A proper noun invented by Gurdjieff, presumably referencing a group from ancient Toulouse.

An old player piano.

In the opening chapter, Beelzebub refers to "automatism" as a process by which repeated experiences of similar perceptions gradually form fixed habits in the presences of beings. This automatism functions as a "second nature," operating independently of conscious intention. On page 1217, the term reappears in a long reflection on the degeneration of being-function, where automatism is described as becoming a lawful result of inherited predispositions in contemporary three-brained beings.

Quote (Chapter 1, p. 6): "...this 'automatism,' which arises in their presences from the many-times repeated experiencing of similar perceptions, and which gradually becomes a fixed habit, has become for them as it were a 'second nature.'"

Quote (Chapter 48, p. 1217): "All the particularities of the world view of the ordinary man and the characteristic features of his individuality ensue, and depend on the sequence of the impulse proceeding in him at the moment of the perception of new impressions and also on the automatism established for the arising of the process of the repetition of those impressions."

Location in Book: Appears 6 times in Chapter 1, page 6. Reappears in Chapter 48, page 1217.

Etymology / Notes: No explicit definition or breakdown is provided in the text. Always presented in quotation marks and never explicitly defined. Beelzebub uses the term in association with habitual repetition, fixed patterns of perception, and the degeneration of will suggesting a contrast between conscious behavior and mechanical repetition acquired through exposure and habit.

A pointed phrase critiquing literary fashion.

A prime example of Gurdjieff’s mock-scholarly absurdism--this invented compound parodies the grandiose jargon of pseudoscientific and mystical systems. By fusing psycho (mind), physico (body), and astrological (stars), the phrase lampoons attempts to explain human behavior through bloated, deterministic theories. Gurdjieff uses such formulations to expose the vanity and credulity of "bon ton" intellectual culture. These "investigations" explain everything and illuminate nothing--a satire of the type of system that confuses complication with depth. This term warns the reader: don't confuse verbal flourish with real understanding.

A real word, German in origin, meaning substitute or imitation.

An invented Teutonic-sounding name crafted in Gurdjieff's signature satirical style. Herr adds mock authority, while Stumpsinschmausen mimics the puffed-up complexity of German academic or bureaucratic surnames. The name drips with comic pomp and parody--likely a caricature of over-serious pedants or pseudo-experts. Gurdjieff reuses this figure later in the text, reinforcing its role as a symbolic buffoon meant to puncture pretentiousness, particularly among the self-important learned classes.

An archaic but pointed term used to mock superficial cleverness. Wiseacring refers to smug, showy speech—clever for its own sake, often lacking true understanding. Gurdjieff uses it to expose those who parade intelligence without substance, especially in contrast to the sincere effort required for real thought and Being. Its tone is dismissive, targeting the “wise guy” pose rather than genuine wisdom.

Definition:
"Uncle Sam" is a personification of the United States government or national identity, typically depicted as an elderly white man with a white goatee, a top hat with stars, and a red, white, and blue suit. The image evolved from political cartoons and wartime propaganda, especially during the 19th and 20th centuries. Presented as the American counterpart to folkloric or satirical archetypes such as Mullah Nassr Eddin and the German Till Eulenspiegel. Used in humorous or ironic contexts rather than as a literal political symbol.

Quotes in Context

"...this legendary personage corresponds to the American Uncle Sam or the German Till Eulenspiegel."
(Chapter 1: The Arousing of Thought, p. 9)

"A favorite saying of the American Uncle Sam also does very well to define the same idea.

It is said that when Uncle Sam from America happens to have drunk a little more gin than usual, he always says during a pause: 'When nothing's right--only then, all is right.'"
(Chapter 48: From the Author, p. 1023)

Location in Book:
Chapter 1: "The Arousing of Thought" -- near the conclusion of Beelzebub's tirade on how modern man is conditioned to suppress inner development due to social mockery and systemic disincentives.

Etymology / Notes:
The name "Uncle Sam" is commonly believed to originate from Samuel Wilson, a meat packer during the War of 1812, who supplied rations to U.S. soldiers. The barrels were stamped with "U.S.," which troops jokingly said stood for "Uncle Sam." The figure became fully personified through political cartoons by Thomas Nast and recruitment posters by James Montgomery Flagg.

