Gnosis

Gnosis is a type of knowledge, which cannot be acquired from reading books. What we read and hear from others is information. Knowledge must be directly experienced and so it is essentially not a belief system but practical spirituality. It is about gaining your own knowledge about yourself and spiritual matters by direct experience.There are different techniques taught to gain this kind of knowledge and also how we can develop to more truly spiritual people.
According to the gnostic teachings there is a hidden spiritual path which transforms man into an angel. This path is does not belong to a specific group or time. It's universal and timeless. You can find references to this path in most religions. Mankind seems to have been searching for this path to liberation throughout time and it is here today. There are so many things to discover and uncover, the mystery of life and death, our own psyche and what a wonderful thing it is to be alive! Do we know what true happiness and freedom is? We fight for these words all the time but do we really know? We are often so submerged in this modern world where everything is kept mundane, that we often do not take the time to think or ponder on these matters. We live our lives following the mainstream hoping it will one day bring us the everlasting happiness that we yearn for so much, but it never does. It's all an illusion. No matter how hard we fight for better circumstances (a nicer and bigger home, a good career, a new car etc), there will always be something that is causing us sufferings, troubles and worries. So why not try to fight for an internal change instead? Then the world can throw whatever on us and our happiness will still stay the same, because we are no longer victims of external circumstances.



I came across Gnosticism from reading a book by Paulo Coehlo (Veronica decides to die). In his book he explained about out of body experiences and this caught my interest straight away but I did not know what to believe - if it was fiction or if leaving the body was actually possible. I made an internet research on the topic and found many good techniques on a Gnostic website. I don't want to refer anybody to a specific group, find one that is most suitable for you.
However be aware and take this advice. If there is anybody who claims to have reached mastery, do not just believe them - no matter how wise they may seem and sound. It is too dangerous! Just use the tools you are given and pursue your own inner guidance rather than fallowing somebody's elses. Remember to always keep an open mind about things you may or may not believe otherwise you can eaisly be deceived.