Centers (Fourth Way)
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In Gurdjieff's Fourth Way tradition, the Centers refer to separate apparatuses within a being that dictate specific functions within that being. More evolved beings (such as humans) possess more centers than less evolved beings (such as certain animals). The Fourth Way refers to the Center of Gravity in reference to whatsoever center for a particular being functions as a driving force of one's actions.
An important part of the Fourth Way understanding is not to label some things "reflexive" or "automatic" amongst the bottom three centers. Common perception may draw a line between what is said by a being in deep conversation, and the seemingly "reflexive" action that takes place when a doctor taps them on the knee with a hammer, but according to The Fourth Way, neither one is more "automatic" than the other. We are only more or less aware of the automatic and mechanical nature of our actions.
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[edit] Basics
[edit] The Three Basic Centers
Fourth Way schools acknowledge the existence of the following three basic Centers:
- The Intellectual Center (or Thinking Center). This center is most easily explained as the faculty of a being which is capable of "logic" and "reasoning". This center experiences the least amount of evolution, relative to its potential, of any of the three basic centers during the course of the life of an average being. This center is present only in human beings.
- The Emotional Center (or Feeling Center). This center is most easily explained as the faculty of a being which is capable of "feeling." The evolution of this center becomes roughly halfway complete, relative to its potential, compared to the three basic centers during the course of the life of an average being. This center is present only in human beings, as well as in the higher degree of animals (such as mammals, and other advanced species.)
- The Moving Center (or Physical Center). This center is most easily explained as the faculty of a being which is capable of regulating all aspects of the observable physical actions of a being. This center can be further subdivided into three more "sub-centers" representing the motor, instinctual, and sexual functions of a being. This center experiences the most amount of evolution, relative to its potential, of any of the three basic centers during the course of the life of an average being. This center is present in every being we would consider to possess animal life.
note: The division between what qualifies as a being possessing one or two centers is never made completely clear. It is easy to say a tiger possesses two centers, and a fire ant possesses one center, however a distinction for beings more in the middle such a sparrow, a salmon, or a lizard is much less clear. It is alluded to that this distinction is less important in a factual manner, and more important in a symbolic manner. At any rate, the factual distinction is regarded as unimportant for the understanding of the evolution of a human being.
[edit] The Three Physical Sub-Centers
In some representations the physical center is further subdivided into three separate centers. The practice of doing so is usually largely academic for the novice initiate, the reason for this is best illustrated in P. D. Ouspensky's illustration of the conversion of variously rarefied matters in his volume In Search of the Miraculous.
- The Moving Sub-Center. This physical sub-center represents the physical faculties of a being that are related to motor functions. The acts of walking, the physical aspects involved with talking, as well as even functions that are considered "reflexive," are all part of the operation of the Moving Sub-Center.
- The Instinctual Sub-Center. This physical sub-center represents the physical faculties of a being that are considered completely involuntary. This does not typically encompass "knee-jerk" reactions, nor what we would typically consider reflexes. A common example of the functioning of this center is the contracting of blood vessels to facilitate the pumping of blood.
- The Sexual Sub-Center. This physical sub-center represents the physical faculties of a being that are related to the sexual functions. This center serves an exceeding complex function in a being, especially relative to conversion of energies within a being. This center is most common amongst the centers of a human being to have experienced abnormal development. The Fourth Way uses the disharmonious functioning of this sub-center to explain a very large array of issues.
[edit] The Two Higher Centers
In addition to the lower centers: Intellectual, Emotional, and Physical (as well as this center's sub-centers), there are two other, higher, and completely separate centers.
These two centers are exceeding complex to try and relate, as well as their proper names may be slightly deceiving. The names of these higher centers (higher emotional, and higher intellectual) do not necessarily represent a "higher" degree of functioning for what an average person would recognize as "emotional" or "intellectual" faculties. This is a very important distinction.
The easiest way to think of the higher centers is for one to consider the other three centers as being separate faculties of one's material body. One can think of these higher centers as being faculties for these higher bodies. These two higher centers may be referred to as such because of the bodies they are directly related to, and how those bodies are typically referred to.
- The Higher Emotional Center. This center is a faculty of one's Astral Body. It enables one to have sustained states of self-consciousness. It does not replace, nor is it an "upgraded" version of the emotional center. The lower emotional center can function only relative to the material earth, whereas the higher emotional center does not directly function relative to the material earth, nor is it bound by the same laws of subjectivity and automation.
