DailyBriefs.info - THE MASTER GAME By Robert S. de Ropp

DailyBriefs.info Book Review THE MASTER GAME Beyond the Drug Experience By Robert S. de Ropp
https://ia902900.us.archive.org/9/items/themastergamebyrobertsderopp113pgs/The-Master-Game-by-Robert-S-de-Ropp-113pgs.pdf

The provided excerpts from Robert S. de Ropp's "The Master Game" explore the nature of human consciousness, the challenges to genuine self-awareness, and various paths towards higher states of being. The author posits that ordinary human existence is characterized by a state of "waking sleep," where individuals are dominated by a multiplicity of "selves" driven by mechanical reactions and external stimuli. The pursuit of higher consciousness is presented as a "Master Game," a challenging inner work requiring intentional effort and self-observation. While acknowledging the potential of psychedelic substances to offer glimpses into altered states, the author emphasizes their limitations as tools for lasting transformation and warns against their misuse. Key concepts include the "Five Rooms" of consciousness, the "Five Wills" that drive human behavior, the significance of physical and temperamental types, the importance of intentional action and attention, and the role of inner work practices like prayer and self-observation. The text underscores the inherent difficulties and risks associated with this inner journey, highlighting the need for discernment, self-acceptance, and potentially, guidance from a genuine teacher.

Key Themes and Ideas:

1. The State of "Waking Sleep" and the Multiplicity of Selves:

De Ropp argues that the ordinary human condition is one of "waking sleep" (the third room of consciousness). In this state, individuals lack a unified "I" and are instead composed of a constantly shifting pattern of mechanical "selves."
"There is no single self. A man is one self at home and another at the office; one self at work, another when on vacation; one self with his wife, another with his secretary."
These selves are easily influenced by external stimuli and are driven by mechanical reactions rather than intentional action.
"I react mechanically. I become a slave. I am pushed around by my impressions."
The sense of self in "waking sleep" is described as "narrow, limited and strictly personal," subject to change without notice.
"In the third room, identification or waking sleep, the self-sense is narrow, limited and strictly personal. It is subject to change without notice. Every thought, emotion, sensation can wear the mantle of the self, call itself 'I' and dominate behavior, only to be pushed aside by some other 'I' which is equally mechanical, equally accidentally evoked."

2. The "Master Game" and the Pursuit of Higher Consciousness:

The central metaphor of the book is the "Master Game," which represents the deliberate and arduous process of seeking higher states of awareness and transcending the limitations of ordinary consciousness.
This is a "High Game," contrasted with "Low Games" played for fame or material possessions ("Cock on Dunghill," "Hog in Trough").
The pursuit of higher consciousness involves accessing "secret rooms, vast chambers full of treasures with windows looking out on eternity and infinity."
"The taste for the infinite! How well Baudelaire puts it. But what exactly does this mean? The phrase suggests that within the psyche of man are secret rooms, vast chambers full of treasures with windows looking out on eternity and infinity."

3. The Five Rooms of Consciousness:

De Ropp outlines a hierarchy of five states or "rooms" of consciousness:
Room 1: Dreamless Sleep: Total unconsciousness, no self-sense.
Room 2: The Room of Dreams: Fragmentary and confused self-sense, often contradictory. Dream forms are considered no less "real" than those in the waking state by Tibetan yogis who view the phenomenal world as "mayd" (illusion).
Room 3: Waking Sleep/Identification: The ordinary state of mechanical existence, described above.
Room 4: Self-Transcendence: A state where the self is no longer personal and transcends the limitations of time and space. This is the state where man possesses "will."
Room 5: Cosmic Consciousness/Samadhi/Satori: Complete transcendence of the separate self, where "He sees the self [atman] in all things and all things in the self."

4. The Role and Limitations of Psychedelic Substances:

The book explicitly addresses the use of psychedelic drugs as potential tools for exploring consciousness, but with significant caveats.
Psychedelics, particularly hashish, can offer glimpses into altered states, revealing "the taste of the infinite" and releasing awareness from ordinary fetters.
"Somehow these chemicals release the awareness from certain fetters that ordinarily bind it. The doors of perception are cleansed. The taste of the infinite is obtained."
The author provides detailed observations of the effects of hashish, including alterations in sensation, body image, and the sense of self.
"The 'I am' became hazy and diffuse. The face symbol of the ego, its emblem and shield, seemed to twist and stretch like a Halloween mask... All the selfhood was drained out of it."
"The spirit of hashish on one's good days... is playful as a kitten, puckish, jocular, a conjurer performing quaint tricks that one never would have thought possible."
Hashish can stimulate specific centers in the lower brain, affecting instinctual and emotional functions, and can profoundly augment emotionality.
However, de Ropp strongly distinguishes between the "lawful use" of psychedelics for self-study and their misuse for "kicks" or as a substitute for inner work.
"It is psychologically (or spiritually) lawful to obtain such information as part of a Me game, the aim of which is realization of higher states of awareness. It is not spiritually lawful to take psychedelics merely for 'kicks' or to use them as substitutes for the special kind of inner work that alone can produce lasting results."
Misusing psychedelics is seen as squandering inner resources and committing oneself to a "descending spiral."

