Self-Remembering: 3. The Structure of the Mind

“…If you remain at the level of the sensual mind you will not be able to develop the Third State of Consciousness because when you try to remember yourself, you will think of your body as being yourself. The literal sensual person regards his visible body only as real. What he cannot see and touch cannot be real. There is no evidence, he will say. So, believing himself to be his body, when he attempts to remember himself he will, knowingly or unknowingly, remember his body. This keeps him on the level of the sensual mind in the external divisions of centres.”

— Nicoll, COM p. 1715 

INNER, MIDDLE & OUTER DIVISIONS OF CENTERS

“God made sense turn outward, man therefore looks outward, not into himself. Now and again a daring soul, desiring immortality, has looked back and found himself.”

— The Katha Upanishad, Yeats tr.

"The first and highest kind of being-Reason is the pure or Objective Reason proper only to the presence of the highest being-body or to the common presence of those three-brained beings in whom this highest part has already arisen and perfected itself, and then only if it has become the 'initiating center of gravity' of the individual functioning of the whole presence of the being. "The second kind of being-Reason, which is named 'okiartaitokhsa,' can appear in the presence of those three-brained beings in whom the second being-body, or kesdjan body, is already completely coated and functions inde pendently. "As regards the third kind of being-Reason, this is nothing but the automatic functioning proceeding in the common presence of all beings in general and also in the presences of all surplanetary formations, thanks to repeated shocks coming from outside, which evoke habitual reactions from data crystallized in them corresponding to previous accidentally perceived impressions.”

— Gurdjieff, Beelzebub’s Tales The Planet Purgatory 

Our Intellectual and Emotional Centers both have three parts: an outer, middle, and inner part. In our daily lives, however, we mostly use only the outer part of the Intellectual and Emotional Centers. 

Intellectually, we primarily use what is known as the Formatory Center; that outer part of our mind that thinks in a material and habitual way. This is the mind that we use for socializing and carrying out our daily tasks, for interacting with the world. It is the outermost part of our mind, and thus not suitable for deep thinking, pondering on aspects of the Work, or making important decisions. It’s also not the best part of our mind to use for Self-Remembering.

The above figure is called “The Food Transformation Chart”, and is found in Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous. It is a representation of the human body, divided into three levels: head, chest, and abdomen. We won’t talk about Food Transformation for now, but just discuss the structure of the mind. We’ll start by looking at the three circles in red, within the top section (representing the human head). These circles designate energies that work with the outer, middle, and inner parts of the Mind, allowing it to  function. “Sol 48” on the right, works with our outer or Formatory Mind. “Mi 48” works with the middle or emotional part of our Mind (or what we usually label the “Mind”). And “Do 48” on the left energizes our inner mind, or Intellect.

In Chapter 9 of In Search, Gurdjieff indicates that it is at the point of Do 48, the point of our Inner Mind, that we need to give an “artificial shock”, through Self-Remembering. It is not a shock generally done through Remembering the body, therefore, but through accessing the innermost part of our Mind, the “Intellect” — which works with Do 48. It is a shock that takes place at the “inner division” of the Intellectual Center, as Nicoll says in the above quote.

There is a slight difficulty with Remembering Ourselves at the Intellect, at the point of Do 48. And that is that the  familiar world outside us, that we interact with, is outside of our senses, and thus external to our “formatory mind”, or that which uses the energy Sol 48. We aren’t used to turning inwards with our minds to the level of the Intellect, operating with the energy Do 48. We can easily see what’s around us — the world and our bodies, but we can’t as easily see what’s within us — in our own minds. So finding that place within us where Do 48 operates is very tricky.

One caveat, however. As the Buddhists say, all things are connected; especially in regards to our minds. So every attempt at Self-Remembering eventually connects with our innermost minds. Every attempt counts, whether it be our Remembering our bodies, or various parts of our minds, or even various parts of our bodies. They all eventually connect with our Intellect, and therefore count as Self-Remembering. It’s just that the effects on our inner psyche won’t be as powerful in Remembering with the more external, material parts of Ourselves.

