Institute of Noetic Sciences

Fall 1986 Volume 14:2

Altruism: Self and Other

The work of the Institute of Noetic Sciences is inspired Founder of the Harvard University Research Center on Creative
by the belief that each of us harbors the potential to be and to Altruism, Sorokin defined "creative altruism" as the innate
do far more than we ordinarily experience or demonstrate. This capacity for unselfish service to others motivated by love.
concept of "human potential" is sometimes romanticized, His research was largely ignored at the time, but today his
sometimes ridiculed. However, if we avoid both temptations, findings yield useful insights as we reexamine the nature of
the desire to actualize this untapped potential can be seen to be creative altruism and ask how it might be fostered for the
both an inner urge and a social imperative. benefit of the individual as well as society.
What blocks a more complete understanding and Determined to learn more about creative altruism as a
(J
development of our innate potential? How can our most socially constructive character trait, Sorokin studied the life
socislly constructive potential-ur capacity for love, experiences of a number of "saints and good neighbors",
cooperation, s e r v i c e b e more fully developed or awakened? attempting to identify patterns in the ways altruism developed
Forty years ago a little-recognized researcher at Harvard
University, Pitirim Sorokin, was asking similar questions. to page 9...
 Institute of Noetic Sciences
475 Gate Five Road, Suite 300
Sausalito, California 94965 USA
415-33 1-5650

In Memoriam: Alan Jay Lerner

Fall 1986 Newsletter Volume 14:2
Editor: Barbara McNeill Contributing Editor: Thomas J. Hurley 111
On the morning of June 14, 1986, Alan Associate Editor: Carol Guion Printer: Skillful Means
Jay Lerner, the musical lyricist of a
generation and a director of the Institute of
Noetic Sciences since 1983, succumbed to
cancer and departed in peace. Alan's
Contents
interest in things noetic was probably not ALTRUISM: SELF AND OTHER. Institute staff report on the Exceptional 1
widely realized. Yet it was there: a belief Human Abilities Program, targeting "Creative Altruism" as a central research
in miraculous healing (the return to life of topic.
Sir Sagramore) and a deeper knowledge
sometimes available to us through mystical WAKING UP. Psychologist Charles T. Tart provides insights into the work 3
sources (such as Merlin), both in Camelot. of G. I. Gurdjieff, soon available through Tart's new book Waking Up, funded
An interest in the possibility of reincar- by a grant from the Institute of Noetic Sciences.
nation ( o n a Clear Day You Can See
Forever). The possibility of transcending
the restraints of time (Brigadoon) and of
HOW CAN I HELP? As a companion piece to the lead article on Altruism, 13
extraordinary personal growth or trans- Thomas J. Hurley III reviews a recent book by Ram Dass &d Paul Gonnan.
formation (My Fair Lady and Gigi). It was
timely and fitting that only last December RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF AND OTHER: TWO DIFFERENT 15
he received a Kennedy Center award for VIEWS. Also accompanying the lead article on Altruism is an excerpt from
distinguished contributions to the per- an article by Carol GilJigan which offers new insights into the ways we
forming arts. This culminated a career perceive "self' and "other".
where his recognition had been bestowed
nightly by the audiences who would go THE REENCHANTMENT OF THE WORLD. Excerpts from this highly 17
home singing "I Could Have Danced All recommended book are supplied by author Moms Berman, who perceives a
Night", or "If Ever I Should Leave You", or need for the recovery of "participating consciousness".
any of several dozen other hits that have
entered the mainstream of the world's
IS IT ALL IN THE MIND? Physiologist Benjamin Libet's research, which 22
modem musical tradition. His book on the
history of musical comedy will be
has implications for the concept of free will, is reviewed by Bruce Bower.
published later this year.
Alan is survived by three daughters and BOOK REVIEWS. Stanley Krippner reviews Different Doorwuy: Adventures 24
one son. ~i~ lovely wife ~i~Robertson is of a Caesarean Born, by Jane English; Thomas J. Hurley III reviews
a musical comedy star. Indeed, they met Multimind: A New Way of Looking at Human Behavior, by Robert Omstein.
when she interpreted the role of Liza
Doolittle in the .successful London revival SIGNS OF A WORLD AWAKENING. Martha Lyddon reports on activities 26
of My Fair Lady a decade ago. We offer of "Choosing Our Future", and "The Giraffe Project". Programs of "Ark
Liz and Alan's entire family our heartfelt Communications Institute" are also described.
sympathy. They, and we, have lost a
sensitive, creative, loving spirit who was MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION, PEACE PACKET, TOURS, BOOK 28
in many ways unique. We miss him.
ORDERING SERVICE
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Paul N. Temple I MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM AND ART CREDITS
1 1 Copyright O 1986 Institute. of Noetic Sciences
Board of Directors Henry Dakin Members Emeritus
The Institute of Noetic Sciences Founder: Edgar D. Mitchell Richard Davis L. 0. Crosby
was founded in 1973 to support research
and education on human consciousness. A Chairman: Paul Temple Joshua Mailman Marilyn Ferguson
tax-exempt, non-profit public foundation, Vice-chairman: Judith Skutch Whitson Claibome Pell John Fetzer
the Institute's purposes are to broaden President: Willis W. Harman
knowledge of the nature and potentials of Executive VP: Winston 0. Franklin
Henry Rolfs
Zoe Rolfs
Dorothy Lyddon
Glenn Olds
,-. 3
mind and consciousness, and to apply that VP for Research: Brendan O'Regan Carole Angermeir Taylor
knowledge to the enhancement of the qual-
ity of life on the planet. Secretary: Diane Temple Ian Watson
For membership information see Treasurer: Austin Marx Vicky Watson
pages 28-3 1. Communications Director: Barbara McNeill Marion Weber
Charles Brush William Whitson
 Waking Up
by Charles T. Tart