5. The Five Wills and Human Drives:

Human behavior is driven by five "wills," viewed as forces of nature:
Will to Pleasure (Eros): Driven by the need for satisfaction of desires, basic biological hungers (food, sex). Embodied in the "Hog in Trough" role.
Will to Death (Thanatos) / Will to Inertia: The counterbalancing urge for inaction and rest.
Will to Power: The drive for dominance and control, embodied in the "Kshatriya" type.
Will to Meaning: The inherent human search for purpose and significance.
Will to Self-Transcendence: The urge to move beyond the limitations of the individual ego and attain higher consciousness. Embodied in the "Brahmin" type.

6. The Importance of Self-Observation and Attention:

Observing oneself and one's inner states is crucial for understanding the "theater of selves."
"Sincere observation soon brings the student face to face with this fact. There is no single self."
Different states of attention are described:
Enslaved Attention: Consciousness is completely "occupied" by external stimuli, leading to a squandering of vital force. "This is enslaved attention. In this condition, inner silence and simple awareness are lost and the whole field of consciousness is 'occupied' by a victorious enemy."
Dispersed Attention: Wandering, unfocused attention, leading to a trancelike state. "There is a total absence of inner stability. This state drains the organism of its strength insofar as the power to maintain awareness is concerned."
Generalized Attention Separated from the Ego: The ability to choose which impressions to receive and to arrest mechanical reactions. This is seen as essential for inner development.
"Generalized attention separated from the ego offers to one who employs it the power of choice of impressions. He who has a watchman at the gate can scrutinize all who try to enter, can receive the impressions he chooses and reject the rest."

7. Inner Work Practices:

The text highlights several practices for inner development:
Stopping Thoughts / Simple Awareness: Imposing silence on the "gibbering roof brain" to perceive the world with greater clarity. "Stopping thoughts, the practice of simple awareness, these are the keys with which a man can unlock the fourth room."
Prayer: Real prayer is not about making demands but about shifting awareness from the limited ego to a wider horizon. The simplest form, "GOD HELP ME," is a trisyllabic mantra to connect the lower with the higher. The Lord's Prayer and the Buddhist mantra "AUM MANE PADME HUM" are also presented as powerful mantras.
Inner Theater: Intentionally creating visualizations and experiences within the mind for self-observation and understanding the different selves.
Intentional Action vs. Mechanical Happening: Moving from reacting mechanically to external stimuli to performing actions directed by conscious will.
Autogenic Training: A psychophysiological approach involving passive awareness of bodily sensations (heaviness, warmth) to gain conscious control over physiological processes.
Prayer of the Heart: A technique involving focusing attention within the heart alongside rhythmic breathing and repetition of a prayer, aiming for the mind and heart to unite and experience the "kingdom of heaven within."

8. The Significance of Physical and Temperamental Types:

De Ropp discusses the relationship between physique and temperament, drawing on Sheldon's system of somatotypes and temperamental tonias.
Endomorphy/Viscerotonia: Gut-dominated, characterized by love of physical comfort, eating, company, and sleep. Can struggle with the "Hog in Trough" tendency and indiscriminate amiability.
Mesomorphy/Somatotonia: Muscle-dominated, characterized by a love of action, physical endurance, and insensitivity to pain and the feelings of others. Can suffer from "horizontal mental cleavage" (preoccupation with externals) and may be prone to becoming self-righteous false prophets.
Ectomorphy/Cerebrotonia: Nervous system-dominated, characterized by intense mental activity, introversion, and sensitivity. May struggle with distorted sexuality, lack of vitality, and endless cerebration.
Understanding one's physical and temperamental type is crucial for identifying inherent strengths and weaknesses, or "essence characteristics," and for guiding inner work.
"The aim of Creative Psychology is to give the student an understanding of his essence. Once he really knows his type, he can estimate accurately his innate capacities and live within the limitations they impose."

9. The Challenges and Risks of the Inner Path:

The journey towards higher consciousness is presented as difficult and fraught with challenges.
It requires facing unpleasant aspects of oneself and accepting the multiplicity of selves without repression.
Seeking a teacher requires discernment, as even genuine teachers have limitations. The "curse of the cult" is a danger in teacher-dominated groups where the teacher is not truly evolved.
The inner work can impose significant stress and may not be suitable for everyone, particularly those with pre-existing psychological vulnerabilities.
"Other teachers make no attempt to warn ill-prepared applicants that they are undertaking something far beyond their strength. They accept the pupil with all his defects, with all his weaknesses, in a spirit of experimentation to see what will happen."
Traditional methods like retreating to a monastery, while offering a simplified struggle, may lead to a "lopsided" and sterile development if pursued for a lifetime.