But if we try to reach that inner part of our mind directly to Self-Remember, the payoffs will be many and great, in both the near term and the far-off future. The long-term practice of looking inward to one’s Mind to Remember Oneself actually serves to organize the internal structure of one’s Mind. Whereas, a more external method of Self-Remembering leaves one’s own Mind untouched and unorganized — an unknown quantity.

THE “ MIND”

“The mind, buddhi, chitt, and ahamkāra are produced from the combined sattva particles of the subtle elements.  

The Inner organ (antahkarana) is called the…

Mind (manas) - when it considers the pros and cons of a subject.  

Intellect (buddhi) - when it comes to a decision.  

Consciousness or Mind-Stuff (chitta) - as it remembers something.

Egoity (ahamkāra) - if it’s characterized by I-consciousness”.

— Katha Upanishad, Swami Nikhilananda, ed.

In our ordinary daily life, the mind we use is not as clear cut and organized as we would like to think. In fact, after working for some time with my “Centers”, my personal theory is that the Centers are undeveloped, and practically nonexistent in their natural state. Gurdjieff tells us optimistically that we have an Intellectual Center, with three divisions, each division which has three more divisions, each division which yet again has three parts. And same with the Emotional Center. This may be true; however, in fact we have no proper energy (Fa 24) for even the middle section of the Emotional Center without enormous Self-Remembering to produce the higher energies needed. And this great effort of Remembering Oneself also depends on a reservoir of Carbon 12, as I’ve said before.

Nicoll created the above chart depicting the Intellectual Center. Moving is outer, Emotional is middle, and Intellectual is inner. Further divisions of the Center are not shown.

The middle and inner divisions of our Centers rely on the energies produced by Self-Remembering to function. And our Higher Bodies are formed (in my theory) from these middle and inner Center divisions. For instance, the middle division of the Emotional Center is the one place which can produce the Higher Virtues, such as Loving Kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity, etc. And yet the energies necessary to fuel that area are not transmuted in the body/mind of the normal person, who does not Remember Himself. That area of the Emotions cannot function. And, even after Self-Remembering, the middle division of the Center must be developed. Also, an effort must be made to produce the Virtues. And finally, the Higher Virtues need to be sealed or affixed into a “crystallized” Second Body or Astral Body.

Gurdjieff tells us in chapter 6 of In Search that we need to start out in the Work by observing ourselves and taking “snapshots” of the activity of the Centers. Yet, to me, a more classical and Spiritually orthodox method is the observation of the activity of one’s Mind. 

The Mind (in my opinion) is defined as the partnership between our Fundamental Consciousness and our as-of-yet undeveloped Intellectual Center. The Mind has an Awareness as well as an ability to think, reason, and make choices. It is “gaslighting” to say otherwise. In the Work, it is the “carriage driver”, who needs to awaken from his dreams at the tavern, and prepare his carriage. The “Mind” has the ability to learn about its inner workings, and the workings of the Centers, and become disciplined. It can make informed choices as it learns. And it has the potential, when healthy and clear, to eventually direct the activity of the Centers.

Gurdjieff speaks little about the “Mind” as an entity. But I believe we have the ability to watch the Mind, to learn its secrets in light of the System, and to develop the Centers with the help of a more conscious Mind. In other words I believe we do have a Mind. One could simply say that it’s the Intellectual Center; but I believe it’s more than that — it includes our personal Consciousness, which is in my opinion a non-material Awareness.

Our initial problem in discovering the Mind is that we inhabit our externals. Not only are our days generally filled with habitual, inane errands — driving from place to place — and typical external household activity; but we also rarely look to our own Spiritual needs. Rarely do we take the time to sit, and examine our inner Mind, tending to its development. Certainly knowing one’s “machine” is important, as Gurdjieff says. But I believe it is a mistake to dwell on certain Work refrains: “man cannot ‘Do’”, “man is a machine”, “man has no permanent ‘I’”. These, although somewhat descriptive, are overall unhelpful, in my experience. To me, a good place to start in the Work is to watch, examine, and discipline the Mind on a daily basis. One begins the Work in earnest and in reality then when one begins to Self-Remember the inner aspects of one’s Mind.

