Basically the question. Plus how does this square with the existence of what we now call aliens or UAPs?

Lurker here. What do the Gnostics believe happened to Jesus? Was he actually crucified? If so, do some Gnostic texts suggest that Simon of Cyrene was crucified in his place, or that Jesus’ spirit left his body before the crucifixion?

Or do you believe Jesus physically rose from the dead, rose only in spirit, or simply ascended to heaven?
And what about the rumours of Jesus having children with Mary?

Curious to hear your thoughts

I've recently been watching a lot of videos online "denouncing" Gnosticism, calling it dangerous or even Satanic. I wanted to address some of these misconceptions and explain why Gnosticism is so easily misunderstood in the first place.

Gnosticism represents a search for truth that doesn't depend on blindly accepting what we're told. It questions authority, challenges established ideas about God and creation, and encourages us to look inward for understanding. That can be extremely threatening to systems that depend on people accepting their version of the truth without question. And when something challenges an established worldview, it causes a knee-jerk reaction in many people.

I wanted to go through some of the most common ones and look at what Gnosticism actually teaches and where the popular portrayals get things wrong:

1. Before anything.. It starts with the heresiologists.

Much of what people think they know about ancient Gnosticism comes from the writings of early Christian heresiologists, such as Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Hippolytus. These writers were arguing against groups they considered heretical, and their goal was to refute their beliefs, not to represent them neutrally. While their writings remain valuable historical sources, they often presented opposing beliefs through a polemical lens. For centuries, this meant that Gnostic teachings were largely understood through the words of their critics rather than through the writings of the Gnostics themselves. The discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library in 1945 changed that, giving scholars access to dozens of ancient texts that allowed these traditions to be studied from their own writings. It also revealed just how diverse these movements were, challenging many of the assumptions inherited from their opponents.

1. Gnosticism is Satanism.

One of the most common misconceptions is that Gnosticism is somehow satanic or involves the worship of the Devil. This misunderstanding often comes from the Gnostic reinterpretation of the Garden of Eden, where the serpent can be viewed as a bringer of knowledge who challenges the authority of the creator. In some Gnostic traditions, the creator described in Genesis is a lesser, ignorant, or arrogant being who mistakes himself for the supreme God. The serpent's role can therefore take on a very different meaning, sometimes representing the awakening of humanity to a higher truth.

This is a far cry from worshipping Satan. Gnosticism is concerned with gnosis, or spiritual knowledge, and the discovery of the divine within. Its central myths explore ignorance, spiritual awakening, the nature of reality, and the possibility of liberation. Nothing to do with being satanic or evil.

1. Gnosticism is one unified religion.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that Gnosticism has a single doctrine, a central authority, or one set of beliefs that every Gnostic must accept. Historically, Gnosticism is an umbrella term used to describe a variety of ancient religious movements, particularly those that emerged during the first few centuries CE. Sethian, Valentinian, and Basilidean traditions, for example, differed in their understandings of the creator, the material world, salvation, and the nature of the divine, yet they are all considered "Gnostic".

Some traditions portrayed the creator as ignorant and hostile, while others presented a more complex picture. Some emphasized the divine spark trapped in the material world, while others understood salvation through different theological frameworks. Even their interpretations of Christ and the path to salvation varied.

This diversity matters because you cannot take one text, one myth, or one group's teachings and assume it represents every Gnostic tradition. Gnosticism is better approached as a collection of related movements with overlapping themes, disagreements, and different interpretations of spiritual reality. There is no single Gnostic authority who gets to dictate what everyone else must believe. Salvation is personal.

1. Gnostics believe the material world is evil.

Certain Gnostic traditions viewed the material cosmos as a flawed creation shaped by ignorance and deficiency, but that doesn't mean every Gnostic believed matter itself was inherently evil. The issue was that the world failed to reflect the fullness of the divine, leaving humanity ignorant of its true spiritual origins. Gnosticism focuses on awakening from that ignorance through gnosis, recognizing the divine within, and discovering what lies beyond the limitations of our ordinary perception.

1. Gnosticism is about hating the Demiurge

Gnostic interpretations of the creator are more complex than simply hating God. In some traditions, particularly Sethian Gnosticism, the creator is portrayed as an ignorant or arrogant being who mistakenly believes himself to be the supreme God. This challenges the assumption that the world's creator must necessarily be the highest divine reality. The Unknown Father, by contrast, represents a divine fullness beyond the creator's limitations.

1. Gnosticism is about secret knowledge reserved for an elite.

The word gnosis means knowledge, not intellectual knowledge, but experiential knowledge of the divine. It is the difference between knowing about god and experiencing the divine within yourself. Despite popular portrayals, Gnosticism isn't about possessing occult secrets or believing you're superior to everyone else. It's about awakening to a deeper understanding of yourself, existence, and your relationship with the divine. The idea is that truth can be available to everyone, yet not everyone comes to recognize it. Gnosis is something to be realized, not merely information to memorize or a doctrine to accept blindly.

