On another occasion, Beelzebub is describing his observation of a chemical experiment where red copper was produced and spread through a substance.  Beelzebub compared this chemical reaction to his observations of the accumulation of ‘corpses’ among your favorites:

“A rough parallel can be drawn between the occasional proceedings on your planet and the proceedings then in that small fragment of copper, if you imagine yourself high up and looking down upon a large public square, where thousands of your favorites, seized with the most intense form of their chief psychoses, are destroying each other’s existence by all kinds of means invented by them themselves, and that in their places there immediately appear what are called their ‘corpses,’ which owing to the outrages done to them by the beings who are not yet destroyed, change color very perceptively, as a result of which the general visibility of the surface of the said large square is gradually changed.  (p. 174)

When talking about the Hasnamussian sciences in Germany and their studies of ‘chemical substances,’ Beelzebub mentions the use of ‘neutralizing gases,’ described as ‘indiscriminate-destroyers-of-the-already-arisen.’ 

 “… there was then proceeding in the presences of the beings of their community, consequently in them themselves, what is called ‘the-most-intense-experiencing’ of the chief particularity of the psyche of the three-brained being of your planet, namely, ‘the-urgent-need-destroy-the-existence-of-others-like-themselves’—and indeed, the beings of that community were then fully absorbed in their process of reciprocal destruction with the beings of neighboring communities—these others thereupon at once ‘enthusiastically’ decided to devote themselves entirely to finding ways to employ the special properties of that gas for the speedy mass destruction of the existence of the beings of other communities. (pp. 427-8)

Beelzebub explains to Hassein how at the same time in the community of England, the beings who had become “expert in inventing and distributing to the beings existing over the whole surface of your planet, vast quantities of every kind of metalwares called there locks, razors, mousetraps, revolvers, scythes, machine guns, saucepans, hinges, guns, penknives, cartridges, pens, mines, needles and many other things of the same kind,”  were able to use their talents for inventing and distributing ‘metalwares’ to enable these processes of reciprocal destruction to proceed more easily. 

Beelzebub explains how both of these maleficent inventions were both used in what your favorites called the “World War:”

 
“It was plainly owing to the fact that during the said process what is called ‘poison gas’ was invented by beings called ‘Germans,’ and what are called special ‘rapid-fire machine guns’ by beings called ‘Englishmen,’ that the amount of Rascooarnos or deaths unforeseen by Nature took place on this occasion and in a far greater quantity than was then required by Her, or, as the candidates for Hasnamuss there, namely, the commercial businessmen, would say, ‘overproduction’ occurred in respect of the deaths of the three-brained beings required there.  (p. 1115)

A primary result of the fantastic sciences and inventions was the increasing ease with which your favorites could manifest that monstrous particularity of their psyche. 

Beelzebub describes the English as having become not only the inventors of such machine guns, but also as being “expert … in distributing” their metalwares.  In fact, in the topsy-turvy reality of modern times, the ‘philanthropic aid’ of community of England to other communities largely consists in distributing the means to enable such processes of warfare and reciprocal self-destruction: 

 
“The beings of that contemporary community have been the benefactors of the other contemporary beings of your planet, offering them, as they say there, ‘philanthropic aid,’ especially as regards their first being-duty, namely, the duty of carrying out from time to time the process of ‘reciprocal destruction.’

“Thanks to them, the discharge of that being-duty of theirs has gradually become for your contemporary favorites, the ‘merest trifle.’

“In the absence of those inventions it used to be exceedingly arduous for these poor favorites of yours to fulfill that being-duty, because they were formerly forced to spend a great deal of sweat for it.

“But thanks to the adaptations of every kind invented by those contemporary beings, it is now as again our esteemed Mullah Nassr Eddin says, ‘just roses, roses.’

“The contemporary beings now scarcely need to make any effort whatsoever in order to destroy completely the existence of beings like themselves.

“Sometimes sitting quietly in what they call their ‘smoking rooms’ they can destroy, just as a pastime, as it were, ten and sometimes even hundreds of others like themselves.  (p. 433)

 Imagine what Beelzebub would think of modern warfare with its arsenals of weapons for remote mass murder at the hands of the ‘power-possessing beings’ among us; all while the masses periodically feel such “urgent needs” to destroy the existence of other breathing creatures by one means or another.  Further, the powerful nations of the world give exactly such ‘philanthropic aid’ to lesser or third world countries to enable the power-possessing beings there to more simply carry out their Hasnamussian aims on local citizenry or against other communities.  [1]  

Cowardice and Fear

Beelzebub wanted to understand how those men-beings’ “essence is gradually brought to such a phenomenal being-ableness to destroy, for no rhyme or reason, the existence of other beings similar to themselves.”  (p. 526)   He concludes that this “terrifying periodic being-need” to destroy each others’ existence had been acquired over centuries due to the abnormal conditions of existence established there by past generations and which are perpetuated through the falsity of the educational system and within a society preoccupied with Hasnamussian sciences and inventions.  Beelzebub explores also the role of the moon, planetary influences, the role of Hasnamusses and power-possessing beings, and more, as all play some role in the perpetration of such horrors of warfare through the life of humankind. 

