What is The Essential Being?

In Gurdjieff's system of conscious development, known as The 4th Way, there are two distinct aspects of a person that everyone has: an innate or essential self and another that forms due to life experiences, family, and society. The first is referred to as Essence, and the latter as Personality. Upon reflection, many would agree that we often aren't our true selves around others, but when alone or with someone very close, we can lower our defenses and experience a more genuine, natural state. This experience is crucial to all areas of our lives and should be a lifelong pursuit of self-study for those interested. In this article, I aim to explore these two concepts in terms of how we express ourselves physically through posture and movement, and to question what constitutes an essential physical expression of the self.

Essence- The True Self

Our essence, our true nature is what we are born with; it is our inner child. It comprises a blend of inherited genetics, influences during gestation, and even planetary alignments at the time of our conception and birth. This essential being possesses characteristics, tendencies, and preferences that are innate, as well as unique ways of experiencing and expressing life. In reality, this inner child represents the true self. Contrary to the popular understanding of the term, this inner child is intended to mature, though it often does not.

Viewing this inner being as a seed might be a more precise metaphor than using a child. A seed can remain dormant until all the right conditions are met. When the appropriate combination of soil, sunlight, and water is present, it starts to grow, and if these conditions remain supportive, it will mature. As the plant or tree grows, it functions as nature intended, but in its own unique manner. Relating this to human development and expression raises the question, "What is natural?"

Our Inner Being is Like a Seed that may Grow into a Tree

Personality- How We Relate to the World

Humans are inherently social beings, born into a world shaped by social conditions. Our development relies heavily on the presence of our community and society. Without this support, feral children fail to acquire essential skills such as walking and talking at the appropriate stages of development, and most lost or abandoned children would not survive long after being separated from their caregivers. Interdependence is crucial for our development as humans, a trait honed through evolution. However, there is also the question of inner evolution, the growth of our inner selves. When we interact with family and society, a unique interface begins to form, enabling us to navigate the human-created world. Gurdjieff referred to this as Personality.

This personality is usually what we encounter when interacting with each other. It is shaped by life experiences and the social environment. Seeing beyond this conditioning to something deeper within a person is quite challenging. To us, it seems to encompass the entire individual, but this should be questioned, especially during moments of silence when one can connect with something deeper, something more naturally flavored. However, this experience is often quickly redirected into the automatic behaviors and reactions that have formed around the inner being, and our life experiences remain at the outer layer that has developed around us, not penetrating deeply to nourish the inner being. In Gurdjieff's Work, it is said that children are more essence than personality until they reach a certain age, with this personality beginning to form around 5 or 6 years old. His work involves helping people of any age connect with and express their inner being, their essential nature.

The Physical Reality

Since this is a Rolfing blog, you might be wondering how this relates to posture and movement. This concept has practical applications through direct experience. The type of self-observation needed to distinguish essence from personality is more than just a mental exercise. It involves focusing on the body's sensations in the present moment, a practice Gurdjieff called Self-Remembering, along with observing behaviors, known as Self-Observation. These two principles are central to Gurdjieff's teachings and should be practiced in daily life, not just contemplated from a distance.

We all have habits—physical, mental, and emotional. While often helpful, these habits can hinder our true expression and life experiences. Physical habits are closely connected to mental states. For instance, a mental state can lead to a physical posture, like slouching when feeling defeated. Conversely, physical states can influence mental states, such as sitting upright with a straight spine, which is ideal for meditation. To alter your mental state, consider adjusting your posture. To change your physical state, try releasing mental tension. Both mental and physical tension can obstruct genuine self-expression and prevent life impressions from reaching the self. We all possess physical habits that hinder good posture and natural movement. Some habits are compensation patterns from past injuries. Even if the injury has healed, the compensation pattern may persist, potentially causing strain and pain. As Rolfers, we aim to address these strain patterns to enable natural movement and posture. This involves breaking old standing and movement habits and exploring new ones through slow movement, as we often revert to old habits when we move quickly.

To truly understand movement and posture as they relate to our essential nature, consider observing animals in their natural habitats. Have you ever seen a clumsy squirrel or deer? Perhaps when they are young, but animals quickly learn to move efficiently. If you have a pet dog or cat that doesn't, this might be due to domestication. Despite the impact of personality in limiting the development of one's inner being, as social creatures, we need it. It's part of being human. As an experienced Movements instructor in Gurdjieff's work once told me, "Without it, the bank would take your money instead of giving you your money." These ideas revolve around living in balance; for most of us, our personality is overdeveloped at the cost of our inner being. From a Rolfer's perspective, the question is how we can achieve a more authentic expression of posture and movement.