GURDJIEFF, G.I. – Life is real only then, when I am - Integral Book

Since I had not, when in full strength and health, succeeded inintroducing in practice into the life of people the beneficial truthselucidated for them by me, then I must at least, at any cost, succeed indoing this in theory, before my death.While writing out in outline during the first year the differentfragments intended for publication, I had decided to write three seriesof books.I had decided with the contents of the first series of books to achievethe destruction, in the consciousness and feelings of people, of deeprootedconvictions which in my opinion are false and quitecontradictory to reality.With the contents of the second series of books to prove that there existother ways of perceiving reality, and to indicate their direction.With the contents of the third series of books to share the possibilitieswhich I had discovered of touching reality and, if so desired, evenmerging with it.With such intentions I began from the second year to write out thismaterial in definite books, in a form now for general understanding.And just before the events I am now describing, I had finished writingall the books of the first series and was already working on the booksof the second series.As I had the intention of publishing the first series of my writings thefollowing year, I therefore decided, parallel with working on the booksof the second series, to hold frequent public readings of the first series.I decided to do this in order, before finally sending them to press, toreview them once more but this time in accordance