Real Freedom

Real Freedom

From our friend Lindsey V. of the New York Center.

Freedom is first of all freedom from identification. - G. I. Gurdjieff

What is this thing called identification? How do you recognize it? For me, it is a sense of contraction, a state of being so completely absorbed in or fascinated by whatever has captured my attention that I forget myself entirely. Nature offers the example of a cat ready to pounce at a bird. Presence and identification are mutually exclusive states.

Identification is not an occasional occurrence it is how we spend most of our lives. When we identify with a thought, an emotion, an event or a person, our awareness narrows and becomes focused entirely on the current object of identification. There seems to be a ‘stickiness’ to the object of identification that keeps our attention glued to the object and the present moment shrinks to that object. When one is not present, one is in a state of identification; only the object and degree of identification change.

Identifying is the chief obstacle to self-remembering. A man who identifies with anything is unable to remember himself. In order to remember oneself it is necessary first of all not to identify. - G. I. Gurdjieff

Living in New York City, we recently experienced a large-scale example of identification. The New York Knicks, the home basketball team, made it to the NBA championship for the first time in 27 years. As the Knicks came closer to winning the championship title, crowds in the sports bars on our block grew, first overflowing onto the sidewalks and then into the busy avenue. Eventually, there were so many enthusiastic fans in the street that the NYPD sent patrol cars to close off several lanes and protect the fans who were so identified that they were in danger walking into traffic. This is one sports example, but we can see similar behavior at the movies, cultural events, and political rallies. Gurdjieff writes

‘Oddly, when people see identification in themselves, they call it ‘enthusiasm,’ zeal,’ passion,’ spontaneity,’ inspiration.’

The work begins with observing identification in ourselves without trying to change it. All negative emotions require identification, and negative emotions are usually vivid enough to be clearly recognized. Observing incidences of irritation, anger, impatience, jealousy, and self-deprecation can be a good place to begin. Occasions of inner considering, which is identification with what we think other people think of us, vanity, humiliation, or finances, are some other common areas of strong identification. Many observations may be after the fact, but these are still useful. Underlying all these manifestations is the fundamental identification of taking each of our many thoughts and feelings as ‘I.’

Over time, these observations create a separation between the observer and mechanical states, making space for moments of presence. This is the beginning of real freedom.

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Narcissus, Caravaggio