Historical trickster figure from German folklore.

A Russian soup with a complex flavor profile. Gurdjieff uses it metaphorically.

Footnote on page noted "Cheshma means veil." True in Turkish/Bulgarian/Arabic -- also means "spring" (water source). Gurdjieff likely plays on both.

Specific regional alcohol. Keep for cultural color and clarity.

Bastourma is cured meat; "Khaizarian" likely refers to Armenian or Caucasus regional origin.

Definition:
A human body formed on a planet, constructed from materials of that planet, and part of the general cosmic process of reciprocal maintenance. Referred to as a "planetary body" to distinguish it from higher being-bodies which must be consciously formed through inner work.

Quotes in Context:
"...they are not yet actualized in them by nature, but must be formed in them artificially, that is to say, by their own conscious labor and intentional suffering. Only such a planetary body of a being, which has been formed in this way, can resist--thanks to the conscious power accumulated in it--the merciless Heropass."

"...the first being-food is the actual food itself which is taken in through the mouth and is the first and most important of all the foods for the maintenance of the general functioning of the planetary body."

Location in Book:
First appears in Chapter 1 ("The Arousing of Thought") and recurs in at least 110 locations throughout the book.

Etymology / Notes:
None explicitly given in the text. The meaning is embedded in the usage of the term across cosmological explanations.

Invented planetary beings. Mentioned in connection with the law of association.

Definition:
The "law of association" is mentioned three times in Beelzebub's Tales, but never defined. In Chapter 1, it appears in passing as something the author might begin with. In Chapter 29, it is cited as having begun to act abnormally in the early development of Earth beings. And in Chapter 48, it is listed among the many topics deliberately omitted from the book. All references point to its influence on mechanical thought and psychic function, but no description is offered.

Quotes in Context:

This kind of people among us who have been turned into, so to say, "moths" destroying the good prepared and left for us by our ancestors and by time, have not the slightest notion and have probably never even heard of the screamingly obvious fact that, during the preparatory age, there is acquired in the brain functioning of every creature, and of man also, a particular and definite property, the automatic actualization and manifestation of which the ancient Korkolans called the "law of association," and that the process of the mentation of every creature, especially man, flows exclusively in accordance with this law.
(Chapter 1: The Arousing of Thought, p. 15)

"You will then understand very well, that in the case of certain of your favorites even of recent times, who, by some means or other, find out and correctly transubstantiate in their Reason concerning certain details of the law of association proceeding in the separate brains of beings, and also concerning the reciprocal action of these independent associations, and who exist more or less according to what I have said, the Bobbin-kandelnosts formed in their separate being-brains are not used up, as they are among the other beings there, but their common presence acquires the possibility of existing much longer than the other three-brained beings there.
(Chapter 29: The Fruits of Former Civilizations, p. 446–447)

While I was reading that first chapter, which I wrote only six years ago, but which seems to me by my present sensing to have been written long long ago, a sensing which is now in my common presence obviously because during that time I had to think intensely and even as might be said, to "experience" all the suitable material required for eight thick volumes—not for nothing is it stated in that branch of genuine science entitled "the laws of association of human mentation," which has come down from very ancient times and is known to only a few contemporary people, that the "sensing of the flow of time is directly proportional to the quality and quantity of the flow of thoughts" ...
(Chapter 48: From the Author, Page 1185)

Location in Book:
First appears in Chapter 1 (p. 15), recurs in Chapter 29 (pp. 446–447), and again in Chapter 48 (p. 1185). No formal definition is provided in the text.

Etymology / Notes:
Described as a "branch of genuine science" known since ancient times and preserved by only a few contemporary people.

A "conscious thinker," according to a principle hinted at in Chapter 1, is someone who has been made aware--early in their responsible life--of the fact that human mentation consists of two fundamentally different kinds: (1) mentation by thought, which uses words of relative meaning; and (2) mentation by form, which is shared by animals and does not rely on language. The title of 'conscious thinker' is not self-bestowed but must be preceded by an intentional transmission of this knowledge. Gurdjieff does not describe what conscious thinking is, but he implies that without recognizing this dual mechanism, one's thought processes remain automat

Quote (Page 15): "... every man, in whom there arises the boldness to attain the right to be considered by others and to consider himself a 'conscious thinker,' should be informed while still in the early years of his responsible existence that man has in general two kinds of mentation..."