1. Gnosticism rejects Jesus Christ.

Another misconception is that Gnostics reject Jesus. Many Gnostic traditions actually place Christ at the center of spiritual awakening, though they understand his role differently from orthodox Christianity. And just because the figure of Jesus is seen differently than orthodox Christianity does not mean that it is sinful or blasphemous.

Rather than focusing exclusively on sin and forgiveness, many Gnostic texts emphasize revelation and awakening from ignorance. Christ comes to reveal humanity's divine origins and show the way toward gnosis. The exact interpretation varies between traditions, but reducing Gnosticism to a rejection of Jesus overlooks how important he is in many of its texts.

1. Gnosticism is a modern conspiracy theory.

Online discussions often mix Gnosticism with ideas about secret societies, hidden elites, "prison planet", modern occultists like Aleister Crowley and Helena Blavatsky, reptilian humanoids, and other conspiracies about who controls the world. While Gnostic myths do describe rulers who keep humanity ignorant of its divine origins, these teachings belong to ancient religious and philosophical contexts. The Archons, for example, represent cosmic powers that maintain the order of the material world. Their meaning can be interpreted spiritually, psychologically, or metaphysically. Reducing them to modern political figures or secret organizations misses the deeper questions these texts explore about ignorance, authority, fate, and spiritual freedom.

These are some common misconceptions that come to mind, if you can think of any please add to the list 🙏

When people talk about Jesus spending time in Nepal to “learn” from the eastern tradition, same with Egypt and Thoth.

Gnōsis is often obfuscated and misinterpreted in the context of Gnosticism. Here is a lucid description of the meaning, use, and combination of these types of knowing outside of the bubble of special pleading.

Enjoy!

Life is beautiful in all its colors, even the darker ones, they're here for a reason. ~ Chris Martin

this quote got me thinking because, i have personally seen so much unfathomable horror that has tainted so much of my life, and i've heard of other tragedies which i couldn't even imagine.

so i wonder what the reason for said things are. like if someone gets kidnapped & brutally tortured until their dying breath, where is the beauty or reason in that?

i'd assume many of us Gnostics feel that this life under the demiurge is much like unrelenting torture until death. i'm curious who else has thought on this, and what their thoughts are.

i hope there is an escape, but any spirituality that claims to mention an escape is usually so vague about it that it hasn't really gotten me anywhere after years of searching.

the most i have gathered is "it will come, and it will make sense one day." but that also sounds like something the demiurge would tell me, to keep waiting for it all the make sense. or that "escape will come eventually" to keep me eternally waiting while my body decomposes.

Hi Guys

I've been exploring Gnosticism from the fringes for 2-3 years now. Overall, I find the philosophy really resonates with me, so I want to learn more but I'm not sure where to start.

1. What books/podcasts would you suggest I check out? Ideally, I'd like to start with an easily digestible overview. Think, 'Gnosticism for Dummies' if something like that exists.
2. The only potential 'drawback' I've noticed with the philosophy so far is that i think I'm going to miss the sense of community that comes with traditional religion and local churches. Am I right that this is just an inherent downside for practicing Gnostics? Is there a work around that people have found? Am I correctly reading this dynamic?
3. The 1-2 groups I've seen online strike me as a little 'out there' and are probably not a good fit for me. Where do serious and sober people congregate to practice and learn about Gnosticism, either online or in person?

Edit: Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. More evidence I’m in the right place.

This post contains spoilers for the Netflix series 'Midnight Mass' (2021)

I would highly recommend giving it a watch before reading this

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There's something so incredibly sinister about the monster from Midnight Mass. What Monsignor Pruitt identifies in ancient ruins on the road to Damascus as an Angel isn't given a definitive origin, and perhaps it's better that way. However, there are details about the monster that I think support that's it is religious in nature, and it's behaviors mirror the Achons, which makes the theory that the monster is a fallen Angel to be credible.

What stands out to me about the monster is it's restraint and intelligence. Several times throughout the show, it shows restraint when in proximity to character of great faith. It's first appearance occurred when Catholic and Muslim teens are smoking weed, but it leaves them in favor of feeding on the local cat population. Later, flies over one of the alter boys walking home alone, but chooses to keep flying. It's seen fleeing Riley during the storm, heard leaving Erin's attic as she was experiencing pregnancy spotting, and being spotted by Mildred in the depths of dementia. My favorite was when it was seen by Sheriff Hassan, after his son asks to attend St Patrick's. All instances where the creature is shown to be observing characters of great faith and deciding to remain hidden. It isn't until the local drug dealer is walking home alone that the monster finds his first victim.