10. The Instinctive Brain and its Influence:

De Ropp highlights the importance of the instinctive brain (linked to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland) in regulating bodily functions, energy levels, and even influencing conscious states.
"Despite its remoteness from the ordinary consciousness, the instinctive brain constantly affects the workings of the other brains -- the intellectual and emotional -- which normally regard themselves as the seats of consciousness and of the ego."
The "start switch" (ergotropic system) incites activity and pleasure, while the "stop switch" (trophotropic system) inhibits activity and induces unpleasant sensations.
Psychedelics are seen as acting on this hypothalamic switchboard.
Re-educating the instinctive center is part of the inner work and involves learning to liberate stored energies and recognize the processes by which they are generated.
The sexual center, also linked to the instinctive brain, is described as a powerful, primeval force that can operate at different levels of consciousness and, when cultivated, can reveal secrets about the body's energies.

Most Important Ideas/Facts:

Ordinary human consciousness is a state of "waking sleep" characterized by a fragmented, mechanical sense of self driven by external influences.
The pursuit of genuine self-awareness and higher consciousness is a challenging "Master Game" requiring intentional inner work.
Psychedelics can provide temporary access to altered states and offer insights but are not a substitute for sustained inner development and can be detrimental if misused.
Human behavior is driven by fundamental "wills" or forces of nature, ranging from the will to pleasure and inertia to the will to meaning and self-transcendence.
Understanding one's innate physical and temperamental type is essential for recognizing individual strengths, weaknesses, and the specific challenges faced on the path of self-development.
Developing intentional attention and the ability to observe oneself without identification with the fluctuating selves are fundamental practices for inner growth.
Practices like stopping thoughts, intentional action, and certain forms of prayer can help shift awareness and access higher states.
The journey of self-transcendence is inherently difficult and carries risks, requiring discernment, perseverance, and sometimes, guidance.
The instinctive brain plays a significant, often unconscious, role in influencing energy levels, moods, and even conscious thought, and its re-education is crucial for liberating inner energies.

In conclusion, the provided excerpts from "The Master Game" present a compelling framework for understanding the human condition and the potential for transformation. The author emphasizes the importance of confronting the mechanical nature of ordinary life and embarking on a deliberate inner journey, highlighting the potential pitfalls and rewards along the way. While acknowledging the temporary insights offered by psychedelics, the core message centers on the necessity of sustained, intentional effort and self-knowledge to move beyond the limitations of the fragmented ego and achieve higher states of being.

What are the "low games" and "high games" described in the source?

The source distinguishes between "low games" and "high games" as metaphors for different life pursuits and aims. Low games are characterized by their focus on external validation, ego inflation, and fleeting satisfactions. An example given is "Cock on Dunghill," played for fame and recognition, often at the expense of substance or authenticity. Another is "Hog in Trough," driven by the will to pleasure and the accumulation of possessions. These games keep individuals stuck in a state of "waking sleep" or the "third room" of consciousness, where their attention is enslaved or dispersed.
High games, in contrast, are centered on inner development, self-realization, and the pursuit of higher states of awareness. The source introduces "Creative Psychology" as a path towards these games, emphasizing inner work and the transcendence of the limited self. The "Master Game" is presented as the highest game, aimed at reaching the "fourth" and "fifth" rooms of consciousness, characterized by self-transcendence and ultimately, cosmic consciousness or samadhi.

How does the author categorize different states of consciousness?

The author outlines five "rooms" of consciousness, representing a spectrum from unconsciousness to the highest states of awareness. The "first room" is dreamless sleep, where there is no sense of self or awareness. The "second room" is the dream state, characterized by a vague, contradictory, and fragmented self-sense and distorted reality. The "third room" is identified as "waking sleep," the ordinary daily existence for most people. In this state, the self-sense is narrow, limited, personal, and constantly changing, easily dominated by external stimuli and mechanical reactions. The "fourth room" is the state of self-transcendence, where the sense of self is no longer personal, transcending the limitations of time and space. The "fifth room" represents complete transcendence of the separate self, a state of unity with all things, referred to with terms like Cosmic Consciousness, Samadhi, and Satori. The goal of inner work is to move from the lower rooms to the higher ones.

What is the author's perspective on the use of psychedelic drugs for exploring consciousness?

The author discusses psychedelics as potential tools for exploring consciousness, but with significant caveats. While acknowledging that these substances can provide a glimpse into higher states and potentially "cleanse the doors of perception," allowing for a "taste of the infinite," they are not seen as a substitute for genuine inner work. The author suggests that psychedelics operate by acting on the hypothalamic switchboard in the brain, releasing energies and allowing awareness to transcend temporal and verbal limitations. However, this experience is transient and cannot produce lasting results on its own. Misusing psychedelics by seeking mere "kicks" or relying on them instead of intentional inner effort is seen as spiritually unlawful, leading to the depletion of inner resources and hindering true growth. The author highlights hashish as a mild and interesting psychedelic that can illuminate instinctive and emotional functions, enhance emotionality, and provide a sense of clarity, sometimes leading to the realization of the multiplicity of selves.