Appears in Chapter 1 (page 15); no positive definition is offered, only a condition that must precede the designation.

"Mentation by thought" is one of the two kinds of mentation described in Chapter 1 of Beelzebub's Tales. It is characterized by the use of words, which are said to possess only a relative sense. Gurdjieff offers no further explanation in the text, but he contrasts it with "mentation by form," which is shared with animals. Awareness of this distinction is presented as a prerequisite for any individual who wishes to be considered a "conscious thinker."

Quote (Page 15): "... man has in general two kinds of mentation: one kind, mentation by thought, in which words, always possessing a relative sense, are employed; and the other kind, which is proper to all animals as well as to man, which I would call 'mentation by form.'"

🔍 What can be derived about mentation by thought from this sentence?

1. It is one of two types of mentation.
-- The other type is mentation by form, shared with animals.

2. It is defined by its use of words.
-- Not all mentation uses words, but this kind does.

3. These words have only a "relative sense."
-- The implication is that verbal thought is not absolute; it is limited, potentially misleading, or context-dependent.

4. It is implied to be uniquely human.
-- Since "mentation by form" is proper to animals as well as man, and this type is not said to be shared, the contrast implies mentation by thought may be uniquely human.

5. It is linked (indirectly) to the question of what it means to be a "conscious thinker."
-- To even qualify for that title, one must be aware of the existence of mentation by thought and mentation by form.

Appears in Chapter 1 (page 15); no further detail is provided in the text.

"Mentation by form" is the second kind of mentation described in Chapter 1 of Beelzebub's Tales. It is the process by which the exact sense of writing must be perceived--through forms that arise in the being and evoke inner sensation and picturing. Unlike mentation by thought, which uses words possessing only relative sense, mentation by form operates beneath language. It is formed in a person through the totality of environmental influences--including geographical location, climate, and conditions of upbringing. These influences shape the forms and their associated sensations, so that the same word can evoke different meanings for different individuals, depending on the inner content formed in them. Words serve merely as outer expressions of these subjectively constructed inner forms.

Quote (Page 15–16): "The second kind of mentation, that is, 'mentation by form,' by which, strictly speaking, the exact sense of all writing must be also perceived, and after conscious confrontation with information already possessed, be assimilated, is formed in people in dependence upon the conditions of geographical locality, climate, time, and, in general, upon the whole environment in which the arising of the given man has proceeded and in which his existence has flowed up to manhood."

🔍 What can be derived about mentation by form from this passage?

1. It is the second kind of mentation, alongside mentation by thought
   -- Unlike mentation by thought (which uses words), this is a more direct perceptual process tied to form, sensation, and inner picturing.

2. It is the correct means for perceiving the exact sense of writing
   -- Gurdjieff states that to grasp writing correctly, mentation by form must be used--after conscious confrontation with already possessed information.

3. It develops in relation to environment and experience
   -- This includes geographic locality, climate, time, and everything that shapes a person during formation and existence up to adulthood.

4. It leads to inner picturing based on associative sensation
   -- Forms arise in the brain which, through associative processes, generate a sensation that determines a subjective image or notion.

5. It varies drastically between individuals of different backgrounds
   -- Because these forms are built from local and environmental influences, the same word can evoke completely different inner content in different people.

6. It is not verbal, but gives rise to sensations that may be expressed in words
   -- The word is an outer expression of the inner content, but that content itself arises from form within the being.

Appears in Chapter 1 (pages 15–17); elaborated in detail as environmentally formed, sensation-based inner picturing distinct from word-based thought.

Mentation refers to the inner process of thought or understanding. In the first detailed use of the term, Beelzebub's own youthful mentation is described as "callow" and "impetuous," marked by "unequally flowing association" and "limited understanding." It is thus presented as a dynamic, developing function, influenced by maturity, responsibility, and the balance of associative flow. Gurdjieff uses the term to distinguish qualitative states of inner functioning, rather than referring generically to thought or consciousness.

Quote (Page 52): "... owing to his callow and therefore still impetuous mentation with unequally flowing association--that is, owing to a mentation based, as is natural to beings who have not yet become definitely responsible, on a limited understanding..."