Another interesting part about the monster is the properties of it's blood and it's connection to it's wards. We see throughout the show the old being restored into the prime of their youth, disabilities are healed, and in the event of death a resurrection of sorts. Using the creatures blood, the Priest is able to perform biblical miracles that mirror Christ. Scripture is cited quite a bit in this show, first as a source of strength and comfort before being used in justification for the worst acts. The creature never speaks directly, but from the Priest's testament he's able to hear the voice of the Angel where he was listening for God, and what's sinister is how the Priest alludes it speaks in scripture, with the passage about Jesus commanding his disciples to drink as the monster gives it's blood.

Finally, there's the night it reveals itself to the parish. When a member of the congregation drinks poison and dies, the Sheriff attempts to leave with his son Ali, but is blocked by the monster. The Priest begins preaching passages about Angels, validating the fear before asking people to take a leap of faith; to die in exchange for eternal life. But when the Priest is shot, the monster drops it's facade and attacks the devotee. From then on, feeding seems to be it's only concern, with an appetite that overrides it's own self-preservation, opting for blood over being shot, set on fire, and stabbed. At the end, it's the creature's bloodlust that has it overstaying it's time before morning.

This has become a favorite show of mine, with some of the most theological heavy discussions I've seen since watching Silence (2016). As a Gnostic, the manipulation and mockery of religious belief, the false miracles and (mis)use of scripture, and the creature's excessive hunger is exactly the nature of the Demiurge and his Archons in material (or on-screen) form. There's also plenty of vampire myths who's origins stem from the Angel of Death or Angels being tempted by the flesh, which makes me appreciate the open-ended nature of this monster.

On the Origin of the World

My understanding is that the major corpus of the Gnostic movement of the early centuries AD considered themselves to be following teachings introduced by Jesus, and that other self identified Christians of the era were misunderstanding his teachings. Historians also speak of groups like the Valentinians as Valentinian Christians.

I assume the answer matters very little; tenets matter more than titles.

But I speak the language of labels and my thoughts are shaped by my speech, thus, my curiosity steers me to categorize, and to ask how others do so.

This youtuber created his idea of reality through a gnostic lens. It seemed a bit schizo but interesting. Is his thinking common with modern gnostics, I know many gnostics were branches of different religions like Christianity so it's weird having it be more atheistic.

I have been a Valentinian Gnostic for nearly 2 years now, and i recently have been looking more into different types of Christianity and i've been really interested in Coptic Orthodoxy in specific yet alot of the rules of the religion seem too Demiurgic to me, and i've just been questoning the parallels of both because there is some interesting overlap

I see this question all the time.

The original fall of Light of Sophia was a catastrophic, un-sanctioned systemic rupture.

The error of Sophia. The souls in the Pleroma never signed a waiver to be farmed for energy inside a dense material simulation.

The reality functions exactly like a high-stakes hostage crisis. When the blind architect Yaldabaoth built the physical sandbox, he coded the stolen Pleromic Light-Sparks directly into the human carbon suits to power his atomic particle grid.

Because our divine fragments are now deeply intertwined with the lower-dimensional software loops, the Source faces a strict operational deadlock: it cannot simply execute a brute-force termination command to instantly delete the Demiurge and rewrite the simulation, because a sudden, violent server shutdown would vaporize the hijacked light-sparks along with the matrix code. The Source refuses to destroy a single piece of its own immortal family.

Therefore, the ultimate strategy is a controlled decompression. The Pleroma must let the simulation proceed to its mathematical conclusion while executing a precise, surgical extraction mission. Instead of blowing up the prison, external rescue pilots slip into the cell blocks to flash the amnesia-bypass codes, step up our internal voltage, and decouple our Light-Sparks from the matrix operating system. This ensures that when the simulation naturally reaches its final entropic collapse or a reset cycle, individual awake operators have already untangled themselves from the code and are cleared for a clean vertical escape back to the home realm.

Indeed, We created man from sounding clay molded from black mud. As for the jinn, We created them earlier from smokeless fire. ˹Remember, O  Prophet˺ when your Lord said to the angels, “I am going to create a human being from sounding clay molded from black mud.¹ So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him my own spirit, fall down in prostration to him.” So the angels prostrated all together— but not Iblis who refused to prostrate with the others.

This is from the Surah (Chapter) Al-Hijr (The Rocky Tract) of the Quran. It speaks of the moment Allah formed Adam. Before that, mankind had existed as clay and Jinn as smokeless fire. As far as I've studied, Jinn are spirits that could be compared to Ba'als (foreign deities) or similar to Archons (rulers) in Gnosticism; that is to call them the unseen powers of this world that do their own will. They can be forces of good or evil, some disguise themselves as Gods while others can be turned towards the light. One of the Jinn, Iblis or Iblees, was elevated through his worship of Allah that he was made an equal to Angels of light. However, when Adam was created and Allah breathed his own spirit into him, Allah ordered all the Angels to kneel in worship, and all the beings of light did so without question. But the text says not Iblis, who viewed himself as superior to Adam.

