‘Beryl Pogson was a pupil of Dr. Maurice Nicoll for nineteen years and his secretary for fourteen years and was one of the small group who lived with him and Mrs. Nicoll at the houses where The Work was carried on: Tyeponds, Birdlip, Quaremead and Great Amwell House. Many of her writings were originally published privately for the benefit of her students but much has now been republished and has become more widely known.’[1]

 

 

“Ouspensky goes on:

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Thus in order to become receptive to the higher matters or influences he has to produce in himself sufficient corresponding hydrogens to set his higher centres working. (The Fourth Way, page 232)

 

“We can think of them in religious terms as the Holy Ghost, the blessing of Christ or, scientifically, as energies. These doors to higher centres are shut in many people. Their emotions are on the opposites on the pendulum.[2]

 

…

 

“The second enneagram diagram represents complete man. … This is the diagram that shows spirit. We spoke at Whitsuntide about the disciples at Pentecost: this is the moment when they became complete, because they were at unity in the spirit. The spirit was able to enter, and its presence made each man at unity in himself and with the others.

 

“The central triangle of the enneagram represents what is divine in man. It is described technically as the result of three shocks which occur during man’s regeneration. The shock of air which comes in during the food octave is for every man. It is linked to the shock at Do 48 when a man is able to transform impressions. This shock has to be given many, many times so that one takes life differently. This shock is given when a man remembers he has the energy of consciousness, Si 12, and can behave in a new way.

 

“The second conscious shock is the culmination of the transformation of emotional centre. Before this can happen, the centre has to be redeemed, as it were, turned from self-love to something inner, to see what is divine in other men. In the beginning, we were told very little about second conscious shock, and I first got the clue to it from a reply that Dr Nicoll sent to someone. The reply was: ‘To prepare for second conscious shock you have to give yourself the first conscious shock continually in order to gain enough energy to work on negative emotions.

 

“This is a diagram representing man as the image of God. The triangle is the inmost part of a man, the power in the heart that gives him control. Through this power all people who are near the centre of their being are near the centre of all the others and near to Christ. 

 

“The spiritual energy which is able to enter through higher centres is connected and reinforced by the third force from a very high place in the universe. The third force of mercy, the reconciling force, descends all the way down. So, you see, when the disciples received the Holy Spirit they were connected with the power from this high place.

 

Q: It is no wonder we can’t conduct compassion.

 

“Yes, it is the last of the virtues because our hearts aren’t big enough. I observed over the years how Dr Nicoll’s heart became larger and larger. You can see if the task of redeeming the emotional centre goes on the effect is that one has more energy and attention to give to people, even to strangers, to other nations, but it is a very gradual process.[3]

 

 

 

[1] Beryl Pogson, Mind and Energy, compiled from meeting notes by Bob Hunter (The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2008), pp. 109. [hereafter Mind and Energy]

[2] Pogson, Mind and Energy, pp. 51.

[3] Pogson, Mind and Energy, pp. 71-72.

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