How do physical type and temperament relate to a person's challenges and potential for inner development?

The source incorporates Sheldon's system of physical types and temperaments to explain how innate characteristics influence a person's challenges and potential for inner work. The three basic types are Endomorph (gut-dominated, Viscerotonia), Mesomorph (muscle-dominated, Somatotonia), and Ectomorph (nervous system-dominated, Cerebrotonia). Each type has associated traits and potential obstacles to inner development. For example, high viscerotonics may struggle with a craving to vegetate and need to learn to obey their appestat (hunger signal) and discriminate in their amiability. High somatotonics are prone to "horizontal mental cleavage," which cuts them off from their inner life and deeper awareness, making it hard to feel the "hunger for consciousness." They also tend towards insensitivity to the needs of others and can be prone to delusion if inner voices break through. High cerebrotonics, while having a rich inner life, can be intensely and sometimes disruptively sexual, prone to anxiety, and have a "horizontal emotional cleavage" that prevents them from deeply feeling certain emotions. Understanding one's type is presented as crucial for identifying inherent capacities and limitations and tailoring the inner work accordingly.

What is the "Theater of Selves" and how does the concept of multiple selves relate to inner work?

The "Theater of Selves" is a concept that describes the human psyche as composed of a multiplicity of changing "selves" rather than a single, unified "I." A person is one self at home, another at work, and so on. This multiplicity is the common condition in the state of "waking sleep." The source emphasizes that the sense of self depends on the level of consciousness. Only in the "fourth state of consciousness" does a man possess true will and move beyond the idea of a personal "I" as the doer.
Inner work involves observing and recognizing these different selves without identification, using techniques like "Inner Theater," which involves intentionally creating visualizations and observing the behavior of these inner figures. This practice aims to detach from the mechanical reactions of these selves. Overcoming self-hatred and self-contempt is also linked to understanding that these emotions are based on the illusion of a single "I"; instead, one learns to see the various problematic "selves" as mechanical dolls and develop watchfulness to prevent them from taking control.

What is the importance of attention and impressions in the context of inner development?

The source highlights the crucial role of attention and the processing of impressions in inner development. It distinguishes between enslaved attention (where consciousness is fully occupied by external stimuli or a dominant "enemy" thought/emotion) and dispersed attention (which wanders aimlessly). Both are costly in terms of vital force.
Generalized attention, separated from the ego, is presented as the ability to choose which impressions to receive and which to reject. This "art of receiving impressions" is likened to the metabolism of food; just as physical health depends on properly metabolizing food, inner development depends on how impressions are metabolized, which is determined by the level and quality of attention. Having a "watchman at the gate" (alert attention) allows one to arrest mechanical reactions to impressions before they take hold and lead to regret. The ability to accept or reject impressions is fundamental to the inner work that leads to a truly free being.

How does the author describe the role and potential of prayer in inner work?

Prayer, according to the author, is a means to shift consciousness from the lower "third room" to the higher "fourth room," bringing the lower into contact with the higher. Real prayers, unlike those seeking material gain or favors, always have this aim of "horizon-widening." The simplest effective prayer is "GOD HELP ME," seen as a simplified form of the Pilgrim's Prayer. This prayer, and others like the Lord's Prayer or the Buddhist mantra "AUM MANE PADME HUM," function as mantras when repeated with conscious attention and understanding of their significance.
By concentrating attention on the repetition and meaning of the syllables, the energy normally consumed by destructive inner noise (negative imagination, self-pity, etc.) is diverted into creative channels. This practice helps quiet the "gibbering roof brain," allowing for inner silence and a shift in awareness. The significance of these prayers lies in their ability to relate the petty ego to a greater entity and to embody principles of cosmic processes and the transcendence of dualism.

What are some of the dangers and challenges in the pursuit of higher consciousness, including the role of teachers and isolation?

The pursuit of higher consciousness is presented as a challenging path with various dangers. One danger lies in the misuse of psychedelics, as previously mentioned. Another significant challenge is finding a suitable teacher. The author cautions that even genuine teachers have limitations based on their type, and a teacher who is effective for one person may not be for another. A crucial function of a good teacher is to act as a mirror, helping the student objectively observe their own selves without judgment.
The author also discusses the limitations of isolating oneself, such as by entering a monastery or retreating into the desert. While simplifying the struggle by reducing external distractions, such isolation can lead to sterility and lopsided inner development if not undertaken after experiencing the variety of life. The challenges faced by hermits (the "devils in the desert") and the potential for self-imposed deprivation are noted. The concept of "obedience," particularly as advocated by figures like Ignatius Loyola, is viewed critically when it involves the suppression of personal judgment and becomes a form of self-mutilation rather than intentional action. Finally, the source warns against the dangers within teacher-dominated groups, particularly when the teacher's personal ego is not transcended. Pupils in such cults may struggle to see the teacher's defects, especially if the teacher uses "Outer Theater" techniques, leading to potential exploitation and disillusionment. The author underscores that weak or ill-prepared aspirants often make unrealistic demands of their teachers and are likely to abandon the path when the difficulties arise.