Note: Institute of Noetic

Sciences Board Member Henry Rolfs
has long recognized the importance of
the work of G. I. Gurdjieff (1877-
1949). Rolfs saw a need for a book on
this work, comprehensible to the
educated lay reader. He commissioned
psychologist Charles T. Tart, student of
Gurdjiefs work, to write such a book
through a grant from the Institute of
Noetic Sciences. We are proud to
announce the availability in December
of Tart's book, Waking Up, published
as part of the Institute of Noetic
Sciences Book Series.
Waking Up draws heavily on Tart's
own understanding of the work of
Gurdjieff, whose teachings have become
very popular in recent years. It is quite

'
\
different from the usual "Gurdjieff
said...If book, however. Waking Up is
an original formulation by an inter-
nationally known scientist, integrating
Gurdjieffs ideas with modern growth
psychology, research on altered states of
consciousness and trampersonal The Fourth Way as a System of Spiritual Growth
~sycholog~.
The book is in three major Gurdjieffs ideas contain so many all there is to Gurdjieff, though. His
sections. ''Possibilities" examines the useful psychological understandings and psychological ideas were imbedded in a
idea of enlightenment and the part techniques that it is possible to study very elaborate and sophisticated spiritual
played by altered states. What we could them on a purely psychological level. system. In common with many great
be is so far beyond our usual state, That is, you can profit from them spiritual systems, it is a worldview that
though, that Section 2 , "Problems", without any interest in or acceptance of sees the entire universe as an integrated,
goes into detailed examination of why "spiritual" ideas-ideas that we are more meaningful, and alive manifestation of
we live in a state of illusion. Section than our physical bodies. the Absolute. Humankind has a place
3, "Practices", describes specific In some ways this is fine. So and a function in this alive, evolving
methods of self-observation and self- much nonsense has been promulgated in universe. Our function interlocks with
remembering that can lead to waking up the name of the spiritual that our those beings higher on the scale of the
into higher states of consciousness. culture's aversion to it has many healthy universe, beings who would be
These practices are intended for use in aspects. At the same time I am considered "non-physical" or spiritual in
everyday life. The advantages of convinced that there are vital spiritual ordinary terms. That humankind has
working within a spiritual growth group realities, and if we do not come to terms fallen into the insanity of consensus
are discussed, as well as the dangers with them and spiritually evolve we and trance and lost touch with our true
inherent in such groups and teachers. our civilization will die. possibilities and functions is a tragedy.
The book ends with a chapter on Intelligence, discrimination, and The Fourth Way is not just a way of
intelligently selecting a spiritual path as personal experience are what is needed, optimizing programming in your
a personal experiment and includes a not blind belief or blind disbelief. organic biocomputer: it is a system of
"Spiritual Commitment Contract" I focus on Gurdjieff s teachings as a spiritual growth, eventually going
designed to maximize the learning psychology in this book because that is beyond organic, physical life as we
opportunities and minimize the risks of how I best understand them. I do not know it, so humans can regain their true
spiritual work. want to give you the impression that is function and happiness.
to page 5 . . .
 Our discussion of the human condition
centers around a basic but seldom accepted or
understood idea: We are "asleep", compared to what
we could be. We are caught in illusions while
thinking we are perceiving realio.
This book is about waking up in order to
create the foundation for an inner peace as well as a
greater effectiveness in the world. It is about the
psychological and cultural processes that create inner
conflict, delusion, unnecessary suffering, and hostil-
ity in us, that unnecessarily divide us from others
-4he processes that deepen our sleep. Few of us
may be in a position to have a decisive influence on
world peace, but cultivation of our own inner re-
