Pathwork Lectures 1-49 Study Guides
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Above: clip from Decisions and Tests PL 2
PL 2:Decisions and Tests
If man goes through life avoiding certain decisions, it creates reactions and chain reactions. Not deciding is of greatest detriment.
2008 Presentation on YouTube1 hr 53 mins
or 3 Short Samples (click on 7 min clip below to play)
Download Study Guide plus audio MP3 files:
Download Study Guide PDF
Explore: summary of PL 2 plus YouChoose your Destiny PL 3, excerpt from In Heaven as on Earth by M. Scott Peck, and a worksheet on taking Secret Holidays = living life differently for random period of time each day.
Listen to audio online:
PL 4 World Weariness vs. Love & Prayer
If man in any way deviates in his soul from God's laws ‑‑ and all the more, the less aware he is of it ‑‑ then this vague feeling of longing and sadness can temporarily take hold of him. It is then more or less the answer -- or a soft push of his higher self -- that something is not quite right within himself.
Explore: Inner Disunity produces World Weariness; Man’s Best Prayers are his Actions;
Forcing Currents Push Love Away; The Importance of Commitment
April 2024 Newsletter Summary
Study Guide: World Weariness vs. Love & Prayer PL 4
Weekly YouTube Videos on Genuine Love in reference to PL 4
Inner Disunity 30 mins Prayer 21 mins Forcing Currents 18 mins Commitment 11mins
Followup to the April 2024 study guide on Word Weariness vs. Prayer and Love, in order to focus on the conscious and unconscious beliefs we hold about who we are praying to, and how trustworthy our divine self actually is so that we are more willing to align with it!
2024 Review of The God Image PL 52 19 mins (additional study guides on The God Image: PLs 50-49
PL 5 Freedom, Justice, Religion, Truth: Happiness as a Link in the Chain of Life
September 2017 Newsletter PL 5
Study Guide: Freedom, Justice, Religion, Truth
Explore: What is Happiness? What is Freedom? What is Justice? What is Truth?
Appendix: Spiritual Principles condensed from PC10
YouTube Presentation 56 mins
PL 7 Decide! Asking for Help, Helping Others
September 2020 Newsletter PL 7
Study Guide: Decide! Asking for Help, Helping Others
Explore: Spiritually wrong attitudes; Steps in Working Through Indecisiveness; Surround yourself with friends who strengthen you; Faith and Doubt; and Examples from the Q&A Section
PL 10 Male and Female Incarnations: Their Rhythms and Causes
As God is perfect in His male and female principle, each in its own, each one operating in manner and function absolutely harmoniously, thus it is with all other beings. Both principles are found in all manifestations of creation of infinite variety. Short talk on Reality as Reflected Image at the beginning.
April 2021 Newsletter PL 10
Study Guide Male and Female Incarnations: Their Rhythms and Causes
Explore: Earth as a Reflected Reality vs. Reality; Gender is Reflection of Spiritual Split; Human Misunderstandings about Spiritual Perfection; and Paradoxes in the Incarnatory Process
YouTube Summary PL 10 26 mins
PL 11 Self Knowledge; Inner Guidance
Happiness is an inner attitude vs. begin based on outer circumstances. A pre-requisite of spiritual guidance is that you contribute the labor of being stringently honest in your work of self-knowledge. For you cannot overcome what you do not know.
Explore: Happiness Lies in Your Own Hands; You Cannot Overcome What You Do Not Know; Labor of Stringent Honesty Necessary for Self-Knowledge; and Contact with the World of Spirit
PL 12 Order and Diversity in the World of Spirit + The Process of Reincarnation
Most people harbor thoughts of anxiety and, if not thoughts of hate, then of mistrust and separation such as between one group and another. And all of these violate the law of brotherhood. Each thought of this kind, each emotion is a significant contribution to the outbreak of war. If only a small part of humankind sowed the seeds of peace, wars would not exist in spite of a few unscrupulous politicians.
October 2023: Newsletter PL 12
Study Guide: Order and Diversity in the World of Spirit
Explore: Humans Experience Spirit as Paradoxical; Developing Spiritual Intelligence; Spheres in the World of Spirit; and The Preparation Process for Incarnation; and Connecting Heaven and Earth
Additional Materials plus Activities from previous Workshops:
Excerpt from In Heaven as On Earth: A Vision of the Afterlife by M. Scott Peck ©1996
From PRS7/PL 149 - What is your image of who you are -- or who you aspire to be?
