Robert S. de Ropp (1913-1987) was an academic in bio-chemistry, who became a prominent author in the general fields of the realization of human potential, and the search for spiritual enlightenment. De Ropp grew up in London and gained a PhD in plant physiology at the Royal College of Science in London. He was active in plant physiology and cancer research.

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  • Robert S. de Ropp (1913-1987) was an academic in bio-chemistry, who became a prominent author in the general fields of the realization of human potential, and the search for spiritual enlightenment. De Ropp grew up in London and gained a PhD in plant physiology at the Royal College of Science in London. He was active in plant physiology and cancer research. In 1939 he was at The Research Institute of Plant Physiology at Imperial College of Science and Technology in London and by 1945 was a Research Officer of the Agricultural Research Council at the Rothamsted Experimental Station. He wrote a number of research papers relating to plant physiology and tumours and wrote a book in that field for the general reader: Drugs and the Mind. His avocational interests grew from his being strongly influenced by P. D. Ouspensky whom he met in 1936. He went regularly to Lyne Place for work weekends from 1936 to 1945 and was particularly attached to Madame Ouspensky. By 1945 the Oupenskys were in the United States, and de Ropp joined them there but became disillusioned about the work. He was living in Rocklin County, New York. His professional life included a stay at the Rockefeller Institute as a visiting investigator. His research was centered on cancer,mental illness, and drugs that affect behavior. He met G. I. Gurdjieff during his final visit to New York. De Ropp became an independent teacher and set up a community in Santa Rosa California around 1967 He and his family lived in rural Sonoma County, where they tried to live simply off the land. They grew fruits, vines, vegetables and wheat, as well as many ornamental plants. He fished in the ocean and his wife raised chickens. Among his most influential books concerning spiritual development are: The Master Game and Warrior's Way: The Challenging Life Games. The first of these stands as his report on what he has learned from his teachers and from the writings of similar figures as well as more main-stream psychologists, psychiatrists, and researchers into fields such as religion and the spiritual life. The second was written near the end of his life and in a very personal way gives his evaluation of the characters and contributions of Gurdjieff, Ouspensky, Madame Ouspensky, and other major figures in the field of teaching those engaged in spiritual quests. He spares neither the false gurus nor the merely pompous, while expressing genuine gratitude for those whose efforts he believes have enriched human life. De Ropp died in his 70s while ocean-kayaking. De Ropp married Kathleen Elizabeth (Betty) Knowlman whom he met when she worked as a gardener at Kew Gardens during World War II and who emigrated to the United States to join him. They had four children.
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  • Robert S. de Ropp (1913-1987) was an academic in bio-chemistry, who became a prominent author in the general fields of the realization of human potential, and the search for spiritual enlightenment. De Ropp grew up in London and gained a PhD in plant physiology at the Royal College of Science in London. He was active in plant physiology and cancer research.
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  • Robert S de Ropp
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