sources can create peacefulness and effectiveness in
action in ourselves and the people we come in con-
tacr with, and this can spread. As we atrack those
near us less and care for them more, we start to have
effects on the kinds of political processes that need
enemies for hidden psychological reasons. It is my
hope that furrhering the creation of inner peace in
people will contribute to outer peace.

Richard Stine

. . . continued from page 3

Essence versus False Personality
The study of personality is one of the other hand, have frequently gratification in favor of some later goal
the major areas of specialization in condemned personality. Each of us is or too quick a temper.
modem psychology-I specialized in it (or could be) something far more basic Your parents and your culture
in my graduate training-and a and important than we are. To the begin shaping your development from
fascinating subject for almost everyone. extent that personality consumes our the moment of birth. Certain
Do I have a good personality or a bad vital energy andlor actively interferes manifestations of your essence are re-
one? Should I take a course on with the discovery, development, and warded, some are simply neglected,
improving my personality? manifestation of our deeper self, some are denied -and punished. This
By personality we usually mean an personality is an enemy of real growth. enculturation process is exceptionally
enduring and persisting set of attitudes, Gurdjieff expressed this traditional powerful because its agents are so
traits, motivations, beliefs, and response dichotomy as the conflict between capable and knowledgeable and you are
patterns that characterize an individual essence and false personality. so helpless and ignorant by com-
and distinguish him or her from others. Essence is what is uniquely you. parison. It is powerful because your
We value, defend, and cling to our You were born as a unique combination physical and emotional well being are at
personality, even when it has charac- of physical, biological, menral. stake, and because you have an inherent
teristics that cause suffering. emotional, and spiritual traits and social instinct, a desire to belong, to be
Modem psychology has recognized potentials. Most of this is only "normal".
that for some people the overall struc- potential ar birth, and may never With each surrender of an aspect of
ture of their personality is just so manifest unless the right circumstances our essential self, energy is taken fiom
pathological that they would be better are created by your world, or by you essence and channeled into supporting
off if it could somehow be destroyed and yourself later in life. Some of these our developing personality. The
@.$ replaced with a "normal" personality. potentials are highly desirable in a original meaning of "personaw-a mask
By and large, though, psychologists do universal sense, "the essential delight of used by actors-is apropos here.
not question the desirability of the blood", the capacity for love. Slowly we create a more and more
personality per se. Others may be troublesome if they comprehensive mask that is a socially
The great spiritual traditions, on develop, such as an inability to delay approved presentation of ourselves,
something that will get us acceptance
and approval, something that makes us
"normal", like everybody else. As we
identify more and more completely with
the mask, with personality, forget that
we are acting a role and become the role,
more and more of our natural energy
goes into personality, and essence
withers.
We can sublimate some aspects of
our essential nature that are not allowed
direct expression to partially salvage
them. A few may persist because our
culture happens to value them. For
many aspects of our essence, their
energy is either lost altogether or
sublimated into false personality.
Gradually, with noise and fog, the
traffic of consensus trance has smothered
the flowering of the vital spirit.
This denial can destroy our lives,
for essence is the vital part of us, the
truly living spark. It is the light that
was found in meadow, grove, and
stream, the earth and every common
sight. As false personality eventually
uses up almost all of our vital energy,
the light fades, and life is a mechanical,
automated set of habits.

