Encuentros con hombres notables

The conversational format adds a mystical layer, but I'm curious whether this was Gurdjieff's original intent or a literary choice to deepen the mystery.

Some encounters felt almost surreal, making me wonder how much of this was meant to be literal versus symbolic. How do others interpret these encounters?

Their diverse backgrounds seem intentional, possibly reflecting a universal search for enlightenment. I wonder what criteria he used to choose them.