Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky) · 74 of 225 · tr. Nicholas Bessaraboff and Claude Bragdon
Chapter IX (part 9)
Only after four days did he begin to discern them, and after an interval of two weeks, when his eyes were accustomed to the light, he started to use his sight practically, for the discernment of objects.
He was shown all the colors of the spectrum and he learned to distinguish them very soon, except yellow and green, which he confused for a long time.
The cube, sphere and pyramid, p.
100 when placed before him seemed to him like the square, the flat disc, and the triangle.
When the flat disc was put alongside the sphere he distinguished no difference between them.
When asked what impression both kinds of figures produced on him just at first, he said that he noticed at once the difference between the cube and the sphere, and understood that they were not drawings, but was unable to deduce from them their relation to the square and to the circle, until he felt in his finger tips the desire to touch these objects.
When he was allowed to take the cube, sphere and pyramid in his hands he at once identified these solids by the sense of touch, and wondered very much that he was unable to recognize them by sight.
He lacked the perception of space, perspective.
All objects seemed flat to him: though he knew that the nose protrudes, and that the eyes are located in cavities, the human face seemed flat to him.
He was delighted with his recovered vision, but in the beginning it fatigued him to exercise it: the impressions oppressed and exhausted him .
For this reason.
though possessing perfect sight, he sometimes turned to the sense of touch as to repose.
§ Ask Guru about this passage →Themes
Body As Obstacleanthropology
The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.
The subject finds visual impressions oppressive and exhausting, turning to touch for repose, suggesting the physical senses can be burdensome or limiting.
All passages →Mechanical Humanityanthropology
Gurdjieff and Ouspensky's claim that ordinary human beings live in a state of waking sleep, reacting mechanically without unified will or consciousness, and that the spiritual path begins with recognising this condition.
The passage illustrates the limitations and associative nature of ordinary human perception (confusing colors, lacking depth), which exemplifies Ouspensky's concept of mechanical humanity.
All passages →Related passages · 9 parallels
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Shared concept: Body As Obstacle — The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return. (derived)
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Shared concept: Body As Obstacle — The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return. (derived)
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Shared concept: Body As Obstacle — The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return. (derived)
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Shared concept: Body As Obstacle — The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return. (derived)