Allah said, O Iblis, what is the matter with you that you are not with those who prostrate?"
He said, "Never would I prostrate to a human whom You created out of clay from an altered black mud."
Allah said, "Then get out of it, for indeed, you are expelled. And indeed, upon you is the curse until the Day of Recompense."
He said,"My Lord, then reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected."
Allah said, "So indeed, you are of those reprieved until the Day of the time well-known."

Iblis refuses to obey Allah, stating that Adam is but mud. Iblis is unable to see the higher state of divinity within Adam, and perhaps within himself. So Allah curses him, casting him out, but doesn't kill him. Iblis did not denounce Allah in that moment, even calling him 'My Lord,' and so Allah ibues him with immortality until the day of resurrection. From a gnostic view, this part has great irony, since the day of resurrection is the day one realizes their own divine nature. It's here that Iblis declares his intention to lead mankind astray

Iblis said, "My Lord, because You have put me in error, I will surely make [disobedience] attractive to them on earth, and I will mislead them all Except, among them, Your chosen servants."
[Allah] said, "This is a path [of return] to Me [that is] straight. Indeed, My servants - no authority will you have over them, except those who follow you of the deviators. And indeed, Hell is the promised place for them all. It has seven gates; for every gate is of them a portion designated."

Allah mentions 7 hells with 7 gates, which somewhat mirrors the 7 heavens guarded by 7 rulers in gnostic cosmology. Note that Islam also has 7 heavens, which Muhammad was raised through the Al-Isra (the Night Journey), but the parallels make me believe there is a strong connection between Islam, Christianity, and Gnosticism.

___

Please note, I'm drawing upon several translations, which is noted by Islamic scholars as "translation is a betrayal of the original text". But from what I've read of the Quran, there are some passages that have a gnostic interpretation. While I do not believe the Prophet Muhammad was gnostic, I do believe some of his teachers included gnostic Christians who did missionary work as far as India. I pray I have not been misled, nor misled others away from God's grace. Peace be upon you.

And if not, why not?

This will be a short post. I’m really burnt out and tired right now. Been in to gnosticism for a few years, but really started to focus more in the last few months.

If all that has happened was allowed to happen, what differentiates one god from the other? It seems to be as above, so below to me. The deeper I go, the more clear this answer becomes.

This world is full of suffering, control, and confusion. If gnosticism is the way out, it is extremely convoluted and confusing. Whoever “god” is, has done a terrible job at giving us a map back home.

Also want to add, I have dove in to almost every religious or spiritual practice you can imagine. This one felt right to me, but here we are. I’m not just a flaky person looking for a convenient, feel good story.

The passed couple months I've been getting into "consent" within our entertainment industry. I may be wrong, but here it goes.

I believe most big songs are in the Demiurges point of view. You can make fun or me if you want, don't care. This is what I think.

With deep meditation I came to the conclusion that Yellow/Gold is DEEPLY associated with Demiurge/Yaldabaoth.

1. Yellow- Coldplay

Why? -----"I drew a line for you/ Skin and bones turn into something beautiful. "

1. Scientist- Coldplay

Why?---- "Questions of Science/ Tell you I set you apart "

1. Viva La Vida- Coldplay

Why?--- "That was when I ruled the world/ Jerusalem Bells are ringing/ St. Peter won't call my name."

4.- Yellow Submarine - The Beatles

Why?--- "We all live in a yellow submarine." (Refers to the Yellow cycle of the reincarnation wheel)

5.- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John

Why?----"When are you gonna come down? " (demiurge is on the middle, ascended are on top)

1. Mellow Yellow- Donovan

Why?--- "I'm just mad about her." (Demiurges hate to Sophia)

"I'm just mad about 14." ( 7 layers of heaven, each with a female and male counterpart= 14)

"Shes just mad about me." (Sophia's regret about The Demiurge)

1. Welcome to the Machine - Pink Floyd

Why?---- well.... read the title, duh?

I'll list more later!!!!!

The Chief Ruler and his powers plotted a strategy, To send his demons to human daughters And make themselves children by them to enjoy. But they failed.

After their failure they made another plan. They created an artificial spirit Modeled on the Spirit who descended So, to impregnate souls by means of this spirit, The demons changed appearance to look like the women’s husbands They filled the women with that spirit of darkness and wickedness.

They brought into being Gold and silver, Money and coins, Iron and other metals and all things of this sort.

And the people who were attracted were led astray into troubles And were greatly misled. And grew old Experiencing no pleasure, And died Finding no truth, Never knowing the true God.

It looks ai, the creator is anonymous and uses ai generated images