Appears explicitly in Chapter 2 (page 52); included here in Chapter 1 glossary due to its conceptual relation to mentation by thought, mentation by form, and the law of association.

"Inner content" refers to the unique, subjective substance formed in a being's presence through accumulated impressions, experiences, and environmental influences. It is the internal basis from which meaning arises, shaping both how things are expressed and how they are received. In Beelzebub's Tales, Gurdjieff emphasizes that the same word can evoke entirely different meanings for different individuals, depending on the forms and associative sensations that have crystallized within them. Communication is thus often distorted or misunderstood when the speaker and listener possess different inner content. This applies not only to others but also to Beelzebub himself, who acknowledges that his own explanations are shaped by his inner content.

Quote (Pages 26–27): "... if in the entirety of any man... a certain 'form' has been composed, and this form evokes in him by association the sensation of a definite 'inner content,'... then the hearer of that word... will always perceive and of course infallibly understand that same word in quite another sense."

Quote (Page 1233): "... that is about the two categories of contemporary people who in respect of inner content have nothing in common, and about that grievous fact which has been made clear to a certain degree thanks to the addition I have made, namely, that in the common presences of people in recent times, thanks to progressively deteriorating conditions of ordinary life established by us--particularly owing to the wrong system of education of the rising generation--the various consequences of the organ Kundabuffer have begun to arise much more intensely..."

Appears in Chapter 1 (pp. 26–27), and recurs in Chapters 30 (p. 492), 43 (pp. 1043, 1049), and 48 (p. 1233); used to explain subjective meaning, distorted communication, and the role of personal formation in understanding.

An old-fashioned term for pretentious, empty, or insincere talk, especially designed to attract applause or approval. Gurdjieff uses it to mock hollow intellectualism and fashionable language devoid of inner-content. Often aligned with his broader critique of the "literary language of the intelligentsia."

Mullah Nassr Eddin is a recurring character in Beelzebub's Tales, referred to as a terrestrial sage and occasional companion to Beelzebub. He is presented as a "teacher by example" whose sayings and antics expose the absurdities and contradictions of human behavior. Gurdjieff frequently invokes him to deliver ironic commentary, comedic inversions, or unexpected truths. Though many of his expressions appear whimsical or sarcastic, they often illuminate deeper principles or expose mechanical habits of thought. Beelzebub cites him both affectionately and critically, using his maxims to punctuate moments of philosophical or cosmic reflection.

Quote (Page 9): (Mullah Nassr Eddin, or as he is also called, Hodja Nassr Eddin, is, it seems, little known in Europe and America, but he is very well known in all countries of the continent of Asia; this legendary personage corresponds to the American Uncle Sam or the German Till Eulenspiegel. Numerous tales popular in the East, akin to the wise sayings, some of long standing and others newly arisen, were ascribed and are still ascribed to this Nassr Eddin.)

Quote (Page 44): "... manifested itself quite contrary to one of the fundamental commandments of that All-Common Teacher whom I particularly esteem, Mullah Nassr Eddin, and which he formulated in the words: "Never poke your stick into a hornets' nest.""

First appears in Chapter 1 (page 19); recurs more than 100 times throughout the book. His sayings are often used to deliver ironic insight, comic wisdom, or to undercut conventional logic. Serves as a voice of humorous, often ironic commentary, delivering sayings that reflect on human absurdity and cosmic misunderstanding.

A Yiddish/Hebraic term meaning "essence" or "main point." Gurdjieff uses it figuratively.

The terms "Great Nature," "Nature," and "Mother Nature" are used interchangeably throughout Beelzebub's Tales to refer to a universal, lawful process that regulates the transformation of beings and the quality of energies radiated from them. Great Nature is portrayed as a force that acts out of necessity rather than intention--She is "compelled" to adjust the forms and numbers of beings in order to maintain the planetary and cosmic balance of vibrations. These radiations are needed for broader universal processes, particularly the "common-cosmic Trogoautoegocratic-process." Great Nature modifies existence itself in response to the deteriorating or improving conditions of beings, with no indication of willful choice--only responsive adjustment to energetic need.

