Maurice Nicoll

“This engaging and informative study of this crucial figure uses new information to provide a full portrait of a man who was close to Jung and Gurdjieff and a major spiritual teacher in his own right. This is one of Lachman’s best.” * Richard Smoley, author of A Theology of Love: Reimagining Christianity through A Course in Miracles *“In his usual elegant eloquence, Gary Lachman shines light on yet another seminal figure in twentieth-century Western esotericism. A must-read for anyone interested in Carl Jung, Gurdjieff, and other intellectual-spiritual streams of consciousness that have helped shape the world we live in today.” * Carl Abrahamsson, author of Occulture: The Unseen Forces That Drive Culture Forward and Source Magic *“Gary Lachman is one of our surest guides through the forest of eccentric teachers and difficult teachings that constitute modern esotericism. This book displays again Lachman’s rare balance, his luminous mind, and his constant turn of phrase, this time with intimate histories of Gurdjieff ’s Fourth Way through such figures as the master himself, the Russian P. D. Ouspensky, and the British teachers A. R. Orage and especially Maurice Nicoll and his esoteric Christianity. That Lachman includes an unflinching focus on Nicoll’s ‘unclean thoughts,’ male masturbatory imagination, and related conviction that the erotic and the mystical are deeply intertwined makes this a very special book, indeed.” * Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of How to Think Impossibly: About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief, and Everythin *

Gary Lachman is an author and lecturer on consciousness, counterculture, and the Western esoteric tradition. His works include Dark Star Rising, Beyond the Robot, The Return of Holy Russia, and The Secret Teachers of the Western World. A founding member of the rock band Blondie, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. He lives in London.