The Psychology of Mans Possible Evolution Book Review - By P.D. Ouspensky

Today I'm dropping knowledge bombs in this book review on P.D. Ouspensky's "The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution." In the video I break down this classic occult text chapter by chapter and provide actionable steps to apply Ouspensky's work to today.

1. I say P.S. Ouspensky instead of P.D. Ouspensky the whole video lol. My bad!
2. I only cover the first two lectures of this text in detail. The last three lectures are pretty weak and are just Ouspensky peddling his group too much.
3. A lot of the revelations in this book may seem "basic." However, like Ouspensky writes "he must acquire faculties and powers he also does not possess, but which he ascribes to himself; that is, he thinks that he knows them and can use and control them." Even the best of us struggle with holding a phenomenological awareness throughout the day. Hearing the fundamentals thousands of times is CRUCIAL.
4. Don't get sucked into any groups or ideologies created by Ouspensky and Gurdjieff. These are classic occult figures to study!

Quotes used in the book review from P.D. Ouspensky in "The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution"

"Psychology is sometimes called a new science. This is quite wrong. Psychology is, perhaps, the oldest science, and, unfortunately, in its most essential features a forgotten science."

"During the time when psychology was connected with philosophy and religion it also existed in the form of Art. Poetry, Drama, Sculpture, Dancing, even Architecture, were means for transmitting psychological knowledge. For instance, the Gothic Cathedrals were in their chief meaning works on psychology."

"First: systems which study man as they find him, or such as they suppose or imagine him to be. Modem ‘scientific’ psychology or what is known under that name belongs to this category."

"Second: systems which study man not from the point of view of what he is, or what he seems to be, but from the point of view of what he may become; that is, from the point of view of his possible evolution."

"Our fundamental idea shall be that man as we know him is not a completed being;"

"What does it mean that in the way of evolution man must become a different being?"

"The truth lies in the fact that before acquiring any new faculties or powers which man does not know and does not possess now, he must acquire faculties and powers he also does not possess, but which he ascribes to himself; that is, he thinks that he knows them and can use and control them."

"What does ‘different being’ mean?"

"Which inner qualities or features can be developed in man and how can this be done?"

"Why cannot all men develop and become different beings?"

"First, there is duration: How long one was conscious. Second, frequency of appearance: how often one became conscious.
Third, the extent and penetration: of what one was conscious, which can vary very much with the growth of man."

" yamas (abstinences), niyama (observances), asana (postures), pranayama (breathing), pratyahara (withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption)."