False Personality Must Die In my study of marijuana than maintaining consensus trance.
We are our false personalities, and intoxication I found one of the most Sometimes we also need these skills to
yet . . . There is at least some essence common effects to be that of feeling correct characteristics of our essence that
still alive, still reachable. If there more childlike and open, an obvious are negative in our present reality, even
weren't, you probably would not be component of the drug's appeal. For if they are truly ours. Such correction
trying to grow. There is hope of real permanent results, though, we need to of essence must come from a more
change. rediscover essence and then nourish it, awakened state that has first revitalized
To really change, false personality parent it, love and cherish essence, as a essence, .however, not from the
must die. But not in a harsh, punitive more enlightened parent would have mechanical and roughshod suppression
way, not by way of superego attacks- done. and distortion of essence that occurs in
they are part of false personality too. Gradually essence can grow and enculturation.
The death of false personality should be begin to use the resources, knowledge, The idea that false personality must
a transfo~mationprocess, a recycling and power now automatically used by die is misleading when the superego
process, a skilled process based on the false personality. Instead of being the takes it up and uses it as fuel for more
knowledge gained through extensive self- usual, say, 2% essence and 98% false mechanical attacks on you. Yet the
observation. personality, you can get a gradual shift metaphor of death is quite accurate in
If you could just suddenly be your toward more and more essence, more and another way, for the magnitude of
essence, it would be a great relief for a more vitality and essential joy in life, change possible (and required) for full
while, but eventually quite tiring. and less and less false personality. This awakening is indeed like a death and
Essence stopped growing in early needs to be accompanied by the rebirth. As so many spiritual traditions
childhood, and it's difficult to live an development of the higher kind of have said in one fashion or another,
adult life as a child. Gurdjieff reportedly consciousness we are calling awakening. "Except ye become as little children. . ."
demonstrated this by temporarily Then false personality is "dead as a The theme of this section has been
returning a person to essence, using a dominant, automatized center of control, harsh. We have forgotten the world's
combination of unknown drugs and but all its skills and knowledge are history through corridors of light, our
hypnosis (P. D. Ouspensky, In Search available as a tool to be used from a lips are cold instead of touched with fire
of the Miraculous: Fragment of an higher level of consciousness. We need when we tell of the Spirit. But the
Unknown Teaching; Harcourt, Brace and the skills and knowledge now bound up light is part of our nature, and will not
World, 1949). in false personality for more vital goals go away.
 with, but the basic emotional knowl- generosity. Indeed, to avoid the pain of
edge must be readily available to rejection of t h i ~ tender, vital, loving
consciousness. part of ourselves we create active
Modem psychology has thought of defenses to live behind.
empathy as a late development func-
tion, but recent research is suggesting it The Vulnerability of Openness:
begins to develop within the first few When you give from your essence you
years of life. We could say it is an in- are open and vulnerable. You are being
nate part of our essential nature. It may your deep self. When that giving is
be partly related to bodilylinstinctive rejected, you feel rejected on a very deep
intelligence also, such that mimicking level. Suppose as a child you loved
others' postures and expressions helps your mother so much that you suddenly
us feel what they feel. gave her your most prized possession,
the dead frog you had been hiding in
Desire to Help Others: A your bedroom drawer for a week. To
third requirement for compassion is the you the frog is beautiful and you are
desire to help suffering beings find relief wide open, functioning from pure love.
from their suffering. My own feeling is To your mother the partly decayed frog
that this desire is natural, a part of our is filthy and disgusting, and she yells at
essence that is naturally aroused by the you: "Take that filthy thing out of the
empathic perception of others' suffering. house this minute and throw it in the
It is the defenses we have erected around garbage! Then go wash your hands!
ourselves, discussed below, that keep us You're a disgusting little boy!"
from being aware of this desire to help An experience like this can be
others. devastating. From your current adult
perspective you can understand why
Intelligence: A fourth require- your mother acted like that and forgive
ment for effective compassion stems it, but you weren't an adult when it
from the fact that compassion should happened, and you understood and
work in concert with intelligence. learned quite different things as a child.
