First published in 1998, Opening is a collection of essays, poems and art by William Segal, and interviews with him. In the Author’s Notes he writes: “What follows is hardly a literary effort as much as a series of observations on the life of a man of our time. These observations may be of help to those who wish to know themselves, to understand better the human structure, its limitations and its possibilities. The aim to prepare one for a more intelligent, more conscious participation in the transformative process — in short, to indicate a way toward fulfilling one’s role as a true human being.”
 
Segal met P.D. Ouspensky and G.I. Gurdjieff in the 1940s. After World War II, he was able to spend time at two of the main Zen Buddhist monasteries in Japan. He found harmony between the two teachings. The material in Opening reflects both.