Maurice Nicoll: Forgotten Teacher of the Fourth Way

This presentation, based on Gary Lachman’s recent book, will explore Nicoll’s approach to his teaching of G.I. Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way.
About this Event

Saturday, November 23, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. CT

In 1922, Maurice Nicoll (1884-1953) abandoned his successful London psychiatry practice and his direct studies with Carl Jung to move his family just outside of Paris to the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man, a center recently opened by philosopher, mystic, and spiritual guru G. I. Gurdjieff, the founder of the esoteric system that became known as the “Fourth Way.” Nicoll went on to become one of the most passionate teachers of the Fourth Way, committing the final three decades of his life to teaching “The Work” in his own unorthodox style.

This presentation, based on Gary Lachman’s recent book , will explore the unusual syncretic approach Nicoll brought to his teaching of the Fourth Way. Nicoll is unique in having Jung, Gurdjieff, and Ouspensky as teachers and having had close, personal contact with each of these important figures in esoteric history. We will look at how Nicoll incorporated elements of Jungian psychology and the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg into his approach to Gurdjieff’s and Ouspensky’s ideas, as recounted in his best-known work, the Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky as well as his esoteric interpretation of the Gospels.

Registration includes on-demand access to a recording of the program, which can be viewed for two weeks following the program date.

Gary Lachman is the author of several books about consciousness, culture, and the Western esoteric tradition. He has written biographies of H. P. Blavatsky, C. G. Jung, Rudolf Steiner, Emanuel Swedenborg, P. D. Ouspensky, and Aleister Crowley. He writes for several journals in the US, UK, and Europe, lectures around the world, and his work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. In a former life he was a founding member of the pop group Blondie, and in 2006 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He can be reached at gary-lachman.com.

Program Format

This is a live, interactive online program that will also be recorded. Registrants will receive on-demand access to recording(s) that can be viewed for two weeks following the conclusion of the program.

Join online via a Zoom link that will be emailed upon your registration. Please download Zoom for free at zoom.us/download and test your connection at zoom.us/test. For further information, check out www.theosophical.org/FAQ or email [email protected].