At 1:00pm on Wednesday 8 July, I am speaking on the topic of Gurdjieff and his mysticism at the Blavatsky Lodge of the Theosophical Society in Australia. The address is suite 8/599 Pacific Highway, St Leonards; but the entrance is from Albany Street,

The talk is expected to last about 45 minutes and have ten minutes or so for questions.

I am planning to give a brief introduction to Gurdjieff’s life, ideas, and practical methods; then hone in on the question of mysticism, and Gurdjieff’s contribution to what I prefer to call “theosophy” with a small “t”, although others prefer the term “mystic theology.” Then, I intend to say something specific about his contemplative exercises, and to introduce the sort of relaxation techniques he brought in conjunction with them, only “relaxation” should be understood as the opening of passages in the physical and astral bodies which might otherwise remain closed, and the economy of corporal energies so that spiritual energies can be better used.

I might make a few comments after that, and then there is time for questions.