Download IMAGE TEALIGHTS and select a light....
From PRS4/PL 25 on Self-Search - Notice the variety of human expression
Interactive exercise: see 2014 POV drawings from Participants! and contribute one of your own
And Life as a Card Game where Everything is Perfect
(but you may only understand that once you've finished the game!)
PL 14 The Lower Self
Please see Facing the Lower Self, PL 134, for a synthesis of many Pathwork lectures on the Lower Self, negativity, and and transformation. Includes quotes from Chapter 7 of The Undefended Self by Susan Thesenga.
PL 15 Influence Between the Spiritual World and the Material World
Spiritual spheres are all over the universe: the planets, the different stellar systems, and even in the space between. But even right on your earthly sphere, you have all kinds of spiritual spheres just the same, in the whole scale from the lowest to the highest. Much has been said of the influence of the world of spirit on the world of matter, but not much has been said about the influence the other way around. For both affect one another. When your spirit is starved, it must have its consequences.
December 2024 Newsletter
Study Guide: Influence Between the Spiritual World and the Material World
Explore: Honor Your Personal Experiences 12mins; Dreams and Daydreams 16mins;
Influence of Spirit on the Material World 16mins; and Our World Influences the World of Spirit 19mins
Additional Worksheets: Hints for Reading Pathwork Lectures by Ann Griever from the PTH Database
Pointers on Dream Interpretation EP01 by Eva Pierrakos
PL 16 Spiritual Nourishment
Man's problems deal so often with his daily bread, with material questions. And important as this daily bread may be, it is only of secondary importance to the spiritual daily bread that man needs. Much talk is going around about the importance of the right food and vitamins and minerals and proteins and diets. We see such a tremendous discrepancy between the material nourishment and the lack of spiritual nourishment. When your spirit is starved, it must have its consequences.
January 2025 Newsletter
Study Guide: Spiritual Nourishment
Explore: Causes and Effects of Spiritual Mal-nourishment 14mins; Feeding the Soul 11mins; Willpower, Self-Will, Inner Will 13mins; and We Attract nd Affect both Positive and Negative Spirits 8mins
PL 17 The Call
A communication with divine spheres is possible; it has always existed, and it will always exist. How frequent it is depends solely on man, whether he fulfills the necessary requirements -- such as the necessary strength and development to follow it. But at one time, this call must come forth.
January 2021 Newsletter PL 17
Study Guide The Call
Explore: What does a Spiritual Calling feel like? What Follows the Call? Learning about Your Own Subconscious; and Asking for Help
Video Summary 33 mins
PL 18 Free Will
There cannot be beauty, harmony, wisdom, bliss, and love if it has to be experienced forcefully against the individual's will, against the individual's own recognition of the wisdom and perfection of the laws. Then God would not be a God of freedom, but a God of slavery, even if His creatures could be happy in an enforced system. Thus each creature ‑‑ man or spirit ‑‑ has the possibility, by his own choosing, to live according to those laws or not.
February 2023 Newsletter Outline
Study Guide for Free Will PL 18
Explore: Free Will is Essential to the Plan of Salvation; Paradoxes and Responsibilities of Free Will; Will Direction and Will Power; and Discerning Inner Will
PL 25 Initial Steps for Self-Search & PL 26 Finding Your Faults
Featuring Chapter 4 from The Path to the Real Self. The "inventory" … is a good beginning. It will make you aware of certain facets in your life and in yourself you may never have thought about before. It may also give you a view of what you might want to change in your life. This concise awareness is necessary.
March 2014 Newsletter PRS4 PL 25
Study Guide: Initial Steps for Self-Search
Explore: The Value of a Self-Inventory; Very Short Films to illustrate some of the concepts; Finding Your Faults PL26; An alternate approach: Life as a Card Game; Life as a Point of View: an arts & crafts project;
and Making a commitment to your spiritual journey: Stage One from AD6
Interactive exercise: see POV drawings from Participants!
VERY short film suggestions for PL 25 and 26 PRS 4
PL 28 Daily Review
One of the best techniques for developing awareness: jot down up to 10 disharmonious moments per day. Review them at the end of the week. Notice common denominators. It's free, it's easy, and it works!