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The Master Game: Awakening to Full Consciousness

This narrative explores the concept of the Master Game, its profound aims, and the challenging struggle required for human beings to attain a state of full consciousness, drawing insights from the provided source material.

At its core, life is presented as a series of games played according to rules, reflecting the aims of the players. While many engage in "object games" focused on material accumulation, fame, or power, the Master Game belongs to a category of "meta-games" played for intangible pursuits like knowledge, beauty, or the "salvation of the soul". It stands apart as arguably the most difficult and demanding game of all.

The driving force behind the Master Game is a deep-seated hunger in some individuals for experience in a dimension beyond ordinary existence – a yearning for an elevated or expanded state of consciousness and for insights not accessible by conventional means. This appetite arises from a critical realization: that man's normal waking state is not the highest level of consciousness possible, but rather a defective condition akin to "waking sleep" or somnambulism.

In this state, individuals are described as living amidst dreams and delusions, unaware of their true state, acting mechanically, and lacking genuine inner unity or will. Such a condition is seen not merely as a neutral state but as dangerous and dismal, a form of inner slavery characterized by unrest.

The recognition of this state of "waking sleep" is the essential starting point for anyone considering the Master Game. It generates an undeniable appetite for real awakening, a desire to see, hear, and know more than the tiny fraction perceived in the ordinary state.

The analogy of man as an inhabitant of a house with locked rooms is used to illustrate this. The vast majority live only in the poorest, shabbiest rooms (representing lower states of consciousness), unaware of or unable to access other chambers "beautiful and filled with treasures," with "windows looking out on eternity and infinity". The Master Game is the endeavor to find the key and enter these higher rooms.

The primary aim of the Master Game, therefore, is the attainment of full consciousness or real awakening. This involves emerging from the darkness of "waking sleep" into a state of light. It means transcending the petty personal self and undergoing a spiritual rebirth. In religious contexts, this is described as regaining union with a universal consciousness or passing from the ego-centered illusion into the light of the non-ego.

The game is played entirely within the inner world, a territory about which most people know very little. The ultimate objective is the full development of the powers latent within human beings. It is presented as the highest form of creativity man is capable of: the creation of a truly inner-directed being out of a helpless, other-directed slave.

This transformative journey, however, is neither easy nor automatic. Unlike lower forms of development, nature has not endowed man with instincts or built-in pathways for this higher growth. Far from helping, the blind force of evolution has sometimes put obstacles in the way.

Therefore, one who would play the Master Game is compelled to seek instruction and guidance. Finding a teacher who knows the rules is a crucial, and often difficult, initial test. A materialistic culture, focused on specialized knowledge rather than consciousness expansion, offers little help. Furthermore, the search is complicated by the existence of frauds and fools posing as teachers.

Once a teacher is found, becoming part of a group of pupils offers necessary encouragement and support against the cultural opposition which views players of this game as odd.

The sources highlight that not all paths claiming to lead to higher states are legitimate or lawful ways to play the Master Game. The use of psychedelic drugs is cited as a common example of attempting the game by an unlawful set of rules. While these substances can offer temporary "glimpses" of the fourth or even fifth states of consciousness and may reveal aspects of the inner world, they cannot sustain these states or change a person's level of being.

Relying on drugs is likened to attempting to climb a difficult mountain peak by merely sitting in an armchair and daydreaming. The continued use of psychedelics for this purpose is described as a form of "spiritual burglary," resulting in an irreparable depletion of the inner resources needed for genuine inner work and ultimately leading to a loss of the capacity to develop. The greatest danger is spiritual paralysis, leaving the user unable to engage with either ordinary life or the Master Game.

Lawful use, in contrast, is strictly for gaining information to understand inner workings, not as a substitute for effort. The legitimate road to higher consciousness lies through the "silent world," a state beyond words and thoughts achieved through specific inner work.

A fundamental practice involves stopping the incessant flow of inner conversations, arguments, and chatter – the "noise machine" of the intellectual brain. This is not a heroic struggle but one achieved through the repetition of small efforts, requiring an inner conviction that daydreams and imaginary dialogues are unproductive and even dangerous.

Crucial to accessing the silent world and higher states is the control of attention. Attention is described as a material entity, like muscular energy, which can be either conserved or squandered. In the state of waking sleep, attention is either enslaved by external stimuli or dispersed aimlessly, both of which deplete vital energy.

Freedom of attention is a measure of consciousness. Directed attention, while focused, still often involves identification with the task. True progress comes with developing objective awareness or self-remembering – a state of separation of awareness from one's activities, thoughts, and feelings, a kind of double awareness where one is both the actor and the observer.

