An exercise for Holy Communion: the science of Hanbledzoin

In the context of Gurdjieff’s esoteric Christianity, traditional theological debates—whether Holy Communion is a symbolic remembrance or an actual act of transubstantiation—are rendered secondary. For Gurdjieff, what matters most is the capacity of the individual to properly participate in the sacred act. Without the requisite inner development, both theological positions are moot.

As explored in Gurdjieff on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the possibility of an authentic connection to the body and blood of Christ is not simply conferred through belief or ritual alone. Rather, it depends upon the inner formation of a particular substance within the human being: Hanbledzoin.

What Is Hanbledzoin?

In Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson (Penguin/Arkana edition), Gurdjieff describes Hanbledzoin as a sacred cosmic substance essential to the spiritual evolution of three-brained beings (i.e., humans). Its nature is multilayered:

• It is analogous to what modern thinkers once called ‘animal magnetism’, but far more refined in substance and function (p. 568).

• It is the ‘blood’ of the Kesdjan body—the intermediate, astral component of the soul—just as ordinary blood nourishes the physical body (p. 568).

• It is derived from the transformation of cosmic elements, including those from other planets and the sun, forming in beings through their own efforts (p. 569).

• In certain contexts, it is called the sacred Aiësakhaldan, serving the highest aspect of the human essence—what Gurdjieff calls the soul—formed directly from the emanations of the Most Holy Sun Absolute (p. 569).

• It is associated with the radiations of Tetartocosmoses (i.e., individual human beings as microcosmic wholes) (p. 760).

• It is produced through intentional being-efforts—conscious labors and voluntary suffering—made consistently over time (p. 1,200).

Thus, Hanbledzoin is not an automatic or accidental phenomenon. It is cultivated through deliberate inner work. The quality, intensity, and consistency of one's conscious efforts determines the vitality and concentration of this sacred substance.

An Exercise During Holy Communion

To effecetively participate in Holy Communion, one must bring the fruit of one's conscious efforts to the altar. The following exercise is designed to support the quality of Hanbledzoin during the Eucharistic rite. It should follow an initial Preparation Exercise and can be practiced silently throughout the communion experience:

1. Whole-Body Sensation & Breath Awareness. After completing your preparatory practice, bring your full attention to the sensations of the body—the energetic impressions of life and presence. Then, without attempting to control the breath, simply observe its natural rhythm. Feel the air as it moves in and out, gently and precisely.

2. Heart Awareness. Once breath awareness is stabilized, bring gentle attention to the subtle sensations of the heart—its rhythm, pulsations, and any movement or vibration you can detect in the chest cavity.

3. Circulation Awareness. Expand your attention further to include the blood as it pulses through the body. Sense the minute vibrations and flows occurring throughout the limbs, organs, and extremities.

4. Unified Presence During the Eucharist. As you move into the Holy Communion, strive to hold all four layers—bodily sensation, breath, heartbeat, and blood circulation—within a single field of awareness. This sustained, intentional attention to the living energies of one’s body may establish a commensurate resonance with the true body and blood of Christ.

Holy Communion is not only a liturgical event but a cosmological opportunity: a moment where one's intentional efforts can meet divine substance. The exercise above is not merely preparatory but constitutive of that connection. In so doing, the rite becomes more than a remembrance or metaphysical mystery—it becomes a real encounter, mediated through the very alchemy of being.