Daily Review PL 28 Suggestions and Forms
PL 29 Finding God's Will: The Forces of Activity and Passivity
When the active forces are used in the channels destined for the passive currents, there occurs a congestion, and the result is a frustration for the human being. In addition, The inner will (or its lack) is often in conflict with the outer, or conscious, will. To fulfill the will of God means overcoming your own inner resistances, and requires an active force. And the first step is always your endeavors in self‑knowledge, self‑honesty, and your sincere good will.
March 2023 Newsletter Summary PL 29
Study Guide: Finding God's Will: The Forces of Activity and Passivity
Explore: Balancing the Active and Passive Forces; Divine Aspects of the Active and the Passive; Aligning with God’s Will requires the active forces; and Finding God’s Will
Workshop Handouts: Finding God's Will / Finding Your God Images
PL 30 Self-Will, Pride, and Fear
If you have one, you must have all of these attributes. You may have one stronger than the other or more apparent or more conscious, but it is impossible that you have only two, let us say, and the third is entirely missing. And do not believe that there is a human being alive who is entirely free of self‑will, pride, and fear.
April 2016 Newsletter PL30
Study Guide: Self-Will, Pride, and Fear
Explore: Self-Will, Pride, and Fear; How the Ego uses Pride, Self-Will and Fear as “Ego Tricks” PL 199 In Relationship with Evil; and Overcoming Fear of the Unknown
YouTube Video Summary 7 mins
PL 31 & 66: Shame / Shame of the Higher Self
Shame is an intense emotion, easily activated by focusing upon both our distortions and our best higher self intentions (which may try to manifest before we are mature enough to understand them). Shame can be used by others -- and by ourselves -- to prevent our development and leave us emotionally and spiritually crippled.
2008 Presentation on YouTube 1hr 20mins
Download Study Guide plus MP3 files:
Download Study Guide
Explore: summary of PL 31 and PL 61, also Spiritual and Emotional Health through Restitution for Real Guilt PL 109 plus worksheets.
Listen to audio online:
PL 32 Decision Making
As long as you are living in this sphere of matter, every decision offers two and sometimes more alternatives. With some decisions and in some cases, there are several wrong ways and one right way. Only mature and responsible searching will eventually show you what the right way is. However, in many instances, it actually does not matter on what way you decide, provided the decision has been made wholeheartedly, awarely, responsibly, not shirking any issues or possible results.
Even in the cases where one way would be right or better for you than the other alternatives, it is infinitely healthier for your soul, strange as this may appear at first, if you choose the wrong way but in the right attitude.
January 2022 Newsletter Summary
2022 Study Guide: Decision Making PL 32
Explore: Deciding to Believe that All Things Work Together for Good; Self-Responsibility in Decision Making; Facing the inability to love; Resentment, Shame and Guilt; Positive and Negative Elements of Ambition
Workshop Flyer PL 32 Featuring PL 182: Meditation for Three Voices
Powerpoint presentation introduction to PL 32 and PL 182
Video Presentation 48 mins plus Transcript
PL 33 Right and Wrong Faith: Occupation with Self
There are many good, kind, and even spiritual people who say, when hearing these lectures, it is not good to think so much about the self, it would be better to think more about other people. Of course, it depends entirely on how the occupation with the self is done ‑‑ or in what way one thinks about other people. Plus: Three Facets of Faith; realistic acceptance of self, of doubt, and of existing in a transitionary state of development as a human being.
February 2025 Newsletter PL 33
Study Guide: Right and Wrong Faith: Occupation with Self
Explore: Right and Wrong Occupation with Self 10 mins ; Three Facets of Faith 21mins;
Uncertain Confusions and Hazy Motivations ; and A Spiritual Perspective on Suicide
Note: discussion of suicide often brings up fears and concerns, for ourselves and for others. Below are resources if you are concerned and need support:
PL 34 The Process of Incarnating
The technical procedure of birth is directly connected with and dependent on karmic and spiritual law. This was a 5th week 'extra' for Male and Female Incarnations: Their Rhythms and Causes PL 10. If you are uncertain or uncomfortable about a belief in re-incarnation, consider reading the lecture as a description of the spiritual preparation for a single human lifetime
2021 Study Guide: Preparation for Reincarnation PL 34
Explore: Karmic and Spiritual Law; Connection Between the Incarnatory Process and the Life Task; The Spiritual Process of Human Birth; and A Continuously Evolving Plan
A bit of lightheartedness: If Life was a Board Game
Also see Connection between Incarnatory Processes and the Life Task PL 216 to explore The Roles of the Mind, Ego, and Real Self; Human Life Task; Incarnatory Process Begins with Death; and The Connection between Incarnatory Processes and the Life Task
PL 36 Prayer and Meditation
You know by now that all faults originally come from pride, self-will, and fear. But it is not sufficient that you know this principle. It is essential that you clearly see and feel how each and every one of your faults comes from one and all of these three basic faults. Find the common denominator.