This non-identification conserves awareness and allows impressions to be fully received and "digested," gaining richness and meaning. The practice of "STOP!" is a method to regain lost awareness and redefine intention.

Maintaining this inner balance and simple awareness is difficult. When faced with disturbing impressions, the "noise machine" of the emotional center can become agitated, leading to a state of inner turmoil where the practice of simple awareness seems impossible.

Recalling the inner aim and using forms of intentional self-direction, such as reflecting on the meaning of prayers (interpreted psychologically, not necessarily religiously) or performing simple tasks with intentional awareness, can help restore balance.

The journey towards full consciousness involves fundamental inner transformations, symbolized as "dying at one level and being reborn at another". This necessitates sacrificing identification with what one calls "I" and becoming inwardly a non-possessor.

The concept of the self in waking sleep is that of multiplicity – a collection of fragmented selves or "clockwork dolls" activated mechanically by circumstances. These selves lack free will and often falsely claim to be the unified "I". The Observer, a higher element of being carrying the seed of consciousness, must impartially watch these mechanical selves to understand their behavior.

Techniques like "Inner Theater" – intentionally projecting and observing aspects of oneself – can aid this objective self-study, revealing the mechanical nature of reactions. This process of self-observation leads to self-knowledge, which is a prerequisite for self-mastery.

The struggle for consciousness is deeply intertwined with the functioning and reeducation of man's psychic centers or "four brains": the instinctive, moving, emotional, and intellectual.

In waking sleep, these centers often function poorly, interfering with each other and generating illusions and conflicts. For instance, the emotional brain, while the great motivator and the seat of the "five wills" (pleasure, death/inertia, power, meaning, self-transcendence), can be the source of significant errors or "catches" that divert inner work.

These catches include talking/thinking instead of doing the work (Talk-Think Syndrome), overdependence on a teacher (Starry-eyed Syndrome), believing oneself to be a teacher or savior without the being (False-Messiah Syndrome), focusing solely on personal salvation (Personal-Salvation Syndrome), making efforts only in the teacher's presence (Sunday-Go-to-Meeting Syndrome), and endlessly searching for gurus without committing to one (Hunt-the-Guru Syndrome).

Self-pity and self-hatred are also wrong emotional workings. While direct control over the emotional brain is difficult, it can be influenced indirectly through work on the moving and intellectual centers, allowing for the recollection of inner aims and motivations.

Similarly, the intellectual brain in waking sleep often relies on the "formatory center," which thinks only in crude pairs of opposites and absolutes, leading to tragic misunderstandings and conflicts. Reeducating the intellectual brain involves moving beyond the limitations of words and labels, seeking to perceive the "signature of things" directly and understanding processes in terms of triads and octaves, including the often-unseen "neutralizing force". This reeducation brings insights and a broader awareness of cosmic processes.

Understanding one's inherent "type" (based on physical and temperamental characteristics) is also part of the struggle, as different types have different strengths, weaknesses, and predispositions to certain difficulties or "essence weaknesses". For example, the somatotonic type may struggle with a will to dominate, and the cerebrotonic type may face dangers of dissociation from reality. Knowing one's type helps in identifying specific obstacles to the work.

The false ego presents a constant and formidable obstacle. It can appropriate the power gained from inner discipline and use it to reinforce itself rather than facilitate self-transcendence, leading to "wrong crystallization" – a state of unity and power, but one still centered in the ego. The path is precarious; even at very high levels, one can make a mistake and lose everything gained.

The struggle for consciousness is not just an internal, isolated process. It relates directly to psychological health and the concept of "vital balance". Upsets in this balance, manifesting as "orders of dysorganization" (mental illness), can be understood through the lens of malfunctioning centers or conflicts within the psyche.

Modern life, with its inherent stresses and the conflicts between individual needs and societal demands, constantly challenges this balance.

The environment in which the struggle takes place is also significant. The solitary practitioner faces considerable opposition from a culture largely ignorant of or hostile to the aims of the Master Game.

While withdrawal into reclusion can provide focus, it may also lead to sensory deprivation and hallucinations. Full participation in ordinary life can be overly distracting. The ideal environment suggested for serious players is a "creative community". Such a community provides mutual support and opportunities for inner work integrated with external creative activities, offering self-study through practical tasks and shielding members from cultural influences detrimental to the inner aim.

However, even in a community, the danger remains that external aims can overpower the inner work.

The Master Game is not a quest with a finite end point before death. The final phase of life, ideally from the age of fifty onward, is presented as a crucial period specifically dedicated to this work – the "making of the soul" or perfecting the body of consciousness.

For one who has played the Master Game, this phase involves striving to enter and abide in higher states. It culminates in the difficult "art of intentional dying". This is not suicide but the capacity, attained through high mastery over physical functions and consciousness, to know one's time has come and intentionally allow the life process to cease with full awareness.

It is seen not as an end to personal survival but as a reblending of consciousness with a larger state, a final test of will and inner strength.

