Rodney Collin (26 April 1909–3 May 1956) was a writer and thinker connected with the Fourth Way tradition, taught to him by his beloved teacher and mentor, the late P.D. Ouspensky. Before finding the Work, Collin grew up in Brighton, England and attended the London School of Economics. He worked for the British Census Office and wrote for various other publications. The scope of his thoughts and understanding was monumental and synthetic. He arrived at a picture of the sequence of civilizations within world history that included both technological and moral development in humankind. His unique understandings of time and interpretations of ancient mythology and art are also noteworthy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Rodney Collin?

Rodney Collin (1909–1956) was:
– A British writer, philosopher, and disciple of P.D. Ouspensky.
– A gifted synthesizer of science, religion, art, and esoteric psychology.
– Known for his profound books, especially The Theory of Celestial Influence, The Theory of Conscious Harmony, and The Theory of Eternal Life.
– A key figure in expanding and deepening the Fourth Way after Ouspensky’s death.
– He died in Cuzco, Peru, while attempting to help establish a Fourth Way school in South America.
His writings are highly imaginative yet structured, filled with metaphysical insight, scientific analogy, and spiritual synthesis.

How was Rodney Collin connected to P.D. Ouspensky and the Fourth Way?

– Collin became a student of Ouspensky in the 1930s and quickly rose to become one of his closest collaborators.
– After Ouspensky’s death in 1947, Collin traveled to Lyne Place and recorded many of the last teachings and moments of Ouspensky’s life.
– He believed that Ouspensky had reached a higher state before death and that the task of continuing the Fourth Way legacy fell to him.
– Collin helped bridge the work between Ouspensky’s intellectual clarity and Gurdjieff’s mystical impulse, infusing it with his own visionary scope.

What is Rodney Collin’s book The Theory of Celestial Influence about?

The Theory of Celestial Influence is Collin’s magnum opus—a grand synthesis of esoteric cosmology, science, and human development.
It explores:
– The structure of the cosmos (using Gurdjieff’s “Ray of Creation” and planetary models).
– How different time-scales and worlds (mineral, cellular, molecular, electronic) relate to states of consciousness.
– The evolution of civilizations and religions, placed on a logarithmic scale of development.
– How the laws of three and seven play out in the unfolding of human history and psychology.
– The interconnectedness of all things through vibration, octave laws, and celestial rhythms.
“Rodney Collin attempted to illustrate the various invisible chords linking events in time and space that either appear to be disparate or conversely seem strangely connected.” It’s not light reading, but it’s immensely rich, oƯering a map of how the universe mirrors man and vice versa.

What were Rodney Collin's main ideas or contributions to the Fourth Way?

Here are his key contributions:
– Expanded Cosmology – He added depth to Gurdjieff’s cosmological ideas, showing how the same laws govern galaxies, civilizations, and inner states.
– Gland–Planet Typology – Collin connected the human endocrine system to planetary influences, defining six major personality types (e.g., solar, lunar, mercurial types) and explaining their spiritual implications.
– Time and Higher Dimensions – He described time as multi-dimensional (borrowing from Ouspensky’s ideas of higher dimensions) and emphasized that we live in multiple scales of time simultaneously.
– Six Fundamental Processes – Collin explored six universal types of processes (based on different cosmic configurations), helping categorize how change occurs in nature and people.
– Christian Esotericism – Like Nicoll, he reinterpreted Christian teachings, viewing the Trinity, resurrection, and parables as inner psychological realities.
– The Triad of Self-Remembering – He uniquely described self-remembering as a three-force phenomenon:
You (the observer)
What is observed
A third force (the Sun or God) that connects the two.
“Because self-remembering is a definite and measurable psychological condition, it must consist of three parts.” – Collin

How does Rodney Collin’s work differ from or expand upon Ouspensky’s teachings?

– Ouspensky was primarily intellectual and systematic | Rodney Collin was more visionary, poetic, and synthetic.
– Ouspensky was focused on psychological transformation | Collin added a rich cosmic direction and historical cycles
– Ouspensky was concerned with rigor and verification | Collin withdrew from Gurdjieff’s mystical direction
– Ouspensky did not teach after Gurdjieff’s death | Collin was more open to inspiration, metaphysics, and symbolic logic. He embraced and revived that mystical side with his own style. He actively tried to continue the work through writing and action (e.g. the Peru project)

Rodney Collin essentially built a bridge between the scientific mind and the mystical heart of the Fourth Way.
“He stood at the intersection of science and spirit, reason and revelation.” – Document

In 2022/24, BePeriod will be creating a full-length documentary on George Gurdjieff

George Gurdjieff
Part I:
Gurdjieff
Gurdjieff on the Three Brains
Part II:
Teaching
Gurdjieff on the Three Brains
Part III:
School
Gurdjieff on the Three Brains
Part IV:
Initiation
Esotericism shown in a Tibetan Mandala
Part V:
Fourth Way