The Prosperos

A group stemming from the "Fourth Way" philosophy of Georgei Ivanovitch Gurdjieff founded in 1956 by Thane Walker, a charismatic student of Gurdjieff, and Phez Kahlil. The Prosperos were chartered in Florida, but moved around the country, and they reported a some 3,000 members in California.

The Prosperos believed in One Mind and claimed that reality can be experienced only from its perspective by removing the distortions of the senses and memory that hide the true self. This was generally in accord with traditional mystical teaching, but whereas the way of the fakir is through willpower, the yogi through intellect and the monk through emotions, the "Fourth Way" was available to individuals within world experience. The Prosperos believed that God is pure consciousness and use five processes to achieve identification of the individual with the One Consciousness: 1) Statement of Being (the facts of reality);2) Uncovering the Lie or Error (the claims of the senses); 3) Argument (resting of claims); 4) Summing up the Results; and 5) Establishing the Absolute.

Lectures and classes were conducted on such topics as "Translation," and "Releasing the Hidden Splendor," and there was also an inner circle named High Watch, for those who complete three classes of development.

The name "Prosperos" derived from the magician Prospero in Shakespeare's play The Tempest. Through his magical powers, Prospero could interpret, project, rationalize and imagine life as he wishes, but on his island he was interconnected with Caliban the monster (who parallels the unconscious mind) and Ariel (the intuitive agent who aids Prospero when called upon).

Current address unavailable.

Sources:

Ritley, Mary. Invitation to a Hungry Feast. Santa Monica, Calif.: The Prosperos Inner Space Center, 1970.