Has Peat ever discussed Gurdjieff? I can’t imagine RP would consider Gurdjieff’s system of human development (The Work) to be a valid guide for dietary advice or daily practice, but the two do share a remarkably similar range of interests and topics of discussion (the limitations imposed by the language and culture, the importance of nutrition, and a general interest in improving individual well-being, etc). I would imagine someone as well read as Peat would at least be aware of the Gurdjieffian Work, and Gurdjieff does discuss health issues such as cancer. That being said, Gurdjieff was far more skeptical and conservative…
“… it is essential to remember that no arbitrary attempts to regulate food in the literal sense of the word, or breathing can lead to the desired end unless one knows exactly what one is doing and why, and what kind of result it will give. “ - PD Ouspensky quoting Gurdijeff, In Search of the Miraculous (pg 299)
'If you harm yourself with your way of chewing food, you harm yourself a thousand times more by the practice of this breathing. All the exercises in breathing which are given in books and taught in contemporary esoteric schools can do nothing but harm. Breathing, as every sane thinking man should understand, is also a process of feeding, but on another sort of food. Air, just like our ordinary food, entering the body and being digested there, disintegrates into its component parts, which form new combinations with each other as well as with the corresponding elements of certain substances which are already present. In this way those indispensable new substances are produced which are continuously being consumed in the various unceasing life processes in the organism of man.
….
“I repeat, our organism is a very complicated apparatus. It has many organs with processes of different tempos and with different needs. You must either change everything or nothing. Otherwise, instead of good you might do harm. 'Numerous illnesses arise just from this artificial breathing. In many cases it leads to enlargement of the heart, constriction of the windpipe, or damage to the stomach, liver, kidneys or nerves. 'It very rarely happens that anyone who practices artificial breathing does not harm himself irreparably, and this rare case occurs only if he stops in time. Whoever does it for a long time invariably has deplorable results. 'If you know every small screw, every little pin of your machine, only then can you know what you must do. But if you just know a little and experiment, you risk a great deal, because the machine is very complicated. There are many tiny screws which might easily be broken by a strong shock and which cannot afterwards be bought in any shop. 'Therefore—since you have asked me for it—my advice to you is: stop your breathing exercises.” - Gurdjieff, Meetings with Remarkable Men (pg. 189,191)
That being said, I don’t imagine Gurdjieff would necessarily be against giving hope to cancer patients or depressed people, but much of his advice (which was decidedly esoteric) seemed to be interested in maximizing individual potential, albeit from a "spiritual" perspective. From a personal perspective, I do feel moderately better after taking more of Peat's advice for the past ~1 year, though at my low points I do feel as dis-adapted and alienated from my life as I ever have.
Thoughts?
“… it is essential to remember that no arbitrary attempts to regulate food in the literal sense of the word, or breathing can lead to the desired end unless one knows exactly what one is doing and why, and what kind of result it will give. “ - PD Ouspensky quoting Gurdijeff, In Search of the Miraculous (pg 299)
'If you harm yourself with your way of chewing food, you harm yourself a thousand times more by the practice of this breathing. All the exercises in breathing which are given in books and taught in contemporary esoteric schools can do nothing but harm. Breathing, as every sane thinking man should understand, is also a process of feeding, but on another sort of food. Air, just like our ordinary food, entering the body and being digested there, disintegrates into its component parts, which form new combinations with each other as well as with the corresponding elements of certain substances which are already present. In this way those indispensable new substances are produced which are continuously being consumed in the various unceasing life processes in the organism of man.
….
“I repeat, our organism is a very complicated apparatus. It has many organs with processes of different tempos and with different needs. You must either change everything or nothing. Otherwise, instead of good you might do harm. 'Numerous illnesses arise just from this artificial breathing. In many cases it leads to enlargement of the heart, constriction of the windpipe, or damage to the stomach, liver, kidneys or nerves. 'It very rarely happens that anyone who practices artificial breathing does not harm himself irreparably, and this rare case occurs only if he stops in time. Whoever does it for a long time invariably has deplorable results. 'If you know every small screw, every little pin of your machine, only then can you know what you must do. But if you just know a little and experiment, you risk a great deal, because the machine is very complicated. There are many tiny screws which might easily be broken by a strong shock and which cannot afterwards be bought in any shop. 'Therefore—since you have asked me for it—my advice to you is: stop your breathing exercises.” - Gurdjieff, Meetings with Remarkable Men (pg. 189,191)
That being said, I don’t imagine Gurdjieff would necessarily be against giving hope to cancer patients or depressed people, but much of his advice (which was decidedly esoteric) seemed to be interested in maximizing individual potential, albeit from a "spiritual" perspective. From a personal perspective, I do feel moderately better after taking more of Peat's advice for the past ~1 year, though at my low points I do feel as dis-adapted and alienated from my life as I ever have.
Thoughts?
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