THE JOURNEY INWARD: STARTING WITH THE SHEATHS

"How are we to take our bodies if we are not to take them as ourselves? The question is connected with notes in octaves, or degrees, which are the same. The physical body is the most external degree of ourselves. That is, it is the lowest or ultimate degree through which all higher or more internal degrees, such as belong to thought, feeling and will, manifest themselves."

— Nicoll, COM, p. 1449

Accessing the deepest part of the mind takes practice. And there is a way to begin to mentally move inward by feeling or sensing the inner “sheaths” of the body. These sheaths rest like Russian dolls, one within another. They are: 1. the physical, food-based body, 2. The Pranic (Vital Breath) Sheath, 3. The Mental Sheath, 4. The Intellect Sheath, and 5. The Bliss Sheath. Within the Bliss Sheath lies Brahman.

The above chart is a representation of the five sheaths and Brahman, taken from the Taittiriya Upanishad, Chapter 2.

The Pranic Sheath is related to the breath, and serves as a link between the physical body and the Mind. And the Bliss Sheath is a connection with Brahman.

One can start out trying to Self-Remember by simply being aware of the body. Moving inward, one can next begin to sense the Pranic sheath by watching the breath, and sensing its connection with the Mind. There is Prana in the breath and Prana in the Mind, as well. The Pranic sheath, to me, can be sensed in the blood. Remembering the Pranic sheath tends to dispel fear, as Prana is the Life Essence. Next, the Mental sheath is of the same substance and has the same character as the Mind. Yet it resides in the body. And finally, one can Remember the Intellectual and Bliss sheaths, the inner layers.

Here is another representation in Nicoll, of a similar concept:

It’s important to keep in mind that our “Mind” (or that which I designate the middle or Emotional Division of the Mind — working with Mi 48) is different from our Mental sheath which is different from the second body (or “Astral Body”). Though all these are similar, connected, and work together in harmony. 

Likewise, the Intellect (working with Do 48) is different from the Intellectual sheath which is different from the third body (or so-called “Mental Body”). And yet they’re all similar and connected.

In addition to all of these is our Fundamental Awareness (the “Observer”).

This is how I organize my internal mind-structure, from outer to inner:

1. Physical Brain

2. Outer Mind (“Formatory Center”), works with Sol 48

3. Middle, Emotional Mind (known as “Mind”), works with Mi 48

4. Inner Mind (known as “Intellect”), works with Do 48

5. Clear, luminous Fundamental Consciousness (according to the Buddhists, it is non-material)

THE FUNCTIONS OF CENTERS

“Thus in observing the functions of the human machine it is necessary to understand the correct divisions of the functions  observed and to be able to define them exactly and at once; and the definition must not be a verbal but an inner definition; by  taste, by sensation, in the same way as we define all inner experiences.”

— Gurdjieff, In Search, chapter 6

My experience of sensation within my own body — which has informed my own theories — is that the Centers have no substantial form and structure in actuality at first. Rather, I do find it much easier to identify and work with the different Hydrogens themselves, which serve to fuel our confused and undeveloped emotions and thoughts. The Centers are something we must Work to form, in my experience. The great problem facing us is not that our Centers work with wrong energy, or that they do the work of other Centers. It’s that we in reality just don’t have Centers needed to think and feel. Also, when we are called upon to express a higher feeling or thought, we do not have the experience, knowledge and development needed to express from a more inner level. 

The more refined emotions work with the Hydrogens which proceed from the breath, rather than those from our food-based body. The food-based body (based on the food we eat) is geared only to express the unrefined and grosser thoughts and feelings, although the body does have an emotional area. The breath octave is more subtle, and perfectly suited to develop into the Astral Body and express the higher emotions. As well, the impressions octave, developing from the impressions received from the head, is subtler yet; and its Hydrogens are perfectly suited to create our spiritual thoughts. The Mental Body has the ability to work with two or more ideas at once, transcending duality.