 When it comes to the role of psychological factors, Beelzebub elucidates the role of their dual consciousness system and crystallized egoism, with its associated cunning, envy, greed, haughtiness, servility, and all such unbecoming being-impulses.  However, Beelzebub also emphasizes the role of cowardice and fear:

“… during these processes, they usually instinctively at first refrain from such an unnatural manifestation, but later when every one of them already in the environment of the process itself willy-nilly sees and becomes convinced that the destruction of the existence of those similar to themselves proceeds so simply, and that the number of the destroyed always grows—well then, each of them involuntarily begins instinctively to feel and automatically to value his own existence.  And having become persuaded by his own eyes that the possibility of loosing his own existence depends, at the given moment, absolutely only on the number of beings of the enemy side not destroyed, then in consequence of the … impulse called ‘cowardice,’ and on account of the impossibility at each moment of reasonable deliberation by his being-mentation, weakened already without this, he begins from a natural feeling of self preservation to strive with all his Being to destroy as many as possible of the existences of the beings of the enemy side in order to have the greater chance of saving his own existence.  And gradually progressing in this feeling of self-preservation of theirs, they then reach that state, as they themselves say, of ‘bestiality.’  (p. 527)

The barbarous processes of reciprocal destruction are perpetuated through the instinctive fears and cowardice of the masses and a psychosis will spread through the population as they “eye that possibility of loosing their own existence.’

 Elsewhere, Beelzebub comments on the ‘cowardice’ within your favorites, even in their dealings with other one and two-brained beings:

 “… your favorites, thanks always to the same abnormal conditions of existence, have gradually become, as they themselves say, ‘cowardly’ from head to foot, and because at the same time the need of destroying the existence of others has been inculcated in them, also from head to foot.  And so, when they being already cowards ‘of the highest degree,’ are about to destroy the existence of the beings of these other forms, or when they chance to meet such beings … then they become ‘afraid,’ as they say there in such case, ‘to the point of wetness.’ 

 “At the same time, thanks to the inherent need in their presences to destroy the existence of other beings breeding on their planet, they at such moments contrive with their whole Being how to destroy the existence of these beings of other forms.  (pp. 877-8)

 Certainly there are a variety of unbecoming being-impulses formed within your favorites, destroying not only each others’ existence, but also that of the one and two brained beings.

This vignette illustrates how when such ‘power-possessing beings’ ponder on such issues, “their thoughts flow in all directions without any intentional exertion of any part whatsoever of their presence.”

The next step in this cosmic tragedy is the complete degradation of the objectives of these individual as they find their way back to their self interest and greed:  Beelzebub continues:

“Such a monstrous need arises in their abnormal psyche because they expect certain egoistic profits from these processes … and with their degenerated mentation they even hope that the greater the scale of the next processthe greater the extent of the said profits to be obtained, either personally for themselves or for their nearest. 

“It even happens there, my boy, that certain of the power-possessing and important beings among your favourites unite and form a special society with the aim of jointly finding out and actualizing in practice some possible means for the abolition of this archcriminal property of theirs. (pp. 1061-2)

Power-possessing and important beings have united at times to form “special societies” for the eradication of warfare.  Beelzebub briefly summarizes the results of one such historical society:

 “But owing to their various personal egoistic and vain-glorious aims, the ordinary terrestrial important and power-possessing beings who had then assembled, very soon quarrelled among themselves and went their ways home without accomplishing anything.”  (p. 1063)

Beelzebub reports to Hassein that during his last visit to Earth, such a new society was being talked of, called the ‘League of Nations’ (the precursor to United Nations).  According to Beelzebub, the problem is that “the beings with objective Reason do not happen to be in these societies,” because they are not ‘important.’  And what does it mean to be ‘important’?  Beelzebub explains:

“In the course of observations during my last sojourn there I cleared up, among other things, that the beings with objective Reason do not happen to be in these societies for the following reasons:

“The point is that in order to participate in any society whatsoever, a being must always of necessity be important and such a being there among them, thanks once again to the abnormally established conditions of being-existence, can only be one who either has a great deal of money or who becomes what is called ‘famous’ among the other beings there.

“And since especially during recent times only those beings can become famous and important among them in whom the mentioned sacred function, namely ‘being-conscience,’ is entirely absent, then in consequence of the fact that this sacred function in the presences of beings is in general always associated with everything that represents and is Objective Reason, then, of course, those three-brained beings with Objective Reason always have conscience as well, and consequently such a being with conscience, will never be ‘important’ among the other beings. 

