Eva was born in 1915 in Vienna, the daughter of the well-known Austrian novelist Jakob Wasserman. Driven by a private curiosity and a desire for deeper understanding of her world, Eva began to develop the gift of accessing an inner voice, at first through automatic writing and later by speaking in a trance state. In time, the inner voice took shape as the authoritative, insightful and loving persona of the Pathwork® Guide.

Eva came to the United States in 1939 and continued her work in New York, giving Guide sessions and an ongoing series of trance lectures. She was a beautiful, vibrantly alive woman with a keen intelligence who enjoyed life in all its aspects. She loved people and animals, and enjoyed food, skiing, swimming and dancing.

Eva Pierrakos died in 1979, leaving behind her the rich legacy of more than two hundred Guide lectures and thousands of students and followers of the teachings.

I actually gave a lot of thought to how I should refer to myself relative to this body of Question and Answers. As we know, the author herself, Eve Pierrakos, didn’t claim to be the author. The author of these answers is the Pathwork Guide.

So while I have created this way of organizing this material, it is not my material. This material belongs to the Pathwork Foundation, a non-profit organization charged with disseminating and caring for the Pathwork Guide’s words.

I completed my assembly of these Q&As—which involved reading them, sorting them by topic, and editing them lightly for easier reading—around Christmastime. At the time, I was listening to the many different arrangements of Christmas music offered by so many different artists. Which is when the word “arrangement” popped into my head.

I didn’t create the “song”, but I crafted it this way so that others could enjoy it. If you are interested in exploring what else I have crafted to make these teachings from the Pathwork Guide easier to access, please visit Phoenesse.

—Jill Loree

Pathwork Helper

Founder of Phoenesse

Read more about how Jill Loree created The Guide Speaks.

• How should we think of God?

• How does a person go about re-establishing an emotional experience about God?

• Would you explain further about the state of being and how to achieve it?

• You close all your sessions with, “Be in peace. Be in God.” My question is about God. Recently it has been in the public press that many in religion are beginning to question the meaning of God. Can you comment on that?

In this teaching from the Pathwork Guide, we are shown that finding God is not about belief, doctrine, or searching externally, but about self-discovery and inner experience. God is described not as a person, but as a universal intelligence and living power present within all life—and within ourselves.

Rather than clinging to inherited ideas or rejecting God out of confusion, we are encouraged to remain open and begin with knowing ourselves honestly. True understanding of God arises naturally as we develop self-awareness, responsibility, and inner truth.

This teaching also emphasizes that trust in oneself is inseparable from trust in God. Seeking God as an external authority often reflects fear and dependency, while genuine spiritual experience comes from inner strength and authenticity.

Ultimately, the path to God is the path to the Real Self. By facing inner conflicts without self-rejection and recognizing both our limitations and our deeper goodness, we come into contact with the divine presence within.

Ultimately, we find God not by searching outward, but by knowing, trusting, and aligning with our true inner being.

________

The Guide: I leave you all with the message that you please trust in the goodness of life and in your own goodness at the bottom of your heart. Bank on it. Pray for it. It is there. It is there. Focus on it, without overlooking the negative. Look at the negative and recognize it as a temporary, unreal, partial state. Take responsibility for it.

See it squarely, but never lose sight that that part in you that is capable of this self-confrontation and honesty and openness and exposure—that part that is capable to choose the proper attitude—is the God that is eternal. It is so near. It is your choice—the choice in which way you direct your thinking.

Do you direct your thinking into an abysmal hopelessness and self-defeat because you are imperfect, or do you direct your thinking into acknowledging your divine nature, even though there are imperfect parts in you? They’re only parts. Know your beauty. Know your eternal greatness. You are God.

Be in peace. Be in God.

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• Do mantras, such as repetitious prayers, help in the development of your own soul, and especially the phrase “I am?” And in what way does it help?

In this teaching from the Pathwork Guide, we learn that repetitive mantras or phrases—such as constant affirmations—have limited value for true spiritual growth. While they may create temporary calm or even trance-like states, they often become automatic and lose their meaning over time.

Without genuine awareness, they function more like self-suggestion than transformation.

Real development comes from self-understanding and honest inner work. Even a few minutes of deeply examining your reactions, fears, and inner conflicts is far more powerful than hours of repetition.

Growth requires conscious engagement—seeing where you are in truth, rather than bypassing difficulty through soothing words.

That said, mantra-like practices are not entirely without value. They can help build concentration, which is an important skill on the path. But this focus should ultimately be directed toward meaningful inner exploration.

Bottom line: True spiritual progress comes not from repetition, but from awareness, self-honesty, and the willingness to face and understand your inner reality.

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• To what extent can we expect to help heal our friends through meditation and prayer?

• Is it possible, through prayer and meditating, to influence the subconscious of a loved one who is at a great distance from you?

In this teaching from the Pathwork Guide, we learn that prayer for others has real spiritual impact—even if it does not always produce immediate or visible results. Every loving thought and sincere intention becomes a living force, contributing to a greater reservoir of good in the universe.