Compassion Compassion is not just an exaggerated You learned that acting spontaneously
empathy, where you feel another's from love gets you into trouble. That
Breadth of Self-Knowledge: negative emotions very strongly. If that you must be mistaken as to what you
Compassion requires the development of was all there was to it, compassion think love is, or you wouldn't get such
several qualities. One is breadth of self- would be a crippling emotion. a reaction from someone who, you
knowledge: if you don't experience, Effective compassion 'thus in- believe, loved you. That you can't
recognize, and understand a wide range volves the application of intelligence depend on your own judgment. That
of human experiences in yourself, it (mental, emotional, bodylinstinctive, you are a disgusting little boy. That
will be difficult to adequately recognize spiritual) to eliminate the cause of being spontaneously loving leads to
and understand them in others. another's suffering, rather than just rejection, pain and confusion.
lessening the symptoms. This last Many of our childhood experiences
Empathy: A second requirement aspect is important for efficacy of are this dramatic, and there are many
for the development of compassion is results. more that aren't, but make up in
empathy. Empathy is a recognition of a frequency what they lack in individual
feelinglthinking state in another, plus intensity. Is it any wonder that you wall
an ability to at least partially experience Some Obstacles to Compassion off your essential self? That you lose
that same state in yourself. Thus To be compassionate is both touch with your essence and replace it
empathy ties in with self-knowledge. natural and satisfying, yet it is all too with "safe" behaviors, habits, learned
To recognize that someone is rare a part of human behavior. Why? feelings? The "safety" of your defense
"depressed", for example, could be done Let's look at some of the obstacles to is an illusion, of course, for any
in a cold, intellectual way. You could compassion. position that isolates you from know-
learn that certain facial expressions, ing what is really happening in your
body postures, and styles of speaking -Childhood Rejections of Our world leads to actions that are flawed.
usually mean that a person is Love: We have all had experiences of And your life now has a constant under-
"depressed". To also emotionally know loving someone and trying to give to current of anxiety from a new worry:
what it is like to feel depressed from him or her, but finding our love and suppose the defenses break down?
your own experience leads to the generosity rejected. Such experiences
experience of empathy. embitter us greatly, especially when we Attempts at Invulnerability:
This does not necessarily mean that are children. Consequently we are all You try to become invulnerable, so you
you must feel as depressed as the emotionally scarred (and scared!) when it won't hurt so much. Unfortunately you
depressed person you are empathizing comes to acting openly from love and usually do too good a job of it, walling
7
 off your natural love and compassion so work that I have been exposed to. no longer work, and some are
well that your life becomes dry and In 1984 I had the good fortune to dangerous. Some are merely fantasies
. stale. The many defense mechanisms, attend two lectures by the venerable about paths, some are dangerous neu-
which Gurdjieff calls "buffers", come
into play and our natural vitality is
Sogyal Rinpoche, a leading teacher of
Tibetan Buddhism in the West. The
roses disguised as paths. All genuine
paths require courage: courage to buck
8
stolen and automatically channeled into emphasis in Rinpoche's lectures was on the social tide, courage to see yourself
the habitual perceptions, thoughts, mindfulness, not just as a special as you really are, courage to take risks.
feelings, and body movements of false meditative practice but, more impor- Progress on any genuine path is a gift
personality. In adult life you may then tantly, mindfulness in everyday life. to us all, as well as a gain for yourself.
want to be compassionate and loving, The parallels with Gurdjieffs focus on
try to be that way, but you feel nothing. self-observation and self-remembering Humor
Worse yet, you are led astray down the were clear, but of even greater interest to I have used the word "serious"
subjective paths set up by false me was his specific emphasis on the several times now because deep desire
personality, experiencing the patho- active development of compassion for awakening is important to make it
logically distorted versions of "love" within the overall context of the possible. Our culture has too strong an
you were conditioned to accept in cultivation of mindfulness. I do not association between ideas of "serious",
childhood, so true compassion and love fully understand the ideas he presented in "spiritual", "gloomy", and "killjoy"
are absent. To note that this leads to terms of their comprehensive devel- though. We are looking for the light,
sterile lives, with far too much useless, and while we often must be serious, we
stupid suffering, is to put it mildly. must also be able to be light. Essential