In summary, the Master Game is a transformative pursuit of full consciousness, an awakening from the state of "waking sleep" to higher levels of being. Its aim is profound liberation from the mechanical self and attainment of inner freedom and mastery.

The struggle involves recognizing one's true state, seeking a teacher and group, avoiding delusory shortcuts, cultivating inner silence and controlled attention, observing and reeducating the psychic centers, understanding and overcoming internal obstacles like the "catches" and the false ego, and engaging with external life or community in a way that supports the inner aim.

It is a demanding path requiring sustained effort, self-discipline, and knowledge, culminating in the conscious mastery of the process of death itself.

It is presented as the only game truly worth playing in life, offering rewards of inner wealth and understanding beyond compare.

Finding a game worth playing is crucial for sanity and well-being.
It has been stated by Thomas Szasz that what people really need and demand from life is not wealth, comfort, or esteem but games worth playing.
He who cannot find a game worth playing is apt to fall prey to accidie—such a state of mind is a prelude to what is loosely called "mental illness."

Act intensely in the game you choose or invent.
Seek, above all, for a game worth playing.
Having found the game, play it with intensity—play as if your life and sanity depended on it.

Games, including life games, have rules.
All games are played according to rules.
In life games, rules are imposed by natural, economic, or social conditions.

Using drugs to attain higher states is considered an unlawful approach to the Master Game.
Because teachers are so hard to find in the West, many who wish to play the Master Game try to become their own teachers and invent their own rules.
The commonest example of this attempt to play the Master Game by unlawful rules is provided by the so-called psychedelic movement.

The Master Game demands total effort and resources.
It can never be made easy to play; it demands all that a man has—all his feelings, all his thoughts, his entire resources, physical and spiritual.

Creative Psychology aims to help individuals move towards full consciousness.
For convenience, these methods are collectively called Creative Psychology.
Creative because they bring about a higher synthesis, a new level of order within the psyche.

Creative Psychology is based on the idea
that man can create, by his own efforts, a new being within himself—a "second birth."
The ultimate goal of Creative Psychology is inner creation.

Inner creation involves
the highest form of man’s creativity—the creation of a truly inner-directed being out of a helpless, other-directed slave.
This creative work involves every aspect of man's behavior: the instinctive, motor, emotional, and intellectual.

Self-transcendence is the highest prize life offers.
But the Mystic Way is difficult—hard and long.
If this self-transcendence is, in fact, the highest prize life has to offer, then why should any reasonable person deny himself this experience?

Taking psychedelic drugs to gain insights without effort is viewed as spiritual burglary.
We may suspect that taking psychedelic drugs is depraved—a kind of spiritual theft, a criminal activity on the spiritual level, a stealing of something one has not earned.

A generation reared on labor-saving devices
may hope to acquire saintly or mystical insights effortlessly—by swallowing a pill.
Psychedelic drug use depletes vital energy stores, which take a significant time—two weeks or a month—to regenerate.

Continued use of psychedelics
represents a form of spiritual burglary with penalties: irreparable depletion of substances needed for real inner work and a total loss of capacity for development.

Controlled drug experiments can be useful
if they lead to the realization that higher states of consciousness are possible.
Such realization may awaken awareness of the Master Game, the only game truly worth playing.

Creative Psychology uses the concept of five levels or "rooms" of consciousness.
This concept is the theoretical basis of the whole teaching.
Unless a person has experienced all five states, they remain theoretical possibilities only.

Different levels of consciousness cannot communicate with each other.
No one, no matter how skilled, can convey the feeling of a different level.
Man in the fourth room cannot communicate his condition to someone in the third room, and vice versa.

Man's ordinary state is "waking sleep."
Other terms include "hypnotized sleep," "walking sleep," and "identification"—all describing the same dismal condition.

Waking sleep is inner slavery stemming from identification.
If man could be aware of his sleep state, he would eagerly strive to awaken.
The fetters are inward; the bondage is spiritual.

Awareness is lost through identification and mechanical happenings.
Every time a mechanical happening, wandering thought, casual glance, or trivial impression* causes loss of objectivity, awareness diminishes.

Impressions are a vital form of "food" for man.
There is no art more important than receiving impressions.
Impressions are as crucial as daily bread; a watchman at the gate can scrutinize whom to let in.

The quality of attention
determines how impressions are digested.
This digestion depends on the quality of attention—the effort involved in self-remembering.

Higher consciousness transforms perception.
In the fourth state of consciousness, impressions become extraordinarily rich, as if seen for the first time.
Objects are enhaloed with hidden meanings previously unnoticed.

Awareness is a precious resource.
It can be conserved or squandered.
Nothing is more valuable than awareness; it lies within our power to manage it.

Achieving simple awareness
requires silencing inner chatter.
When wandering thoughts are stilled, consciousness becomes open to sensory messages from physical reality.

Intentional doing differs from mechanical happening
through conscious purpose.
Preparation can make the difference between accident and intentional action.

