METAPHYSICAL NUMBER
DuVersity Online, Sunday May 30th 2021
The next session in our series ‘invitation to conversation’ tackles a wide-ranging subject. Numbers are one of the most ancient and universal classes of symbol. They help us deal with material and economic things but also enable us to express an understanding of the creation and cosmos. They embrace counting and separate objects but also togetherness and wholeness. John Bennett, like David Bohm, thought that there could be an infinite range of kinds of wholeness. Wholeness was more than oneness.
Gurdjieff spoke of fundamental laws that enable the universe to exist. History of the subject is vast and includes astronomy, music, gods, creation and harmony. In our session we can include only a few fragments of this immense legacy. All cultures of the world have in them elements of ancient wisdom which have survived and adapted into modern times. Part of the work that Bennett pioneered under the heading of what he called systematics, led him to trawl through both ancient and modern manifestations of a way of understanding based on the metaphysics of number.
Beside myself, the conversation will include Jason Joslyn, who has been largely responsible for the technical implementation of our DuVersity online programs. A programmer of wide interests, he has been connected with Anthony for decades. We are also to be joined by Daniel Proudfoot who specific contribution will be concerned what is called LogoVisualTechnology, or LVT for short, a method that arose from Bennett’s invention of structural communication, itself derived from systematics. He has been developing software for LVT and you will be invited to engage with this process during our session.
There will also be a contribution on music by Ruben Yassevan, who has appeared on our programs online and in person many times. He is a classical pianist and composer. Music is an essential part of the history of metaphysical number and, of course has its historical roots in the ideas of Pythagoras, though they stretch back for thousands of years before him.
Though we title our session as a metaphysics, it concerns all dimensions of creation including our practical problem solving. In its simplest expression we can say that systematics is a way of thinking.
We cannot begin to give you the whole story or even a part of it in the limited time we have. It is possible, if enough interest is shown, that we can mount a more focused series of sessions unfolding the depths of the subject. We shall see. For the moment, we can share glimpses of fragments, perhaps reminiscent of Ouspensky’s title for his book on Gurdjieff’s teaching: ‘fragments of an unknown teaching’. Our hope is that you can get a taste of the ‘honey’ that has been captured in number and be inspired to follow the trail to make discoveries for yourself, as we have.
Our conversation will be a microcosm of the plenum of conversation over the ages.
Further Biographical Information on the Conversationalists.
Daniel Proudfoot
With an early interest in understanding just how it is that the world works, he started taking apart his Mother’s favorite alarm clock. When this did not satisfy his curiosity he attended a Claymont Society Basic Course, studied Systematics with Saul Kuchinsky, Sophiagenics with Edward Matchett and various programs with the DuVersity organization.
He experienced the ability of LogoVisual Technology (LVT) to enhance deep communication between people after being exposed to a demonstration of LVT at a DuVersity seminar.
He was convinced that LVT is a transformative technology but is limited by the necessity of various physical implements that are not always available when dialogue is engaged.
He addressed this need by developing a computer-based application for LVT. Various events have happen in the world that now allow for this application to be used by people around the world simultaneously.
The adoption of this technology is now at the earliest of stages.
He will be modifying the application as we learn more about the appropriate form this communication needs to take for future needs.
Jason Joslyn
At an early age discovered a series of books and ideas that still serve as a dynamo and launching point. A fascination was kicked off relating to "big questions" of the nature of reality, patterns of experience, natural philosophy, and the technology of artificial worlds.
Some of these catalyst source ideas come from Ouspensky, Gurdjieff, and Bennett. David Bohm on physics and new holistic paradigms. Howard Rheingold on "Tools for Thought" and "Virtual Reality". And Joseph Campbell on comparative mythology and archetypal narratives and symbols.
These early influences have proved to be an inexhaustible inspiration source for continual research and study into diverse new subject areas.
Jason works in software engineering and specializes in creating new Virtual Reality applications, having received a crash course in the field while working at a pioneering VR company in the 1990s.
Studying how to synthesize sensory experiences and develop compelling narrative content for them has proved to be a fruitful parallel to the ongoing study of "the big ideas".
Anthony Blake
Born 1939, he has six children and three grandchildren and lives in Scotland. His academic background was in physics and the philosophy of science. Early influences were John Bennett in the 4th way, David Bohm in quantum theory, Edward Matchett in creative design, and Patrick de Mare in dialogue, amongst others. He has a great love of cinema, music, painting and comics. He was a student of Bennett over 14 years and participated in the educational research he initiated, including the latter’s ‘Sherborne Experiment’ when he undertook collating and editing his last talks into several books. His own writings have included the themes of Time, Intelligence, the Enneagram and Dialogue.
He is currently working with Joseph Azize on writing a book on the life and work of Bennett. Director of Research for the non-profit DuVersity, he has been developing online programmes aimed at continuing innovation including the media of the arts, especially theatre. Part of his output has been a series of recordings of Gurdjieff’s writings, which has recently extended into writing ‘new’ Beelzebub texts for a small group called ‘The Beelzebub Players’.
