John Bennett: mental energies
Oct. 11th, 2006 11:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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John Bennett made much use of a four-fold distinction of ’mental energies’.
This scheme was based on two important phenomenological factors:-
1. That we are both mechanical and creative beings. We are both conditioned
and free. The influences which come from both mechanicality and creativity
are ’unconscious’, out of sight of our awareness. They can appear identical
but need to be distinguished as ’sub-conscious’ and ’supra-conscious’.
2. That we have a double kind of awareness. In one kind, we are just aware
of what is ’outside’ of ourselves. In the other, we can be aware of both inside
and outside; of the see-er as well as what is looked at.
These two distinctions enable us to set up a four-fold scheme. The first
distinction is between automatic and creative. The second, between
consciousness (proper) and sensitivity ( which is simply reactive). What do
each of these four energies enable us to do? What is their corresponding ’work’?
Creative - this energy enables us to ’originate’. It gives a ’new beginning’ outside
of our automatic repertoire. Creative impulses do not arise from our consciousness
but from the supra-conscious. Every act of free attention involves this energy.
Sensitive - this energy enables us to ’notice’. When something unusual happens,
or when we have to do something that we do not have a complete programme for,
we have to be sensitive. Sensitivity is at work in our reactions, which can be of
high intensity. Pain and pleasure come from sensitivity.
Conscious - this energy enables us to ’understand’. In the Gurdjieff tradition,
to understand is ’to do’ and is not limited to thought. However, an important
example is in understanding a difficult text. In one moment, one can ’see’ what it
means whereas before this was not possible. No amount of sensitive energy can
provide what consciousness does. Conscious energy enables us to see the whole
in the part and the part in the whole. It also gives us contact with ourselves, and
enables us to be detached in the midst of sensitive intensity.
Automatic - this energy enables us to ’perform’. It is the energy we use in driving
a car, once we have learned how to do so. The automatic energy operates in
walking, speaking and even in thinking. Everything we do involves some ’programming’
John Bennett made much use of a four-fold distinction of ’mental energies’.
This scheme was based on two important phenomenological factors:-
1. That we are both mechanical and creative beings. We are both conditioned
and free. The influences which come from both mechanicality and creativity
are ’unconscious’, out of sight of our awareness. They can appear identical
but need to be distinguished as ’sub-conscious’ and ’supra-conscious’.
2. That we have a double kind of awareness. In one kind, we are just aware
of what is ’outside’ of ourselves. In the other, we can be aware of both inside
and outside; of the see-er as well as what is looked at.
These two distinctions enable us to set up a four-fold scheme. The first
distinction is between automatic and creative. The second, between
consciousness (proper) and sensitivity ( which is simply reactive). What do
each of these four energies enable us to do? What is their corresponding ’work’?
Creative - this energy enables us to ’originate’. It gives a ’new beginning’ outside
of our automatic repertoire. Creative impulses do not arise from our consciousness
but from the supra-conscious. Every act of free attention involves this energy.
Sensitive - this energy enables us to ’notice’. When something unusual happens,
or when we have to do something that we do not have a complete programme for,
we have to be sensitive. Sensitivity is at work in our reactions, which can be of
high intensity. Pain and pleasure come from sensitivity.
Conscious - this energy enables us to ’understand’. In the Gurdjieff tradition,
to understand is ’to do’ and is not limited to thought. However, an important
example is in understanding a difficult text. In one moment, one can ’see’ what it
means whereas before this was not possible. No amount of sensitive energy can
provide what consciousness does. Conscious energy enables us to see the whole
in the part and the part in the whole. It also gives us contact with ourselves, and
enables us to be detached in the midst of sensitive intensity.
Automatic - this energy enables us to ’perform’. It is the energy we use in driving
a car, once we have learned how to do so. The automatic energy operates in
walking, speaking and even in thinking. Everything we do involves some ’programming’