When things go wrong,
stop, redefine your intention, and restart.
If activity doesn’t go as planned or distractions occur, pause and reset.

Intentional doing requires
inner silence and simple awareness.
Strive to maintain inner silence and receive impressions directly.

Double awareness in activity
reveals inner workings.
Performed with double awareness, even simple acts show subtle rhythms, like musical harmony or dancer’s gestures.

Repetition, like prayer or mantra,
focuses attention and excludes other thoughts.
A phrase or series of sentences, placed in focus, drives out distractions.

The aim of real prayer is to connect lower with higher consciousness.
Prayers aim to lead the practitioner out of the third room into the fourth—to bring the lower into contact with the higher.

The simplest prayer, and most effective in repetition, is:
"GOD HELP ME."
It evokes a triad of consciousness:

GOD (higher consciousness)
ME (lower, separated consciousness)
HELP (striving to draw strength from the higher)

Prayer helps conserve energy
by stopping inner noise.
Repetition, combined with rhythmic breathing, drains energy from destructive inner chatter.

Valuable prayers
expand perspective.
They have a horizon-widening effect—relating microcosm to macrocosm.

The development of the Seeker
marks the beginning of the search for the Master Game.
A person with a developed Seeker feels instinctively that it must exist and be worth playing.

Finding a suitable teacher requires discernment.
The teacher’s main function is to hold a mirror, helping the student objectively observe their selves.

A teacher must understand different human types.
This requires profound insight into types and limitations.
High-level teachers can understand types very different from their own.

Acceptance of the inner "selves" is necessary.
The selves must be accepted in all their variety.
Repression or inner tyranny is unhelpful.

The state of awareness influences how painful observations are.
Observations that seem painful in one state may not be in another.
What determines this?

Muscular relaxation
Steadiness of awareness

Muscular relaxation is vital
for reducing pain and apprehension.
Neurotic behaviors result from learned negative associations; relaxation replaces them with positive ones.

Essence, though inborn, can grow through inner work.
It has been stated that essence is what one is born with, but also that it can grow.
This growth results from biochemical changes produced by inner effort.

Essence qualities
are deeply ingrained, unlike persona qualities, which are easily gained and lost.

Understanding physical type is part of studying essence.
Sheldon's theory relates temperament to physique.
His system quantifies somatotype and temperament.

Each physical type has specific "essence weaknesses".
For example:

Viscerotonia: prone to certain weaknesses
High somatotonic: must guard against Will to Power
Cerebrotonic: needs to press the stop button to slow reactions

Balancing temperament components is key to potential.
A more balanced temperament increases potential but may also lead to aimlessness.

Creative Psychology helps understand essence
to live within limitations.
Knowing one’s type allows for accurate estimation of innate capacities.

Persona elements are easily changed, unlike essence.
They are dependent on imitation or circumstances and can be modified with effort.

Man has "four brains" or psychic centers
that require education.
True education involves developing all parts—instinctive, motor, emotional, and intellectual.

Understanding the four brains
comes through long-term self-observation.
This enables understanding how these centers act and relate.

The instinctive brain
is the foundation of life processes.
Studying it first is logical, as it developed first in evolution, and reminds us how small its contribution is compared to the total.

The emotional brain
is the primary motivator.
It determines aims and goals, making it vital for life direction.

The intellectual brain
links inner and outer worlds.
It stands at the gate and is often the only one focused on in education.

The "inward-directed conscience"
resides in the emotional center.
It is the ultimate guide, helping the individual stay on course.

There are specific pitfalls or "catches" that hinder inner work.
Deviations from inner aims can be subtle and difficult to perceive.
These are known as the six catches.

Common errors in the emotional center include:

Aimlessness (accidie)
Self-pity
Self-hatred
Overdependence
Will to dominate

The emotional center can be reeducated indirectly.
It cannot be controlled directly, but training the moving and intellectual centers influences it.

"Formatory thinking"
leads to disastrous conflicts.
In Gurdjieff’s system, this is called the "formatory center" and has played a large role in mankind’s issues.

Mental illness
is framed as "orders of dysorganization" in the vital balance.
This perspective is supported by The Vital Balance, which emphasizes biological foundations.

Potential for dysorganization exists within everyone.
Traces of disorders can be found within the labyrinth of one's own psyche.
They are latent, but always present.

Progress on the Way is not guaranteed;
there is always a risk of falling.
Even at high levels, the traveler may slip or misuse their gains.

A wise teacher considers a student's potential for dysorganization under stress.
Much like a physician considers weaknesses in prescribing, the teacher monitors vulnerabilities.

The "vital balance"
is essential for life.
It is the core of vitality; as long as needs are met, the organism remains in balance.

Dysorganization arises from
the failure of coping devices to restore balance.
This results from the ego’s failure to drain tension effectively.

The final phase of life
should be dedicated to inner development.
Starting from the fiftieth year, it is a second life—focused on "making of the soul" and perfection of consciousness.

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