Voices in the Dark: Esoteric, Occult & Secular Voices in Nazi-Occupied Paris, 1940-44 [Paperback]

William Patrick Patterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2001 | ISBN-10: 1879514907 | ISBN-13: 978-1879514904

What is it like to suddenly be occupied by a foreign nation, to live in the uncertainty of never having enough food and fuel, not knowing if friends are informers, being defenseless, and in a constant state of danger?

What would you do? How would you cope? Would you collaborate with the Gestapo? Become a spy? Join the Resistance? These questions weren’t philosophical but immediate questions that the people of Occupied France had to deal with after their defeat by the Germans.

From many sides, Voices in the Dark explores what it is like to live under such oppression. It lets the voices of those who experienced this period of radical upheaval be heard – ordinary citizens, soldiers, statesmen, both French and German, seekers of truth. Using this panoramic approach, the author brings crucial questions to life that still resonate with meaning.

Explored is the little recognized but powerful influence of the pseudo-occult in the ideology of the New European Order. Included are actual transcripts of the wartime meetings of G. I. Gurdjieff in Paris.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Arete Communications (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879514907
• ISBN-13: 978-1879514904
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,024,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true teaching goes beyond individual self-growth, November 11, 2001

By 

Beatrice Gladden (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voices in the Dark: Esoteric, Occult & Secular Voices in Nazi-Occupied Paris, 1940-44 (Paperback)

I had just begun Voices in the Dark when the September 11th attacks occurred, and this book began to speak to me in a way that few other books could have. Living with fear daily is so new to me as an American, and here were people, ordinary people as well as resistance fighters, living for years with fear. Although I'd read some history of World War II and what it was like for the French living under the Nazi occupation, this book made these people and the times really come alive. The people that went to the meetings that Gurdjieff held during those dangerous times were heroic in a very deep way. They risked death just to be out on the streets after curfew, and once in the meetings what they talked about were their personal struggles with spiritual transformation. I was very moved by Gurdjieff staying in Paris with his students when he could have easily gone to a safe country while the war lasted.

Voices in the Dark is an inspiring book. I found its depth and insights very invigorating, and saw how a true teaching goes beyond individual self-growth. I've learned a lot about what fear and the uncertainty of life are about, and they've receded in importance for me. I found in this book new ways to think and perceive life, and it points to much more.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The taste, the vision, the constant note, October 28, 2001

By 

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voices in the Dark: Esoteric, Occult & Secular Voices in Nazi-Occupied Paris, 1940-44 (Paperback)

This book has as its axis, the transcripts of wartime meetings with Gurdjieff in Paris. These meetings are characterized by warmth, humor, copious work-reports, and personalized advice for questioners.

The book interleaves the transcripts with descriptions of the war that was raging outside. In contrast to that frenzy, the meetings themselves stand out as a quiet sanctuary. The overall impression is of two very different momentums, one driving Paris, the other 6 rue-de Colonels Renard.

Similar to 'The Struggle of the Magicians', this book has an innovative structure at heart. In the 'Struggle..', the Work was stretched out on linear time, as though drawing an arrow on a bow. In 'Voices..', there is an 'alternation', time as a circle, day and night.

I have avidly read all of Mr. Patterson's books. Honesty, an attention to detail, and a deep feeling for the Work, animate all his books. His relentless focus on reminding the primacy of Gurdjieff is much needed in these fragmented times.

My gratitude for the taste, the vision, the constant note.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timely Book, July 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Voices in the Dark: Esoteric, Occult & Secular Voices in Nazi-Occupied Paris, 1940-44 (Paperback)

Amazing never before published transcripts of Gurdjieff's meetings. Excellent book. There are few books that one reads that stay with you for a lifetime---this is such a book. And, its timeliness couldn't be more appropriate given the current world condition.