There is an idea that keeps popping up more and more in New Age spiritual circles and this idea has become somewhat controversial. That idea is the idea of Gnosticism. There are more and more Gnostic themed and titled groups and pages popping up on social media almost daily although many have very little knowledge regarding what Gnostic doctrine really is. This short article is to serve as a sort of crash course in Gnostic theory. The word is of Greek origins and originally simply meant “knowledge”. gnosis – knowledge of spiritual mysteries The Gnostic views the world as flawed and imperfect just as many religions and philosophies do. However, the Gnostic does not believe that the world needs to be perfected but that it is human consciousness that needs perfecting. They hold that the material world that humans reside in is imperfect in its very nature due to it being created in a flawed manner. How could this be the case? How could creation be imperfect? Does that imply that Gnostics believe the Creator of this human world to be imperfect? Simply put, yes. Gnosticism teaches that the creator God of Christianity may be real but not infallible. Not only is this creator flawed, he is secondary at best. Gnosticism asserts that there is a higher reality above this intermediate deity and that humans can experience and ascend to this reality. The creator of this human world may simply be viewed as a sort of unwise angel rather than the ultimate God; this creator is simply a craftsman and not really a creator at all. The Gnostic view of the Universe teaches that humans are dual in nature, a common theme among most any religious school of thought. This duality is seen to be a result of being partly crafted by a false creator and partly created by the higher reality or God. The part of humans created by the higher reality is said to be older than the created world and the intermediate God that has crafted it. It is also said that within each human there is a “Divine Spark” and that this Divine Spark can be awakened. Death is seen as releasing this Spark but only temporarily unless that Spark was awakened by knowledge (or Gnosis) during our human time on Earth. If this Spark is not awakened, we are doomed to return and repeat the cycle here on Earth. If we have not been liberated by knowledge, we must return and dwell in this imperfect, flawed world until a time when we can become liberated. The Gnostics also held that human nature is Divine and that we have simply forgotten our Divinity due to the limitations of physical existence. We are ignorant of our origins, our inner nature, and of our destiny. Gnosticism teaches that our salvation can be attained through knowledge. While attaining this knowledge is largely personal, this Gnosis is assisted by many helpers. Jesus, among many others, is considered to be one of these helpers. Gnostics do not seek salvation from “sin” but from ignorance and unconsciousness. Okay, now that we have covered a very basic interpretation of what Gnosticism actually is, let’s examine the implications of this doctrine when compared with scientific understanding. Basically, this Gnostic philosophy could be translated to mean that human/earth evolution was crafted by some higher being of the Universe. One could imagine that there are many such beings throughout this vast Universe or that possibly there are many Universes with many such beings crafting each of them. This being(s) may be well above our human comprehension and capable of godlike activities compared to our minor and small state of existence but it is not the creator of the entire Universe. This Craftsman would have to have used energies, forces, and creations of the higher reality in their crafting as they are not the creator of The All. If that be the case, the crafts of this Craftsman must contain material from the higher reality. Could it be that Consciousness itself is that Divine material and that the Craftsman simply employed Consciousness to direct the evolution of their craft? Could it be that by expanding our Consciousness through Gnosis (knowledge) that we can escape the lesser material reality that the Craftsman has placed us in? Is it possible that we are just as Divine as the Craftsman or even more so and that we can not only escape this existence but craft our own? Is it possible that by educating ourselves and experiencing this higher reality for ourselves that we may escape the shackles of material existence upon our inevitable death and be propelled into a reality of truth and perfection free from paradox? At any rate, Gnostic doctrine is at least interesting and thought provoking. Some of the concepts of this philosophy can greatly improve one’s spiritual journey and I encourage all who take their spiritual paths seriously to examine these ideas in greater detail.
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March 2017
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