical Explanation** Most people assume they’re fully awake, making conscious choices every day. But **Gurdjieff** argued that humans live in a state of **"waking sleep"**—mechanically reacting to life, unaware of their true selves. Here’s how to understand this **without abstract philosophy**, and how to spot the difference between *literal sleep* and *Gurdjieff’s "sleep."* --- ### **1. Literal Sleep vs. Gurdjieff’s "Sleep"** - **Literal Sleep:** You’re [[Unconscious]] in bed, dreaming. - **Gurdjieff’s "Sleep":** You’re physically awake but **mentally on autopilot**, with no real [[Awareness]]. **Example:** - You drive to work but don’t remember the trip. - You scroll on your phone mindlessly for an hour. - You react angrily to something trivial, then wonder why. This is **mechanical living**—doing things out of habit, not conscious choice. --- ### **2. Signs You’re "Asleep" (According to Gurdjieff)** You’re in **waking sleep** if you: ✔ **React, don’t choose** – Someone insults you, and you snap back without thinking. ✔ **Forget yourself** – You get lost in work, entertainment, or worry, forgetting you even *exist* as a conscious being. ✔ **Live in imagination** – You replay past regrets or fantasize about the future, but rarely notice the present. ✔ **Believe you’re awake** – The biggest illusion is thinking, *"I’m already aware!"* --- ### **3. How to "Wake Up" (Practical Steps)** Gurdjieff’s solution was **self-observation** and **self-remembering**. Here’s how to apply it: #### **A. Notice Your Mechanical Reactions** - When annoyed, pause and ask: *"Did I choose this anger, or did it just happen?"* - When distracted, ask: *"Where is my attention right now?"* #### **B. Practice "Self-Remembering"** - Set reminders to ask: *"Am I awake right now?"* (Do this while walking, eating, or working.) - Feel your body (hands, breath) to ground yourself in the present. #### **C. Break [[Habits]] Consciously** - [[Change]] small routines (e.g., brush teeth with the other hand) to disrupt autopilot. - When impulses arise (check phone, snack, complain), delay for 10 seconds. --- ### **4. Why This Matters** - Most conflicts, regrets, and wasted time come from **unconscious behavior**. - Waking up means **having real choices** instead of being a puppet of habits and [[Emotions]]. **Gurdjieff’s Warning:** *"If you don’t make efforts to wake up, your life will pass like a dream, and you’ll never truly live."* --- ### **Simple Exercise to Start Now** Next time you’re in a conversation, ask yourself: 1. *"Am I really listening, or just waiting to speak?"* 2. *"Is my reaction automatic, or did I choose it?"* This small moment of awareness is the first step out of sleep. --- ### Concept of Impressions George Gurdjieff’s concept of **impressions** is a central part of his philosophical and spiritual teachings. In his view, **impressions** are the raw data or stimuli that we constantly receive from the outside world — both through our senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, etc.) and our internal experiences (thoughts, emotions, and memories). #### **🧠 Impressions as “Food”:** For Gurdjieff, **impressions** were a kind of “food” for the human psyche. He argued that just as our physical bodies require food and water to survive, our inner being needs **impressions** in order to function. These impressions, much like food, nourish and sustain our inner life, which is not just a metaphorical idea but is directly tied to our **consciousness** and **psychological development**. When Gurdjieff says that we can’t live a second without impressions, he means that our **psychological apparatus** is in a constant state of receiving and processing information. Whether it is **sensory stimuli**, **thoughts**, or **emotions**, our minds are always active, interpreting and reacting to the world around us. **🧩 Impressions as More Than Thoughts:** While **thoughts** are certainly a significant category of impressions, Gurdjieff would not limit “impressions” to just mental activity. He made a clear distinction between **active thinking** (our reasoning mind) and **passive thinking** (which is the stream of automatic thoughts that flow without conscious control). The latter can be a form of food for the psyche, but it’s not the most nourishing or beneficial kind. Impressions include: • **Sensory input**: What you see, hear, taste, smell, and touch. • **Emotional responses**: How you react emotionally to situations or stimuli. • **Thoughts and ideas**: Both conscious thoughts and unconscious patterns. • **Memories**: Impressions from past experiences that we carry with us. **🍽️ Impressions and Psychological Growth:** Gurdjieff also emphasized that, much like physical food, **impressions** can be **either nourishing or toxic** to our psyche. **Automatic impressions**, like repetitive thoughts or reactive emotional patterns, are **not conducive to spiritual or psychological growth**. These impressions consume our energy without helping us develop. In contrast, **conscious impressions** — those that are actively perceived and processed with awareness — contribute to self-awareness and personal growth. For example, experiencing something deeply and with full attention (such as a piece of art, a moment of profound insight, or a meaningful relationship) can be a **high-quality impression** that contributes to spiritual nourishment. **🔄 The Role of “Food” in Self-Development:** According to Gurdjieff, human beings are largely on “auto-pilot,” driven by automatic impressions and reactions. In his teachings, **self-discipline** and **awareness** of these impressions are essential for breaking free from this autopilot mode. **Consciousness** can be expanded through controlling and selectively choosing the impressions we allow to “feed” us, moving us from mechanical to more **conscious functioning**. He also talked about the concept of **eating consciously**, which translates into being aware of the psychological food we consume. Just like with physical food, the **quality** of the **impressions** we “consume” influences the quality of our inner life. **Selective attention** — being conscious of the types of impressions we allow ourselves to receive and process — is part of the process of spiritual evolution in Gurdjieff’s system. **🌌 Impressions and the ‘Ray of Creation’:** For Gurdjieff, all these impressions — sensory, mental, emotional — also fit within his larger cosmology of the **Ray of Creation**. He believed that everything in the universe, including human beings, is influenced by a cosmic flow of energy, of which impressions are a vital component. The better we can manage our inner impressions, the more aligned we are with the **universal laws** he outlined, thus leading to a more evolved and conscious existence. **🧘‍♂️ In Conclusion:** To summarize, Gurdjieff’s **impressions** are not limited to thoughts; they encompass all forms of sensory, emotional, and mental experiences. Thoughts are a significant part of impressions, but the concept is broader. The idea that we cannot live a second without impressions highlights the constant activity of our minds and inner lives. Gurdjieff urged us to become more **aware** of these impressions and to **choose** them consciously, much like we choose the food we eat, in order to nourish our true **spiritual selves** and to grow beyond the automatic functioning of daily life. ![[In Search of The Miraculous.pdf]] `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:`