To put it kindly, there are quite distinct cult-like “characteristics” in the Gurdjieff groups I am aware of, and probably in many others, if not even all. This said the people I know and have worked with and/or have met from various groups are in my experience good people. Please read the first message on this topic, as though I didn’t go into the cult aspect, I began to lay the foundation for the presentation of key material.
It is necessary to mention the cult aspect because after reading messages here some may consider joining one or another of these groups, so it is by my conscience necessary to give a warning. Also, if you are a member of a Gurdjieff group, I acknowledge that because of your participation you may from various angle have a greater level of understanding than the average person though imo in terms of the possibility of a more comprehensive individual development, this could be a downfall. The group I was in I sadly and reluctantly qualify as an actual cult, though it took me decades to begin to little by little realize this and then consciously face it. Btw this group is not the Gurdjieff Foundation. I have a somewhat limited familiarity with the approach of that group of good people who have always been welcoming to me, and I will maybe later share my understanding about this group, which group I do not recommend to join. This said, finding the Gurdjieff teaching at age twenty was the single most significant experience of my life. I am infinitely grateful I was exposed to the teaching of Gurdjieff and will be sharing A LOT more about this.
A question arises: was this teaching as Gurdjieff himself originally presented it also a cult? The answer is very probably, even definitively, yes, BUT, this is a yes, but:-) 🙂 To go deeper and glean, it is necessary to first explore the question of what actually IS a cult.
Deconstructing Krishnamurti 