Luba Gurdjieff Everitt’s Luba Gurdjieff: A Memoir with Recipes (1993, reprinted 1997 SLG Books), is not the most distinguished addition to the Gurdjieff library, but it is sui generis. There is little point in critiquing it, but there is one strange and haunting story.

The only date she offers is “five years ago,” which could be 1988 or any time before. She says: “… I was very sick in my chest. I was coughing. I couldn’t breathe. My husband, Arthur, was sitting with me. I said, “Go to bed, darling.” I was really sick. I couldn’t lie down, only sit. And suddenly I woke up and I saw my Uncle there. Standing there, with his hat on – his Astrakhan hat. He said, “Don’t worry, girl, you’ll be all right.” I said that I couldn’t breathe. He said, “Don’t worry, darling, you’ll be all right. Now get some sleep.” I went to sleep, and the next morning I felt ten times better. I said to Arthur [her husband], “I’m hungry.” I hadn’t eaten anything for a couple of days. I said, “I think I dreamed about my Uncle last night.” But it wasn’t a dream. He was there. He was there with his hat, standing by me. I jsut opened my eyes and he was there. After that, I got better and better and then I was all right.” (pp.33-34)

This is haunting: it took me a little time to realise it, but she is implying that Gurdjieff cured her. Who knows what really happened?

Luba goes on: “I know some people used to think he had some kind of magic powers. That makes me really angry. He was not a magician. I know he was a healer. I saw him do it, with his eyes. I remember a woman came one day. She was very ill, very weak. He just looked at her, just to calm her, I think. He had very powerful eyes – frightening.” (p.34)

Hardly a satisfactory account, but I assume she means the woman was cured. The book is badly put together, but this first story is worth pondering.