Lord John Pentland, the remarkable man Gurdjieff chose to lead the Work in America, was Mr. Patterson's primary teacher. After many years of work and discovering no answer to the question that had gradually formed in him—what is the 'self' in self-remembering?—Mr. Patterson was called to explore Advaita Vedanta (non-dualism). In doing so, he realized the full significance of the ideas and practices of The Fourth Way and how this sacred and seminal teaching provided not only the necessary foundation, but was applicable on the very highest levels.

Mr. Patterson has written nine books on the teaching and directed, written and narrated seven films on the Fourth Way, including the award-winning video trilogy The Life & Significance of George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: Gurdjieff in Egypt, Gurdjieff's Mission and Gurdjieff's Legacy.

The recently released video, Introduction To Gurdjieff's Fourth Way Vol. 3: What Is the Meaning of Human Life on the Planet Earth? was filmed during a weekend seminar with William Patrick Patterson. It offers an in depth exploration of Gurdjieff's question: "What is the sense and significance of life on Earth and human life, in particular?" The Dialogue sessions probe the primary purpose of organic life on Earth, the receiving, processing and transmitting of energies, the developing and undeveloped image of God, vibratory electrical beings, societal beliefs of having an indivisible I and a soul, the "I"-of-the-moment, Adam's power to name animals, perfectly imperfect, living one's suffered truth, conscious egotist, Kesdjan body, esoteric Christianity, a Christianity before Christ, religion as wholeness, the teaching of our time and Consciousness without objects.