- The Higher Intellectual Center. This center is a faculty of one's Mental Body. It enables one to have sustained states of objective consciousness. It does not replace, nor is it an "upgraded" version of the intellectual center. The lower intellectual center can function only relative to the material earth, whereas the higher intellectual center does not directly function relative to the material earth, nor is it bound by the same laws of subjectivity and automation. The functioning of this center is bound by yet even less laws than that of the higher emotional center.
[edit] Subtle Bodies
The Fourth Way acknowledges the existence of four bodies of man, composed of increasingly rarefied matter, interpenetrating one another. The bodies are as follows:
- The Material Body. This body is considered the seat of the lower five centers: intellectual, emotional, physical, instinctual, and sexual. The material body is bound by the "laws of the earth" and is by itself entirely subject also to the laws of automation, and its perception is confined to observation in a "subjective" manner. Normally, all the actions of the material body are simply reactions to events taken place outside of the control of the "person" to whom the material body belongs. The lifespan of the material body is exactly that of the perceptible lifespan of a human being. Simply put, when one "dies" (as most of us would understand this term) the material body also, in its entirety, dies.
- The Astral Body. This body is considered the seat of the higher emotional center. This body is also sometimes called the "emotional body." Gurdjieff, in his writings, referred to this body as the "Kesdjan Body" or "Kesdjanian Body." This body, by itself is not subject to the laws of automation; that is to say, the astral body is capable of a degree of free will. Also, the perceptions of the astral body are capable of being of an objective nature in matters regarding one's self. An astral body is considered a prerequisite to maintaining a state of "self-consciousness" which is the third possible state of man. The lifespan of the astral body is rather incalculable, since it is claimed that when one transcends into matters of an "objective nature," our material conceptions of "time" and "space" break down. What is claimed about the astral body is that it is immortal within the confines of "the earth." The astral body, once traveling outside the confines of this earth can die. It is debatable whether man is born with an astral body or not, however according to The Fourth Way, whether he is born with one or not, average man either does not have one, or if he does, has one in a very immature state, and has no contact with it whatsoever in his daily life.
- The Intellectual Body. This body is considered the seat of the higher intellectual center. Gurdjieff, in his writings, sometimes referred to this body as a "higher being body" or "highest being body," although it is unclear in some instances which body he was actually referring to. This body, by itself is not subject to the laws of automation; that is to say, the intellectual body is capable of a degree of free will beyond that of the astral body. Also, the perceptions of the intellectual body are capable of being of an objective nature in matters regarding both one's self, and things outside of one's self. An intellectual body is considered a prerequisite to maintaining a state of "objective consciousness" which is the fourth possible state of man. The lifespan of the intellectual is also rather incalculable, since it is claimed that when one transcends into matters of an "objective nature," our material conceptions of "time and "space" break down. What is claimed about the intellectual body is that it is immortal within the confines of "our solar system." The intellectual body, once traveling outside the confines of our solar system can die. It is debatable, although much less so than in the instance of the astral body, whether man is born with an intellectual body. Most teachings flatly deny this. However according to The Fourth Way, whether he is born with one or not, average man either does not have one, or if he does, has one in a very immature state, and has no contact with it whatsoever in his daily life.
- The Divine Body. This body is also sometimes called the "casual body." Many aspects of this body are largely unclear, mostly because it represents a state that is so greatly removed from what we understand of ourselves in the state we are, that comprehensive explanation of the features of this body become difficult. What is known is that this body is in no way subject to the laws of automation. It possesses complete free will. All perceptions of the divine body are in their very nature objective. A divine body can solidify a state of "objective consciousness" in a being which is entirely permanent. The divine body has no lifespan. It is entirely immortal within the confines of the universe. This body is often thought of as a representation of that which is with us that is God. Abstractly we may try to approximately explain this, however it no doubt falls miserably short of explaining this state, if this state is in fact possible. There is almost no debate amongst adherents to The Fourth Way in regards to the average man's possession of a divine body. They don't. The fact that the divine body is not used as "seat" of any functions of a higher nature (such as the higher emotional, and higher intellectual centers) further demonstrates is drastic departure from anything of the nature we are used to.
[edit] Analogies
- This Fourth Way doctrine has a parallel with the Theory of multiple intelligences. The basic model of the three Centers also has similiarities to that of triune brain or possibly with the Central Nervous System (Intellectual Center), Emotional Center (Sympathetic nervous system) and Moving Center (parasympathetic nervous system).
- The Centers models (particuarly those teaching the existence of more than three Centers) has similarities to the system of Chakras. (A traveller across Asia and student of esoteric schools, Gurdjieff would have known of this.)
