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

Although the normal man must be able to be sincere, yet he mustalso know when, where and for what purpose it is necessary to besincere.And in the present case, to be sincere is desirable. Therefore, withoutrestraint, speak of all the results attained by you from doing this kind ofexercise.I consider it necessary, before explaining these details, again to say alittle about that specific totality of the results from the generalfunctioning in the human psyche of what is called attention.Although, in the normal man, this attention in the passive state is alsoa "something" of proportionately blended results of the correspondingactions of all the three independent automatized parts in his wholeindividuality, and is always one whole, yet in an active state such a mancan consciously concentrate this whole attention of his on anything,either on some part of his common presence or on something outsidehim, in such a so to say "collectiveness" that all the associationsautomatically proceeding in him, which being law-conformable resultsof the general functioning of his organism must always, as long as hebreathes, inevitably proceed, will totally cease to hinder him.Here it might as well be remarked that, according to authenticinformation which has reached us from the very ancient past, it isclearly stated that it was very definitely proved by learned persons thenthat these automatically flowing associations never cease while a manlives, and in certain people still continue to proceed after death forseveral days by momentum.In speaking of these associations which automatically flow in man, Imight as well, by the way, so to say "illuminatingly clarify" yet anotherat first glance insignificant aspect of the