How Effective Are Gurdjieff's Fourth Way Practices for Awakening?

[BirdNerd]

I've recently started attending meetings with a Gurdjieff Fourth Way group, and I'm curious what people here, especially @Leo Gura think about the effectiveness of its practices to cultivate the capacity to remain conscious while engaging with ordinary life, bodily sensations, other people, and emotionally activating situations. I'm aware Fourth Way is also marketed as a way to awaken, but I think most of us see that psychedelics and inquiry are way more direct for this. Still curious your thoughts on Gurdjieff's teachings in general and if they're worth a serious consideration.

So far, the meetings I've attended have mostly involved practicing sensing throughout the day and observing things like negative thought patterns. It's too early for me to evaluate the results personally.

For anyone familiar with the Fourth Way:

• How effective do you consider these practices for awakening? How about for everyday functioning?
• Is there something uniquely valuable about the group format, sensing, Ouspensky/Gurdjieff books, or Movements compared with other contemplative practices?
• Would you recommend investing time in a Gurdjieff school, or are there more direct and effective approaches to consciousness work?

I'm open to the possibility that these practices have value beyond what I currently understand. I'm mainly trying to evaluate where they're most useful and whether they're worth pursuing seriously.

What I'm the most skeptical of is "group spirituality" and groupthink that can come from that. The books emphasize that you need the groups in order to wake up, which I don't take at face value.

Edited October 19 by BirdNerd