South African Sophian Gnostic Circle
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What is "Gnosis" ?
posted Monday, 8 October 2007
Gnosticism is, in essence, a spiritual or mystical journey seeking self-realization, and the essential wisdom of Gnosticism directs us to look inwardly to experience a Spirit-connection. In this sense, there is something universal in Gnostic teachings, and the Gnostic transcends her or his own wisdom tradition. Truly, she or he is a mystic in an adventure of consciousness, seeking to activate and embody a higher consciousness and power by whatever name it may be called. It just so happens that, in Gnostic Christianity, this consciousness and power is called the "light-presence" or "Christos," and it is spoken of in the language of Christian Mysticism or Gnosticism.
In the midst of the revival of interest in Gnosticism there is a lot of talk about “gnosis.” Often, however, what Gnostics actually mean by this term is not really understood – the meaning is a bit more subtle than it may first appear. So in the study and practice of Gnostic Christianity it is good to inquire into the more subtle and sublime meaning of this word as it is used among Gnostics.
Essentially, gnosis literally means “knowledge,” and specifically connotes knowledge that is acquired through direct spiritual and mystical experience. It implies spiritual insight or intuitive knowledge, yet, in fact, it connotes something more – a state of Self-realization or Divine Illumination.
We may say that gnosis is knowledge acquired through direct spiritual and mystical experience, and this is true, but these words can be somewhat deceptive. You see, gnosis is actually knowledge and understanding that arises during a spiritual or mystical experience or during an experience of higher consciousness; rather than mental concepts generated following an experience, in truth, it is the experience of “knowing” that occurs in the moment, within the spiritual or mystical experience itself. In other words, by gnosis is not meant a static state of knowledge, as though the possession of information, but rather it is a flow of knowledge, understanding and wisdom in the moment – an experience of “knowing being” (Gnostic Being).
This is reflected at the outset of the oral transmission of the Melchizedek Teachings in our lineage, when it is said, “The thought ‘I know’ and the thought ‘I do not know’ are fundamental obstructions to the Light Transmission.” Thus, gnosis is not what I may know or think I know, but rather gnosis is the experience of knowing itself - there is no subject and object (the knower and the known) in the instant of the experience, but it is simply the experience of knowing.
In this sense, it is not so much that one “has gnosis,” as though it is a possession, but rather one is in an experience of gnosis, which is to say, one is in an experience of Divine Illumination, more or less. Quite naturally, in the midst of such an experience there is a flow of spiritual insight or intuitive knowledge, and there is an experience of understanding and wisdom in the moment – one tastes something of the enlightenment experience, something of a higher consciousness
Essentially, the Gnostic experience is a direct perception of Reality as It Is, and it is a direct perception of God as God Is.
The experience of gnosis is not something far removed from us, but there are many different gradations of gnosis, for there are many different gradations of consciousness and each gradation of consciousness has its own experience of gnosis. At the level of the higher mind and illumined mind the experience of gnosis is quite common, hence the experience of luminous thoughts arising like points of light in the mind, or streams of inspiration when luminous thoughts become an entire flow of insights or creative ideas, for example. At the level of the intuitive mind and overmind, the experience of gnosis becomes less common; and at the level of the supernal or supramental it is relatively rare in the present human condition. Nevertheless, something of the enlightenment experience, or the experience of gnosis, is present in every gradation of higher mental and vital consciousness, all the way to the supramental, which is called “True Gnosis” in the teachings.
Thus, essentially, by gnosis we mean the actual experience of knowledge or knowing at various levels of higher consciousness, ranging from levels of consciousness that are more common in our experience to loftier levels, which are less common. While the experience of gnosis may become translated into mental concepts during an experience of higher consciousness or following such an experience, gnosis is the experience of knowing itself rather than the mental concepts that may form. To “acquire gnosis,” as it is said in Gnostic Scriptures, is to develop the ability to enter into the experience of gnosis at one level of consciousness or another, which is an ongoing process in the spiritual life of a Gnostic practitioner as we labor to embody progressively higher states of consciousness.
In terms the gnosis of Christ and the gnosis of God, this too has many different levels – the highest levels being the experience of conscious unification with Christ in God, and the Divine Knowing (Divine Gnosis) that naturally occurs in Union.
We might also say that gnosis is the experience of the Holy Spirit, the Creative Spirit, speaking with, in and through us; it is the capacity of the Fiery Intelligence in us to know and understand the mysteries of creation and God.
It is perfectly true that gnosis may be used to indicate secret or esoteric knowledge known to initiates, but the nature of that knowledge is experiential and actually exists in the experience itself, not outside of it – which is why it is called “secret.” One “has” such knowledge to the degree that one can enter into the corresponding experience – it is secret or esoteric because relatively few may be able to enter into the experience. For example, anyone can read The Third Book of Enoch, but relative few can or have entered into the experience of the Merkavah (a process of passing through higher and prophetic states of consciousness) it speaks about. One has this “secret knowledge” (gnosis) if one has the actual experience of which it is speaking, not because one has read the book and intellectually may know what it says – it is completely secret, except to an initiate who has experienced it.
What do we mean by “prophetic”? Prophecy is insight into the play of spiritual forces within and behind what transpires, and insight into things that will transpire on account of that play of spiritual forces; likewise, it is insight into souls, the spiritual forces moving with them, and their tikkune-healing
May the Mother Spirit give birth to Divine Gnosis in us, amen.
1. The Capt. left...
Tuesday, 9 October 2007 1:12 pm
Very interesting! I wish you would make comments on my blog regarding
entries that deal with our inner world because your perspective would add
greater depth to the very things we both are attempting to reveal.