Book details

  • Genre:family & relationships
  • Sub-genre:Marriage & Long-Term Relationships
  • Language:English
  • Pages:232
  • eBook ISBN:9798317806989
  • Paperback ISBN:9798317806972

Turning Into Each Other

Relationship Dynamics on G. I. Gurdjieff’s Enneagram

By Christian Doering

Overview


Chris's experience and words came at the right moment in my life. It was during a Guitar Craft course in Tepoztlán, Mexico, at a personal meeting where we were discussing various aspects and experiences about the Act of Marriage. A year later, I met Chris again at a Guitar Craft course in Argentina. This time, it was a group meeting with my wife, and Chris's words brought plenty of light to the moment we were going through. Right after the course, he sent us a draft copy of his book, the email was titled "Many Words and Pictures". Turning into Each Other is Love in motion; it is love as a verb. This book shatters the conception of love as a noun, as a thing, or as something that belongs to someone. The clichés that are so deeply ingrained in our culture, where "…they lived happily ever after," make no sense when the relationship is understood as a process that is constantly evolving. This applies to personal relationships of any kind and, by extension, to groups. The possibility to observe and understand relationships as a process in action, and to identify where we are in it, is a gift that anyone who reads this book can receive. Luciano Pietrafesa Mendoza, Argentina March 2025
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Description


As the poet once asked: "What is Love?" Interestingly, this book is not so much about Love as about loving, with emphasis on the "ing" part——so, it is an action, a process. Turning into Each Other explores the evolving nature of love and relationships, emphasizing that real Love is a process rather than a feeling. This process is that of relationships, and, from my experience, it works equally well as a guide for couple relationships and group relationships (I've used the book as a guide for both). Many people believe that commitment to a partner or a project will naturally lead to happiness, but the book argues that love requires effort, self-awareness, and adaptation. The book asserts that lasting love requires transcending personal limitations, embracing change, and recognizing love as a shared journey rather than a fixed state. Through challenges, couples and/or work groups can transform their relationship into something more profound, moving beyond romantic idealism or functional efficiency and "spiritual" self-deception into a partnership built on mutual understanding and continuous evolution. Reading this book to me felt like having a conversation with a wise friend—one who's been around the block a few times and wants to help you navigate your own path. The insights here aren't sugar-coated, but they're real, grown from personal experience and work, and that's very much the point. Leonardo Requejo, Ph.D. Cuernavaca, México March 2025
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About The Author


Among the many things Christian Doering has been during his 75 years on Earth: husband (twice); father; writer; musician; student at The International Academy for Continuous Education, where he was introduced to G. I. Gurdjieff's Enneagram of self-renewing processes by J. G. Bennett; survivor of prostate cancer. Christian is currently living with metastatic liver cancer in northern California, thanks to the love and support of his wife Lis, his family, and the Guitar Circle.
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