This series covers events from 03/18/1984 - 09/05/1984

This series comprises ten classes led by Anthony Damiani from March through September 1984 that examine Paul Brunton's teachings on the ego through close study of paragraphs from Category 8 of his Notebooks.

PB characterizes the ego as a "collection of thoughts circulating around a fixed but empty center"—a pseudo-entity that lacks inherent existence yet functions as if real. Students explore how this self-actualizing process arises from "mistaken thought" when consciousness identifies with mental tendencies rather than remaining in itself as undivided. Damiani emphasizes ferreting out the ego's source through direct observation and recommends using the degree symbols of your natal horoscope to identify the specific patterns and attachments that constitute your ego. The work involves constant "whittling away" of egoic identifications as preparation for eventual surrender of the ego through Grace.

Advanced topics include distinguishing two kinds of consciousness (static vs. dynamic), understanding the "craving for existence" that manifests through desire, differentiating authentic from counterfeit spiritual experiences, and grasping how the ego must develop sufficiently to transcend itself. Damiani integrates insights from Plotinian Neoplatonism and Vedantic and Buddhist psychology, demonstrating the ego's paradoxical role as both an obstacle to, and a necessary vehicle for, realization. These classes represent a unique moment in the transmission of Paul Brunton's teaching to Western students. Damiani, as one of PB's direct students, provides both scholarly rigor and personal understanding of these profound teachings. The 1984 timeframe captures a mature phase of Anthony's teaching, where years of study and practice have culminated in remarkably clear and practical guidance.

Classes and documents available in this series