“That is why the beings with Pure Reason there never have had and never will have the possibility of taking part in the societies of beings who are formed of important and power-possessing beings. (pp. 1069-70)

No one with Objective Reason or ‘conscience’ would ever be ‘important’ among the other power possessing beings on that ill-fated planet, and hence, they would have no chance of ever taking part in such ‘special societies.’  Instead, Beelzebub characterizes the emotional developmt of the power possessing beings, who “in respect of Being are only perfected to the degree … defined by the notion expressed in the following words: ‘Look! Look! He already begins to distinguish mama from papa.” (p. 1066)

            “… will achieve personally for themselves by this new contrivance of theirs one ‘most formidable’ and ‘most useful’ result, namely, thanks to this ‘official society’ of theirs, they will have still another as it is said very plausible excuse for drawing wool over the eyes of their what are called ‘proprietresses,’ who are for these terrestrial contemporary power-possessing beings either their ‘wife,’ ‘mistress,’ ‘mother-in-law,’ or finally, the ‘assistant’ in some large store, and so on.

         “Whereupon, thanks to this new official society of theirs, they will have the opportunity of passing the time tranquilly among their friends, important and power-possessing beings like themselves, and at these official ‘five o
’clocks’ which without doubt will be very often arranged ostensibly for affairs connected as it were with the aims of this important official society of theirs, they will be able to pass the time without the silent though
terrifying glances and watchfulness on the part of their ‘proprietresses.’
(pp. 1066-1067)

In addition to escaping the watchful eye of their proprietresses, enjoying ‘five o’clocks’ and ‘Don-Quixoting,’ and the advantages of being with other power possessing beings, Beelzebub suggests that such a society will also offer other advantages:

Beelzebub explains that such societies may begin with some individuals who actually do feel some ‘resurrected conscience’ over previous wars, particularly when they happen to have suffered personal loses, but then very soon, the society has to involve new members:

“These latter enter and take part in the tasks of such societies not because their conscience also begins to speak—far from it.  They join only because, according to all those same abnormally established conditions of ordinary being-existence, they, being important and power possessing, must as a matter of course be members of and participate in every ‘important’ society.

“When these other terrestrial important and power-possessing beings enter such societies and also begin to participate in their affairs, then they, with their personal egoistic and vainglorious aims, as a rule not only very soon send all the tasks of the society and everything that has been done by the beings with ‘resurrected consciences’ as is said ‘flying up the chimney,’ but as a rule, they also very soon, as it is also said there, ‘put genuine spokes into the wheels of the first founders of these societies.’

“And therefore, these societies of beings which are formed there for common-planetary welfare always quickly die—and die, as I already told you, even without ‘death agony.’  (p. 1068)

Beelzebub’s tales are rich in such surrealistic humour and portray most vividly the horror of the situation and the strangeness of the human psyche as evident on that ill-fated planet Earth.  Serious undesirable qualities have become crystallized in humans, who are no longer capable of sincere and active mentation but controlled by the reflexes of the stomach, sexual itching, self-calming, greed and the need to escape the watchful eye of their proprietresses.

Gurdjieff, as Beelzebub, provides a dismal view of the psychopathology of humankind, the causes of war and your favorites’ inability to eradicate it.  Beelzebub explains simply that any three-brained being who had attained Objective Reason and experienced Objective conscience, “will never be ‘important’ among the other beings” and hence such societies are doomed to failure.  [1]

Beelzebub explains to Hassein that in former times on Earth there had existed special societies of genuine initiates, who had acquired in their presences “objective data” —as a result of their own conscious labors and intentional suffering, and which could be sensed by those around.  However, during the last two centuries, the term ‘initiate’ came to mean something quite different:

 “… those beings call each other by this name who belong to those what are called there ‘criminal gangs’ which in the said period have greatly multiplied there and whose members have as their chief aim to ‘steal’ from those around them only ‘essence-values.’

“Under the pretence of following ‘supernatural’ or ‘mystic’ sciences, these criminal gangs there are really occupied, and very successfully, with this kind of plunder.

“And so, any and every genuine member of such a gang there is called an initiate.

“There are even ‘great-initiates’ among these terrestrial initiates, and these great-initiates especially at the present time, are made out of those ordinary initiates of new formation who in their ‘virtuoso-affairs’ pass, as is said there, through ‘fire-water-copper-pipes-and-even-through-all-the-roulette-halls-of-Monte-Carlo.’  (p. 350)

 Beelzebub’s remarks suggest that the special and secret societies devolve into criminal gangs, robbing the common peoples of ‘essence-values’ while plundering them.  Beelzebub’s final cryptic references to the ‘great-initiates,’ their ‘virtuoso-affairs’ and the roulette halls of Monte-Carlo, would seem to be in reference to the Rothschild dynasty of European bankers, infamous for just such affairs, for owning many such halls and for concocting innumerable wars and rebellions, while deceiving the populace through their own media and propaganda.  [2]  [3]

 Such important new initiates and power-possessing beings in fact do nothing to help eradicate such processes of reciprocal destruction, but instead help to finance them.  As Beelzebub notes:

 “These terrestrial power-possessing and important beings, particularly the contemporary ones, at times do not frustrate such national affairs from which they might expect considerable gain personally for themselves or for the beings of their own caste.  (pp. 1064-5)

 My goodness, how things change and yet remain the same.