-Avoiding the Pain of Incom-

Of great interest joy is not gloom, even though being
more awake sometimes makes you
petence: There is another important to me is the aware of and empathic with real
reason for staying defended and closed suffering. Take yourself and your goal
down. As children, and as adults, we active development seriously, but always cultivate the
had experiences where we were compas- capacity to laugh at yourself and your
sionate, we felt another's suffering and of compassion goal, and enjoy that laughter. Gurdjieff
tried to help, and it didn't work. was a master at using humor and acting
Lacking skillful means, our efforts to along with the in terribly bad taste in order to shock
help were to no avail, and all we did was people out of being overly serious. ,,
suffer without accomplishing anything. cultivation of Sometimes the best possible resolution
How easy to build up a feeling of to some "problem" in the structure of
"Don't notice, don't feel, then you won't
mindfulness. your false personality is to be able to
get hurt", the all too prevalent modem see how funny it is. Humor is
theme of not getting involved. absolutely essential on any spiritual
opment in the Tibetan Buddhist tra- path!
Cultivation of Compassion dition, but I want to share my personal
Most Gurdjieff work does not understanding of them, combined with Adapted from Waking Up by
encourage active development of love my psychological knowledge of com- Charles T. Tart; available in December
and compassion until after years of passion, in the hope that they may be of from the Institute of Noetic Sciences
practice of more basic work. If love and value to others . . . ordering service for the members' price
compassion were cultivated at the be- of $15.25 (hardcover); O 1986,
ginning-so the theory goes-before Seeking the Light Within Institute of Noetic Sciences; reprinted
you had much understanding of your There are many paths available for by arrangement with Shambhala
own mind and feelings, it would seeking the light within. To start, you Publications, Inc., 314 Dartmouth
probably result in the growth of more have to recognize that there is some- Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116.
illusions that would further support thing precious within to be found, irl
false personality. spite of our culture's pressure to keep us Charles Tart is professor of
This reasoning makes perfect sense externally oriented, looking for hap- psychology at the University of
to me, both intellectually and from piness by being a consumer of external California at Davis. He is well-known
personal experience. The development goods. You have to continually struggle for his writings on the systems
of mindfulness, self-understanding, self- against the social current, of course: approach to consciousness, state-
remembering [as discussed earlier in the people who go within are dangerous and specific sciences, converging operations ,

book] are clearly necessary. Balanced unpredictable, so society distrusts, methodology and for his experimental
development of all three major aspects discourages, and often punishes them work in parapsychology.
of our being-bodytintuition mind, The paths have led some people to Tart publishes The Open Mind, --
intellectual mind, emotional mind-is happiness, some to disappointment, available quarterly to members of the J
also necessary. Yet I have always felt a some to mild delusions, some to Institute of Noetic Sciences at a 25%
lack of more direct development exer- insanity. Some paths are powerful, discount. Please write the Institute for
cises for the heart in the basic Gurdjieff some may once have been effective, but further information.