Quotes in Context:

Chapter 14, page 106
"And from that time on, as little by little they created for themselves all sorts of conditions of external being-existence thanks to which the quality of their radiations went steadily from bad to worse, Great Nature was compelled gradually to transform their common presences by means of various compromises and changes, in order to regulate the quality of the vibrations which they radiated and which were required chiefly for the preservation of the well-being of the former parts of that planet.

"For the same reason, Great Nature gradually so increased the numbers of the beings there that at the present time they are now breeding on all the lands formed on that planet.

Chapter 16, page 130
"Concerning all this you will understand in the course of further talks of mine about these three-brained beings, and meanwhile I will tell you only of the first and chief cause, namely, why and how Great Nature Herself was compelled to take stock of their presences and to form them into such new presences.

"You must first be told that there exist in the Universe generally two 'kinds' or two 'principles' of the duration of being-existence.

"The first kind or first 'principle' of being-existence which is called 'Foolasnitamnian' is proper to the existence of all three-brained beings arising on any planet of our Great Universe, and the fundamental aim and sense of the existence of these beings is that there must proceed through them the transmutation of cosmic substances necessary for what is called the 'common-cosmic Trogoautoegocratic-process.'

Chapter 27, page 388
"The said decline in both their death rate and their birth rate proceeded because as they approximated to an existence normal for the three-centered beings, they also began to radiate from themselves vibrations responding more closely to the requirements of Great Nature, thanks to which, Nature needed less of those vibrations which are in general obtained from the destruction of the existence of beings.

Appears in Chapter 1 (p. 19) and frequently thereafter; described as a necessity-driven force that modifies being-existence to preserve energetic equilibrium in the cosmos.

The term "Fakir" appears only once in Beelzebub's Tales, used sarcastically to illustrate the degradation of sacred words in contemporary usage. It is not defined or elaborated within the text. The tone implies a loss of authentic meaning and a criticism of how people misrepresent spiritual traditions. No typology or comparison (e.g., with Monk, Yogi, or Fourth Way) is given in the book itself.

Appears in Chapter 1 (page 22); used ironically in reference to the misuse of sacred words.

Throughout Beelzebub's Tales, Gurdjieff uses a wide array of sacred, reverent, and highly stylized small-cap phrases to refer to the divine cosmic origin. These phrases include variations such as "our common father creator," "common all-gracious creator," "creator endlessness," "common-father-creator-endlessness," "all-common father maintainer," and many others. All such phrases refer to the same generative cosmic source, typically invoked at moments of profound emphasis, blessing, or cosmological framing. While never doctrinally defined, this figure is associated with omnipresence, long-suffering, all-maintaining power, and endlessness. These formulations are never casual--they function as textual sacraments embedded in the structure of Beelzebub's speech.

Quotes in Context:

"The fourth: the striving from the beginning of their existence to pay for their arising and their individuality as quickly as possible, in order afterwards to be free to lighten as much as possible the Sorrow of our common father.
Chapter 37, page 386.

"Here it is very opportune to repeat once again, that on most planets of our Megalocosmos, on which three-brained beings arise and exist, there is an oft-repeated sentence, formulated in the following words:

"'Our common-father-endlessness is only the Maker of a three centered being.' The genuine creator, however, of his essence during the period of his preparatory existence is his 'Oskianotsner,' namely, he whom your favorites call tutor or teacher.
Chapter 40 Page 818

First appears in Chapter 1 (p. 24); dozens of stylized small-cap variations occur throughout the book, all referring to a unified divine source or cosmic origin.

In Beelzebub's Tales, "waking consciousness" is explicitly described as fictitious. Gurdjieff states that most people mistake this state for real consciousness, when in fact it is an illusion. He affirms that what is typically called the subconscious ought instead to be regarded as the real human consciousness. This inversion challenges conventional assumptions about awareness, suggesting that ordinary waking life is deceptive and that true consciousness lies deeper.

Chapter 1, page 24
... I shall expound my thoughts intentionally in such sequence and with such "logical confrontation," that the essence of certain real notions may of themselves automatically, so to say, go from this "waking consciousness"—which most people in their ignorance mistake for the real consciousness, but which I affirm and experimentally prove is the fictitious one—into what you call the subconscious, which ought to be in my opinion the real human consciousness, ...

Appears in Chapter 1 (pages 8 and 24); defined in opposition to real consciousness, which Gurdjieff equates with what is usually called the subconscious.