The Contemporary Context of Gurdjieff's Movemements by Carole Cusack

 Cusack explores the other systems of "spiritual gymnastics" that existed around the time when Gurdjieff created his "movements" system.  Special attention is given to Rudolf Steiner and his Eurythmy system of spiritual exercise, Emile Jaques-Dalcroze and his method, Rudolf von Laban and his Movement Choir and, surprisingly, Peter Deunov and his paneurhythmy, which seems to have been forgotten in modern times, outside of Bulgaria.  Cusack also explores Diaghilev/Nijinsky/Stravinsky "Rites of Spring" ballet (the original installation) and the sacred dancing incorporated therein.

The main point Cusack makes is that Gurdjieff's system of movements did not emerge "Ex Nihilo" and was actually a logical product of its time, when these kinds of "spiritual gymnastics" systems proliferated, especially after the recent Enlightenment revolution, when the body finally became important and taking care of the body has been elevated to an essential activity for everyone. 

Cusack makes a guess that, although Gurdjieff claimed to have modeled his movement after the dances in far away Eastern monasteries, the actual substance of the movements point out to combination of Steiner's Eurhythmyx and Dalcroze's "method."  This was further reinforced by the facts that several of the Gurdjieff's female students, notably Madame de Salzmann and J. Horwath, were expert instructors in Dalcroze's method before joining Gurdjieff.  Also, there were no "movements" in Gurdjieff's system before Madame de Salzmann joined The Work, and the first demonstration of the movements ever was given to Madame de Salzmann's Dalcroze class.

Fasting in Christianity and Gurdjieff by Joseph Azize

 Joseph Azize, a student of George Adie who was direct student of Gurdjieff, researches Gurdjieff's attitude towards fasting, especially as compared to fasting traditions in Orthodox Christianity.  Azize draws on many sources, including his own teacher, most of which are first hand.

In the final analysis, it seems that Gurdjieff used his own eclectic approach to fasting, that doesn't fit neither in the strictly proscribed Orthodox Christian practices, nor in the practices of the Muslim and Buddhist faiths that he researched and took part in.

Azize wrote that most of the time Gurdjieff prescribed fasting in the form of abstaining from a certain type of food (or multiple types), which did not usually correspond to the foods that are usually excluded in Orthodox Christianity during the "light fasts" which were meant for everyone (the public).

The "heavy fast" in Orthodox Christianity, which is usually practiced only in monastic conditions, and not by the wider public, consists of refusal of all food, except regular water - what we call "water fast" in modern times.  This type of fast has very rarely been a part of Gurdjieff's fasting choices, according to Azize, though it has popped up once or twice.

Art of Dreaming by Carlos Castaneda

 This is the eight volume in Castaneda's opus, and probably the last one that has some value, as the last three volumes (the last two published after his death), are either attempts to (further) commercialize his teachings with inventions like Tensegrity, or just collections of snippets from previous books that the publisher tried to make a bit more money on, before the whole Castaneda craze is gone and he is forgotten, like the case is today (2021).

 1.The Art of Dreaming is a collection of all dreaming instructions by Don Juan from all the time that Carlitos spent with him, and which were just mentioned in passing in the previous volumes.  Castaneda spends a lot of time explaining the Four Gates of Dreaming.  While the first three gates, Castaneda is able to pass by themselves (being 1. finding ones hands in a dream 2. stabilizing a dream and following a "Scout" to the realm of inorganic beings 3. Seeing your own physical body while asleep), the fourth gate is about the ability to create a dream which looks like reality and where other people who can do Dreaming can enter and look around.  This fourth gate is only passed with the help of the "Tenant" - a 5,000+ years old "Death Defier" who is an ancient toltec from pre-columbian mesoamerica and who escaped the realm of the "Inorganic Beings" where all the ancient sorcerers are imprisoned.

The realm and nature of the Inorganic Beings are explored in detail and Castaneda has close contacts with many of them, including the Dreaming Emissary which constantly whispers in his ear, whether in Dreaming or in real life.  The world of Inorganic Beings is explored in detail, with its conscious tunnels and shadows and shapes which live infinitely longer than mankind (though not forever), but who cannot contain as much energy in their luminous bodies, so they trick humans to stay forever in their world and use them as sources of energy, something like domesticated animals for energy. 

One interesting thing mentioned is that all Inorganic Beings are female, so they are only interested in entrapping male sorcerers, having no interest in females.  Don Juan also mentions that "the entire Universe is female" and claims that maleness is a very rare phenomenon in the Universe, as most species and beings are single-sex females races.  

The book ends with the disappearance of Carol Tiggs during the crossing of the Fourth Gate and nobody knows where she went or how to get her back.