While only a few can directly heal through prayer, everyone can support others inwardly, strengthening positive forces that eventually reach their destination at the right time.

This teaching also emphasizes that distance is irrelevant on a spiritual level. What truly determines your influence is your own inner state. The more you release fear, illusion, and negativity within yourself, the more you positively affect others—especially at a subconscious level.

In this way, helping others through prayer is inseparable from your own growth: as you align with truth and goodwill, you become a channel through which healing and support can naturally flow.

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• I would very much like to have an explanation of how the Lord’s Prayer fits in with our present meditations, as well as an actual explanation.

Here’s a short summary of The Pathwork Guide's explanation of The Lord’s Prayer:

- It’s best not to rely on fixed prayers; instead, pray spontaneously based on your current inner needs.

- “Father” does not mean a person in heaven, but the universal divine consciousness within everyone—the shared Higher Self.

- This divine presence is one in all beings, though expressed individually.

- “The kingdom of heaven” refers to something within you, not outside.

- The core message of the prayer is unity: what you do to yourself, you do to others—and vice versa.

The main message about the Lord’s Prayer: it points to inner divinity, unity with others, and self-responsibility, rather than an external God.

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• Could you give us some highlights of what should be part of every prayer, every day?

• There are some theories that say that in order to achieve the discipline of daily prayer, one should set aside the same time every day. I think that this leads rather to the routine against which you warned us. Which is right?

• Are the batteries of both willpower and courage recharged by prayer?

• What about the problem of selfishness in prayer?

• Is silent prayer, without uttering words, sufficient, or does formulation and verbalization in loud words make prayer more effective?

• I noticed that some people pray by addressing God in the third person. In other words, they speak about God. They say, for instance, “I ask God…,” rather than speaking directly to God. Is there any significance in this? Does it make any difference?

• May I ask why is it so difficult at times to start praying at all?

• Can you please provide some guidance for how to get started?

The Pathwork Guide teaches that:

• Prayer should include both care for others and self-transformation. You’re encouraged to pray not only for loved ones, but also for people you dislike—using this to honestly observe your mixed feelings and grow beyond them.
• True prayer connects outer wishes (peace, love, justice) with inner work. You can’t genuinely contribute to these qualities unless you cultivate them within yourself.
• A key focus of prayer is self-awareness and growth: ask to recognize your fears, overcome them, accept pain when necessary, and align with a higher will.
• Prayer is not selfish when it aims at inner purification, because becoming more whole and happy enables you to help others. Motive matters more than the request itself.
• There’s no strict formula—prayer can be brief or long, spoken or silent—but it should be alive, sincere, and evolving, not rigid routine.

Ultimately, prayer is a living practice that combines compassion for others with honest inner work, gradually transforming both the individual and their impact on the world.

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• I’m confused about ways of meditating. I know you’ve spoken about reviewing your daily life (Lecture #17 The Call—Daily Review); I know there are people who keep their minds clear and just listen; I know there are other people who fix their mind on an idea or an object. Are these also effective ways of meditating?

• Very often I receive this guidance that suggests to ask for inner guidance from the inner self. Just how do you go about that?

In this teaching from the Pathwork Guide, we explore how meditation becomes most effective when it is deeply personal and rooted in self-awareness.

Rather than focusing only on objects or clearing the mind, the Guide emphasizes using daily life as the primary material for meditation—especially moments of inner conflict, discomfort, or disharmony.

By reviewing reactions, emotions, and patterns, meditation becomes an active process of self-discovery. It involves asking for inner guidance, forming a clear intention to see the truth, and then listening—allowing insights to arise from within.

This creates a dynamic dialogue between the conscious mind and deeper inner intelligence.

The teaching also highlights that there is no single formula. What matters is sincerity, specificity, and the genuine desire to understand oneself. As awareness grows, meditation evolves, becoming more intuitive and aligned with one’s current state.

The key insight is that true meditation is not escape, but engagement—an ongoing process of uncovering truth and aligning with one’s deeper nature.

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• Will you please elaborate on the meaning of prayer in the different stages?

In this teaching from the Pathwork Guide, we explore how prayer evolves as human consciousness develops.

At early stages, prayer may arise as simple wonder or admiration for life, later becoming supplication driven by fear, need, or dependence. As awareness grows, individuals begin to recognize their own role in shaping outcomes, moving beyond asking for external intervention toward greater self-responsibility.

Eventually, prayer transforms into something deeper: honest self-examination. Looking within, facing uncomfortable truths, and taking responsibility for one’s inner state becomes the most authentic form of prayer. In this stage, meditation replaces traditional prayer as a living process of self-awareness.

At the highest level, prayer is no longer something one “does,” but a state of being—an experience of presence, connection, and alignment with truth and love.

The key insight is that real prayer is not about words, but about sincerity, self-honesty, and the willingness to grow into deeper awareness.

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