Originally, Gnosticism was just seen as a heretical branch of Christianity, but other evidence points at it having had a different origin and a viral tendency. It infiltrated not only Christianity, but Judaism, Islam, and Zoroastrianism also. It was sort of a novel idea for the time. Sort of like the religious equivalent of the mathematical concept of zero.
Essentially it consists of this. There was at first a formless and undefined (for being infinite) divinity, and in a process of self realization/revelation other divinities arose by a process of emanation. This even entered the various faiths we lump together as Hinduism. As this process of emanation continued, the arising consciousnesses became more and more limited, and thus flawed. Things became unbalanced with there being more missing pieces according to the Gnostics. The creator of our world was such a flawed divinity, and the creators flaw is an instance on primacy. That there are no other divinities, and that there isn’t even any reality beyond its creation. So to use just one word, the creator of this worlds flaw is “solipsism.”
Sounds Demiurge like? Yes. Known by many names. One being Sabaoth, another being Samael. Samael = God of the Blind. The other divinities didn’t endorse this creative work, and are very concerned with this entities withdrawal, but they disapprove of his/her work for another reason also. He drew lesser emanations into incarnation in his playground, so it isn’t even just him according to Gnosticism. But we aren’t helpless prisoners according to the teachings of Gnosticism.
The process of gnosis can free one from the entrapment of being caught up in Jehovah solipsism. Even the Bible itself adds material to this. The barring of Adam and Eve from partaking of the tree of life lest they become as he was, has to convince us that we are wrong, confused, and that we belong here. According to Gnosticism, gnosis is the realization that we are not wrong. The remembrance of our divinity, our identity with divinity, and they even see it as a moral imperative not only to seek ones own liberation, but to remove ones self from Jehovah’s solipsism.
Now they don’t believe the other divinities to be passive in this process, but neither are they authoritarian or forceful. They aid the seeker, and it’s seen in Gnosticism that only the seeker will attain gnosis. The others will remain as subjects of Samael until such time as no more can. Jehovah = Samael in the Gnostic view.
No more can because they’re seekers? No more can because Jehovah himself awakens, and any dependant emanation (or Jiva as the Jains called them) would be given into the care of another divinity until they were ready.
So by seeking for ourselves we awaken the misanthropic creator? Sounds like a plan. Ah yes, and the divine plan is not gnosis.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~