That is not so easy if it is to be emotionally understood. For that reason, you actually have to go through this cycle step by step, again and again; you have to follow it through until you are able to grasp it well enough that you can break the cycle at one point.
Study Guide: Prayer as Meditation
Explore: The Spiral of Development; Active Meditation; Foreground and Background Thoughts; and Faith as Positive Creation
YouTube Video Summary 7 mins
Transcript of Video Summary
PL 37 Acceptance: Dignity with Humility
The acceptance of life with everything it brings, good and bad, and retaining a positive attitude is the true and divine way. To find the right way is not easy. Only severe self‑testing and deep meditation will bring you the answer that you personally need. Your fear can only leave you if you learn to embrace unhappiness as a necessary medicine, without thinking that you will always remain sick and need this medicine at all times.
August 2024 Newsletter PL 37
Sudy Guide: Acceptance: Dignity in Humility
Explore: Becoming Aware of Spiritual Beliefs 20 mins; Accepting Life as it IS 14 mins;
Finding Dignity in Humility 16 mins; Questions and Answersin PLs 15 mins
PL 37 Acceptance: 5 Exercises A 5th week review using popular movies
Week 5 video description 12 mins
PL 39 Finding Images
The concept of Images is key to understanding distorted perceptions. Masks are the simplest form of an image. A phony smile, saying yes when we want to say no, dressing to impress -- we compromise who we really are in order to be accepted, appreciated, loved. Images are generalizations, masks formed in childhood to serve as warning signs, to keep us from feeling emotional pain.
2013 Finding Images PL 39
Lectures on the Ego include:
132 The Function of the Ego in Relationship to the Real Self
152 Connection between Ego and Universal Power
158 The Ego’s Cooperation with or Obstruction to the Real Self
161 Unconscious Negativity Endangers Surrender of Ego to Involuntary Processes 199 The Meaning of the Ego and Its Transcendence
216 Connection between the Incarnatory Processes and the Life Task
PL 40 Finding Images - A Summary
On this path, we are concerned with seeking out the wrong images that the human soul harbors. Messages of the unconscious come forth through the major problems in life; through repetitive patterns; illness; any unfulfillment or lack.
Once it is understood that these occurrences are a message that something is off within the psyche, that a distortion and misconception must somewhere exist, the first step towards elimination of the problem is taken. Yet they are not really hidden. It is merely a question of learning to focus attention on them.
PL 42: Objectivity and Subjectivity
Objectivity is another essential requisite for the free and harmonious human being. The more un-purified and disharmonious you are, the more you will lack objectivity. Objectivity means truth.
Subjectivity means colored truth or half‑truth at best, complete untruth in many cases. Subjectivity means unconscious or non-deliberate untruth (contrary to a conscious lie). All this is forthcoming from the emotional level of one's being. By purifying the depths of your soul, you will first find where untruth exists within yourself.
December 2022 Newsletter PL 42 Overview
Study Guide: Objectivity and Subjectivity
Explore: Changing Perspective; Subjectivity results from Pride, Self-Will, and Fear; The Grain of Truth; Questions and Answers
The Grain of Truthfrom November 2020
PL 43: Three Personality Types: Reason, Will and Emotion
Understanding RWE types can help us identify misconceptions and confusions that can negatively affect interactions with others. Understanding Personality Types offers CLUES to:
Download 2008 Study Guide plus MP3 files:
Download Study Guide
Listen to audio online:
043-TC-Reason, Will, Emotion Types Part 1.mp3
043-TC-Reason, Will, Emotion Types Part 2.mp3
Apologies: sound quality of these recordings is poor
(camera didn't work that day so there is no video)
Download Transcript of the 2008 audio recordings
Article written on RWE for the Wuhan University of Technology Social Sciences
Chinese Academic Journal by Jan Rigsby and David Schwerin
2012 : Essay on PL 43
2013 Study Guide Reason Will and Emotion PL43 - 2013
Use the charts to make observations of yourself, family members, friends, and colleagues; Notice what traits, phrases, attitudes and aspirations you identify with; Notice any variations that occur in different social or professional situations.
