Remorse of Conscience: the sacred agony that transforms the Soul

There is a secret grief known only to the soul that begins to awaken.

A suffering that is not inflicted from without, but wells up from within—a friction, a fire, a silent cry that pierces the heart.

This is not guilt. It is not shame. It is not regret. It is something far more sacred. It is remorse of conscience.

In both the Fourth Way of Gurdjieff and the radical Gospel of Jesus Christ, this inner burning is not peripheral—it is central. It is the door through which all authentic transformation must pass. It is the only road from illusion to reality, from mechanical existence to conscious life, from self-worship to divine likeness.

The Voice Beneath the Noise

“Every man has a conscience—it is a property of normal human beings. But owing to civilization this function has become crusted over and has ceased to work…”— Views from the Real World, p. 239

Gurdjieff insists that conscience is objective. It is not conditioned by culture, religion, or mood. It is an organ, formed in man over millennia, designed to recognize truth and goodness directly, beyond rationalization or dogma.

"Every man has this organ, and whoever is guided by conscience automatically behaves in accordance with the Commandments. If our conscience were open and pure, there would be no need to speak about morality. Then, unconsciously or consciously, everyone would behave according to the dictates of this inner voice."— Views from the Real World, p. 247

But this organ has become encrusted by personality—by the artificial self we automatically perform for others and even for ourselves—and has submerged into the subconsciousness.

For most, conscience only emerges in moments of crisis: at a deathbed, a betrayal, a moment of unguarded stillness. Then it speaks—but we push it away with our reflexive "self-calming", what Gurdjieff calls our Evil inner God.

“A man is very much afraid of seeing the truth... Only intense suffering or shock pierces the crust, and then conscience speaks; but after a while a man calms down and the organ becomes covered over once more. A strong shock is needed for the organ to become uncovered automatically.”— Views from the Real World, pp. 239, 248

Gurdjieff posits that conscience can unite essence and personality, aligning the authentic self with higher truth. Its reawakening is thus the axis of inner development, and the fountain where genuine Faith, Love and Hope can flow, in contrast to the degenerated impulses today that bear the same name and lead to all sorts of terrifying results (Beelzebub's Tales, Chapter 26).

In The key to Gurdjieff's Theosis: Remorse of Conscience, the Holy Spirit and Aiëssirittoorassnian-contemplation, it is explained that this suffering for conscience, if borne consciously, does not destroy—it awakens. And in Gurdjieff’s cosmology, it is this remorse—this very pain—that begins to coat higher being-bodies: the soul in formation.

Indeed, when speaking on the principles of the establishment of his Institute and subsequent teaching program, Gurdjieff states that he wished:

"...to create around myself conditions in which a man would be continually reminded of the sense and aim of his existence by an unavoidable friction between his conscience and the automatic manifestations of his nature.”— Meetings with Remarkable Men, p. 270

The Gospel According to Conscience

Jesus Christ did not come to improve our lives, but to undo us—to tear down the house built on sand and raise in its place the living temple of God. And the first word of his ministry was not “believe,” but “Repent” (Matthew 4:17). The Greek word is metanoia—not merely to confess, but to undergo a fundamental change of mind and being.

“Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”— John 3:3

This birth does not happen in comfort. It is preceded by the agony of self-seeing, the opening of the inner eye, and the taste of one's own constant failure. The Prodigal Son, the woman weeping at Jesus' feet, the thief on the cross—all experience this divine remorse.

And what is the fruit of such remorse?

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”— Matthew 5:4

In other words: Only those who grieve the truth of themselves can receive the joy of God.

Moralism is Not Enough

“You should forget about morality… Inner morality is your aim. Your aim is to be Christian. But for that you must be able to do—and you cannot.”— Views from the Real World, pp. 249–251

Gurdjieff sharply distinguishes between external morality (social rules, appearances, behavior) and internal morality, which can only arise from conscience. In this, he echoes Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees: “You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25).

To live morally without conscience is hypocrisy. But to awaken conscience is to encounter what Gurdjieff calls "intentional suffering"—the holy anguish of seeing the distance between who we are and who we must become. This suffering, if endured with sincerity, becomes the seedbed of real transformation.

The Hasnamuss and Eternal Remorse

In Beelzebub’s Tales (pp. 405-410), Gurdjieff introduces the terrifying archetype of the Hasnamuss—a soul who, through pride and deceit, crystallizes a "maleficent something" in their being. If not purified through remorse, such a being may become an Eternal Hasnamuss, condemned to suffer remorse forever without hope.

To prevent this fate, Gurdjieff writes, three holy planets were set apart for the potential redemption of fallen souls and called:

“(1) Remorse-of-Conscience, (2) Repentance, and (3) Self-Reproach.” (Beelzebub's Tales, pp. 410)

Here, remorse is not punishment—it is the means of salvation. The soul that can still feel pain for its own lies is not lost—it is on the verge of rebirth.

Conscience and the Divine Sorrow

Perhaps the most beautiful and terrifying claim in Gurdjieff’s cosmology is this:

“The factors for the being-impulse conscience arise from the emanations of the sorrow of our OMNI-LOVING and LONG-SUFFERING ENDLESS CREATOR… the source of genuine conscience is sometimes called the REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CREATOR.”— Beelzebub's Tales, pp. 371

This means that conscience is not merely psychological. It is metaphysical. It is divine. It is the presence of God in the soul. When we feel genuine remorse, we participate in the sorrow of God—the longing and yearning for our return.

This is echoed in Christ, the suffering God, who weeps, who groans, who bears our betrayal, and still says:

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

The Gospel is not good news until it is first bad news: that we are not what we seem, not what we pretend, not what we hope. But from this crucifixion of illusion comes the possibility of a new man—the true self.

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)

Here is the great mystery: remorse of conscience is not a curse—it is grace. It is not despair—it is the passage to joy. It is the voice of the Divine in us, crying out for us to remember. And more importantly, provides us with the necessary energy to act on its impulses.

The Fire That Heals

Remorse of conscience is a holy fire. It hurts, but it heals. It is the first fruit of awakening, the seed of repentance and true transformation, and the sign that God is still near.

Gurdjieff says:

“Conscience saves time. A man who has conscience is calm; a man who is calm has time which he can use for work.” (Views from the Real World, p. 251)

And Jesus Christ:

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

But the truth will first make you weep.

A Final Cry

You were not made for distraction, comfort, and imitation.

You were made to become real—

to remember yourself,

to suffer the truth,

to become light.

So tremble.

Feel the shame you’ve buried.

Let the old self fall away.

Let conscience rise from the dead.

Because remorse is not despair.

It is the beginning of resurrection.

Let the grief come—

And let it save you.