Everyone must have aim in this Work. You must think about it. Aim can be smaller and greater. But you should know what your aim is, great or small, at any one moment. It gives shape and meaning to your inner life. Now if you bring your aim into consciousness—that is, do not forget it—at the point where life is acting on you through incoming impressions, and prevent yourself from reacting to any of these impressions in a way that is contrary to your aim, you are then in a state of Self-Awareness.
Your mechanical reaction is prevented by your conscious act. This action belongs to the First Conscious Shock. It is, so to speak, the beginning of it. The energy which would have gone into a mechanical reaction, through mechanical associations, can now pass on and become transformed. This is emotional. The result will be that either then or later you will “see some- thing” or you will understand something in a new way—behind the network of associations. Impressions will, in fact, begin to fall directly on centers.
Maurice Nicoll, “The First Conscious Shock” in Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (Vol. 1, p. 198)
This Working Note offers a simple direction for practice — bringing the passage into your own observation and daily effort. Normally part of the supporting subscription; shared openly through February.
Working Note: For Today’s Inner Effort
Orientation: The passage points to remembering aim at the moment of reaction.
What to Notice:
Notice a mechanical reaction forming.
At the same time, recall your aim.
See whether the reaction serves it.
A Small Effort:
Prevent one reaction that contradicts your aim.
Hold it quietly.
Remain aware of both the impression and your aim.
Remember: Aim must be present.
Thank you to those who replied “yes” to the working circle. The response has been strong and encouraging. I’ll be starting with a small pilot group of 6–7 people and will reach out personally. If this first group goes well, I’ll open another.
