Part of the Casswiki article series Fourth Way
Evolution is the lower becoming the higher, following an ascending octave. Involution is the higher determining or creating the lower, following a descending octave.
The process of the ray of creation is a case of involution. The Sun Absolute’s impulse descends along a descending octave from more vivifying or intelligent hydrogens towards coarser ones, passing through all stages between the Absolute and inanimate matter.
The process of evolution goes in an opposite direction. The processes of man’s psychic metabolism are processes of evolution, transforming coarser hydrogens into more vivifying ones. Man’s own progress along the path Is also a process of evolution, to the extent it is directed at awakening and reaching objective consciousness.
Not all lifeforms seek to return to the Absolute via evolution. Gurdjieff, cited by Ouspensky, mentions that “conscious evil” sometimes occurs and that beings turn away from evolution and exploit their branch of the ray of creation for their own gain, sometimes endangering the very existence and further possibility of development of the branch. These forces can be locally powerful and are not bound by any code of ethics, as are positive forces. This is likely a reference to 4th density STS forces, one of the very few explicit ones in Gurdjieffian literature. Generally, the subject is discussed more indirectly, through the allegory of food for the moon or sheep and the magician.