So here is a chart, which one can study — and should memorize — which shows the breakdown of the various Hydrogens and the Centers they should ideally work with. It is a good introduction to the process of knowing and “tasting” the various Hydrogens. And this can ultimately lead to the Work of forming the second and third bodies themselves. I will just say that, in forming the higher bodies, if one gets to the point of having the ability to “sense” the Hydrogens, that emotions will be located in the chest area, and thinking will be located in the head area.

Generally, in working on forming the second/Astral body, which is geared for emotional expression, I personally don’t do much at first with H 12, but work on development of emotions using H 24. Gurdjieff mentions in In Search that the “Emotional Center” is more suited to using H 12. In my own Work, I find H 24 (on the breath octave) does quite nicely in expressing the subtler emotions. And I find that Animal Magnetism, H 96 (also on the breath or Astral octave), can to an extent express higher emotions too; oftentimes working in parallel with the higher H 24 in the chest area.

As you can see from the very first chart at top (the food chart), the three yellow circles marked H 24 in the middle section designate outer, middle, and inner Hydrogens which fuel outer, middle, and inner emotions;  just like the three red circles did for the Thinking Center. It is the middle circle (fa 24) which works with the higher emotions of the Astral Body. The H 24 (re 24) on the left is a part of the impressions octave, and is thus subject to the Thinking Center.

THE BREATH & IMPRESSIONS OCTAVES 

“What is called according to one terminology the 'astral body,' is called in another terminology the 'higher emotional center,' although the difference here does not lie in the terminology alone. These are, to speak more correctly, different aspects of the next stage of man's evolution. It can be said that the 'astral body' is necessary for the complete and proper functioning of the 'higher emotional center' in unison with the lower. Or it can be said that the 'higher emotional center' is necessary for the work of the 'astral body.'

"The 'mental body' corresponds to the 'higher thinking center.' It would be wrong to say that they are one and the same thing. But one requires the other, one cannot exist without the other, one is the expression of certain sides and functions of the other.”

— Gurdjieff, In Search of the Miraculous 

Perhaps this chart, showing the breath octave in green — starting at the left from Do 192 — and the impressions octave in blue — starting at the left from Do 48 — will help clarify.

The breath series or octave starts (in the chest area) at the green circle, do 192 on the left, and transmutes up the octave: re 96, mi 48, fa 24, sol 12, and la 6. Do 192 stands for Air.

Similarly, the blue impressions series of Hydrogens or octave starts (in the head) with do 48, re 24, and mi 12. Do 48 would be an impression.

The smaller Hydrogen numbers like H 12 and 6 are higher, more energetic, and more spiritual. The larger numbers like 768 etc. less so.

You can clearly see the green “Fa 24” — which fuels the Higher Emotions — in the middle, arising from the breath (which is marked a green “Do 192”). The breath is the foundation for the energy which fuels the Higher Emotions and which forms the Astral Body. Equally, the impressions octave starts at the blue “Do 48” at the top left, and proceeds through “Re 24” (also an Emotional Energy) to “Mi 12”. The emotions of the Mental Body exist to serve the functioning of the Mental Body’s Intellect.

The “food octave” is the uncolored series of circles, starting with “Do 768” at bottom left (Do 768 is “food”). In the middle section, you can see the three H 24s, which fuel the emotions of the Mental Body (blue re 24), the Astral Body (green fa 24), and the food-based body (uncolored la 24). For reasons I’ll illustrate in a later blog, in forming the Astral Body I Work mainly with only the three green Hydrogens, Re 96, Mi 48, and Fa 24. These energize the middle sections of our Centers and form the nucleus of the Astral Body. The Higher Bodies are formed by using just three Hydrogens per each body: one Hydrogen for its lower story, one for its middle story, and one for its top story. But more on this later. 

The most important thing for you to comprehend at this point is that the Astral Body is based on the breath and its series of Hydrogens — and therefore the middle sections of the intellectual and emotional centers. And the Mental Body is based on the “intellect”, which processes impressions, and the resulting series of Hydrogens — and therefore the inner sections of the intellectual and emotional centers.