Online Zoom Workshop Series: The Fourth Way Enneagram:
Introducing the Fourth Way teaching of Gurdjieff to help foster the process of transformation.
This course is for all who want to grow into the best person they can be. The teaching I share is based on the ancient understanding and wisdom of three fundamental cosmic laws contained in the symbol of the Enneagram. This was rediscovered and handed down to us by George Gurdjieff, who first introduced the Enneagram to the West in 1915.
Gurdjeff’s Enneagram is more about the process of transformation than about personality typing. So, you do not necessarily need to know your Enneagram personality type to benefit from the material I teach. The first group to whom Gurdjieff taught what he called his “Fourth Way” had no understanding of the personality types as described by the modern Personality Enneagram.
Whereas the Personality Enneagram is about nine different points of view in space, what is now known as the Process Enneagram is about nine stages of growth in time. What links the two together is the fact that each personality type manifests differently at different levels of maturity. So, an understanding and application of Gurdjieff’s teaching will facilitate the process of personal growth. However, the Process Enneagram is not just about personal growth and transformation. It can also be applied to the evolution and transformation of a collective body or to any process such as the setting up and development of a business idea.
Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way is a practical application of practices that will enable each person, no matter what their personalty type (or subtype) grow into a much more integrated and mature version of themselves, into the full flowering of their essence, present since birth, but hidden behind the ego personality.
What kind of commitment is required? Watching the teaching videos is easy, it is putting it into practice that is hard. Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way requires dedication and commitment. And that is best done not on one’s own, but in a group, which is why sharing experiences in a group where confidentiality is maintained is important. In that way we can all learn from each other.
Course Content
There are six sessions, the content of which is outlined below. Those who register after the live event will receive links to the videos of the input for each session, session by session, plus a PDF document of the presentation slides. You will also receive other resources for practice between sessions. It is recommended that you tackle the course at your own pace, as it may take time to digest the content.
Session 1: The Human Machine—Introducing key concepts concerning the way humans function and the psycho-spiritual structures of the human personality
Opening meditation: Three Centres Meditation
The Human ‘Machine’ —Three Minds / Brains / Personalities
The Difference Between Personality and Essence
How to Stop Functioning as a ‘Machine’ —Gurdjieff’s 'Fourth Way’
‘Self Remembering’: A key practice to help us begin the process
The importance of being part of a group
Introduce practices for the week:
Three Centres Meditation,
Noticing exercise
Session 2: The Enneagram of Cosmic Laws—1
Opening meditation: Relaxing Ego1
The Law of One: The law of sacred interconnection—the Circle
The Law of Three: the law governing how something new comes into being—the Triangle
Practice for the week: Ego relaxation meditation2, look out for Law of Three examples as you see it in real life, or reflect on any experiences you may have had where understanding the law would have been helpful
Session 3: The Enneagram of Cosmic Laws—2: The Law of Seven
The Law of Seven as the ‘Law of Octaves’
A process that takes place both in time and outside of time
The Great Divide—The Waking Conscious and the Subconsciousness
The Law of Seven in real life
Practice for the week: Clear Impressions exercise
Session 4: The Enneagram applied to human growth and development
The Enneagram in the stages of human growth and development
A Two Phased Process—Involution and Evolution, the personal and trans- personal phases of development
Developing Consciousness—An Alchemical Process in Three Stages
The difference between subjective and objective consciousness and knowledge
Practice for the week: Wheel of Awareness exercise
Session 5: Buffering and its consequences—How we lost touch with Real Consciousness
How the Energy Lines connecting points 1,4,2,8,5 & 7 were meant to function
Three-Brained Being don’t start life as a new machine
Buffers in an Unawakened Human and their consequences
Conscience and Consciousness
How to destroy buffers and the subtle joy of awakening through long-suffering
Buffers as defence mechanisms
Morality and Buffers
The Enneagram of an Unawakened ‘Three-Brained’ Being
Kundabuffer and a fresh look at the Genesis 2-3 myth
Practice for the week: Atmosphere exercise
Session 6: From Dust to Gold Dust—The Alchemy of the Law of Seven
Part 1: Energy Levels and Energy Bodies
Energy: the movement from potential to form
Levels of energy
Energy bodies
The Centres and Chakras
Three kinds of ‘food’ for three kinds of body
Part 2: the alchemical process of digestion
The Food Octave and alchemical process in the Physical body
The ‘Air’ Octave, the alchemical process in the Emotional body
Self Observation in order to Remember Oneself
Divine Will, Attention and Love and Shocks
Impressions—the ‘food’ digested in the Intellectual Center
The Impressions Octave and the alchemical process in the Intellectual body
The Impressions Octave
‘I Am’ and the Path of Transformation
Practice for the week: Breathing ‘I am’ exercise
Bonus Session: Dealing with some Questions Raised in the Live course.
Meet your guide:
Born in China and brought up in Burma, Ken Webb graduated from St Bartholomew’s Hospital, University of London to practice medicine first in the UK and then, for many years, in Thailand. He went on to study theology at Trinity College Bristol, graduating in 1992, and was ordained into Anglican ministry after a further year of post graduate study. He spent the last five years before retiring in 2017 overseeing the training of those preparing for authorised ministry in the diocese of Edinburgh. Ken was introduced to the Enneagram in 1995 and began to delve more deeply into it in 2014, undertaking a number of courses put on by the Shift Network and Enneagram Institute. Since retiring he has offered a number of taster days, courses and retreats. At the same time he has read and researched the original writings of Gurdjeff, and it is on these that his current work is based.
1. Miranda Macpherson, ‘Way of Grace’ p.13 & 16-17
2. Ibid. p.16-17
Cost: £50 for the Workshop Series.
Contact: Neill Walker, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..