Then explore What are/were your family dynamics?
2013 Minutes from May meetings PL 43
January 2014 Newsletter
February 2014 Newsletter PRS2 PL 43
Study Guide: The Structure of the Human Personality
PL 44: The Forces of Love, Eros and Sex
Three key aspects of relationship and spiritual development: Love, as a permanent state of the Soul; Eros, as one of the most potent forces in the universe; and Sex, as the creative force on all levels of existence.
Presentation on YouTube 1 hr 4 mins
or 3 Short Samples (click on sample clip below)
Subtitles added August 2020. Download Transcript
Download Study Guide PDF plus audio MP3 files:
Download Study Guide
Explore: Love, Sex and Eros as A Holy Triad; Eros as a Soul Movemen; Integrating Love and Sexuality; and Finding Your Unique Balance
Listen to audio online:
044-TC-LoveErosSex-2009-Pt1.mp3
044-TC-LoveErosSex-2009-Pt2.mp3
August 2015 Newsletter PRS17 / PL 44
2015 Study Guide Forces of Love, Eros and Sex
Video Introduction 2015 11 mins Transcript
Above: clip from The Forces of Love, Eros, and Sex PL 44
PL 45: Conflict Between Conscious and Unconscious Desires
There is no other reason and no other purpose in life than development and purification. You cannot purify unless you know yourself. And although self-knowledge is not always identical to purification, to a large extent you purify already by the mere fact that you recognize yourself fully and thoroughly.
The ability to do so without resistance, without subterfuge, makes it essential and necessary to have humility, the humility to accept yourself as you are now. To know yourself, my friends, to find the real you, the part of you that you have been unaware of so far, is always the aim and the question.
July 2019 Newsletter: Outline of PL 45
Self Study Guide: Conflict Between Conscious and Unconscious Desires
Explore: Life is a manifestation of our own beliefs; The Power of Thoughts, Emotions, and Habits; Uncovering Unconscious Desires; and The Power of Mass Images
PL 46: Authority
An invitation to examine your relationship to authority. Ask yourself: am I willing to honestly see the truth about my relationship to authority? If there is any hesitation in your response, do not suppress it. Allow it as part of the truth about yourself. Allow any resistance to contribute to your self-knowing.
2009 YouTube Presentation 1 hr 7 mins (or see 3 Short Samples )
Download Study Guide or Listen to audio online:
046-TC-Authority-2009-Pt1.mp3 046-TC-Authority-2009-Pt2.mp3
Study Guide plus audio MP3 files as a .zip file: 046-TC-Authority-2009.zip
Also see 2013 and 2021 Worksheets on The God Image from PL 29 and PL 52
PL 47 The Wall Within
The more self‑honesty is learned, the deeper it penetrates into the core of the soul. But until this core is reached, it takes a lot of doing on your part. And wherever the conscious is separated from the unconscious emotions, opinions, thoughts, conclusions, desires, or what-have-you, we can see a wall in the human soul ‑‑ a separating wall, separating the conscious from the unconscious.
2025 April Newsletter PL 47
Study Guide: The Wall Within
Explore: We Build the Wall to Hide OUR Negativity 11mins; When Truth serves as a Means for Hiding 20mins;
Transition from Outer to Inner Authority 15mins; Self-Awareness vs. Perfection 7mins
PL 49: Obstacles on the Path: Old Stuff, Wrong Guilt, and Who, Me?
Self‑deception amounts to untruth, and untruth is hostile to the life force. Suppression is always self‑deception, therefore the life force cannot regenerate you when such self‑deceptions or suppressions exist. The life force wants to come into you, and out of you, for deep down in your soul, behind your soul exists the whole universe and therefore a fountain of life force.
September 2022 Newsletter Summary of PL 49
Study Guide: Obstacles on the Path: Old Stuff, Wrong Guilt, and Who, Me?
Explore: Old Stuff and “Who, Me?”; Images Expressed as Emotional Reactions; Misconceptions about Evil and Guilt; and Emotional Maturity, Positive Thinking, Acceptance
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