Ogres, Onions, and Lay Gnosis

Talking about lay gnosis with a friend today reminded me of that funny moment in the movie Shrek(1) where Shrek and Donkey are walking through a field and the ogre is trying to explain how his species is so misunderstood:

"Ogres are like onions.."
"What- they're stinky?"
"NO! Layers! Ogres have layers!!"
"Oh."

Layers abound in gnosis. Lay gnosis peels back those layers faster and in deeper ways than pure "academic" gnosis ever can.

Kinda like ripping off a band-aid really fast. But more infinitely more enjoyable!

Practitioners of lay gnosis connect more fully, I think, with one another because we have learned to live with the extraordinary occurring so frequently in our everyday lives that ... it becomes normal. Being serenaded with music, bells, and other instruments by Pleroma, given metaphysical "hugs" and the like are all normal with us. As is being guided through dreamscapes which have us waking up either laughing or crying in joy or sorrow. Emotions are magnified one hundred fold, and yet so is the comprehension.

Pleroma Showing His Love In Nature

This is one of my favorite vids by TrueBlueHealer.com. Crank that volume up and I guarantee by the time you get to the puppy pic you'll be grinning and your heart will feel lighter!

The descriptive Steve uses, of lay gnosis being a 'romantic ambush', is pretty accurate. On the best days it's like being attacked by a great dane and slobbered on with doggie kisses. The purest kind of love. There is NO equivalent, really. Our human languages fail at such grandiose emotions. (I used the great dane attack as the closest description because... I was attacked by a great dane when I was a kid. She sat on me. Nearly killed me. But when her slobbery cheek touched mine, all was forgiven. She was just so exuberant in her affection that she was overwhelming to my smaller physical form. Pleroma is like that, in a way)

Violence and Death from a Gnostic's Perspective

The following video is from Steve, from truebluehealer.com, talking about what you will NOT find in gnosis. This is a must watch video for those concerned with the "pagan" stamp placed on gnosticism by literalist churches(i.e. Vatican), when in fact the opposite is true: gnosis is the ultimate and most intimate relationship with the divine. No priests or Hail Mary's required. Gnosis is for everyone!!!

After you are finished watching the vid continue reading down below. If you don't watch the vid then what I write next may not make much sense.

If you look at gnosticism's history you will see this is very true. The All/Pleroma does not protect us with a Holy Umbrella. Look at the Cathars and all the other gnostic communities through the ages for proof. We are still expected to learn how to do things on our own in the physical world and to use our common sense and good judgment. We do not get a free Get Out of Experiencing Physical Death card by default of being gnostic.

Steve touched on the broad topic when he mentioned violence and death. I wanted to go in deeper with this and talk about death from the All's perspective.

The past months have shown me a new perspective on the topic of death and it's not necessarily a warm and fluffy one. Not impersonal. Hardly that!! Just... a different way to look at Pleroma's 'agenda' so to speak.

Last episode of Saving Grace. Anyone see it? I did. And the last few minutes of the episode clearly shows what I have difficulty putting into words. I'll describe the scenes instead and go from there.

Grace is given two options: go look for and stop a Very Bad Demon/Entity which is personified evil and chaos or to look the other way and play it safe. She chooses the first route. Earl, Grace's angel, is here and there and everywhere, setting things in motion to go according to God's plan dependent upon what Grace decides to do.

Meanwhile, Grace's best friend goes to a woman named Neely who also shares Earl as an angel(long back story there). Grace's friend asks Neely to call Earl and give him a message-- "Tell me if Grace is going to be ok." A physical sign given a few hours later points toward Earl giving an affirmative response. Yes, Grace is going to be ok.

Grace died. She flicked a lit lighter onto a few tons of fertilizer and went boom, thereby taking out the bad entity with her.

Did Grace have a choice? Was Heaven pushing her? Was Grace cornered like a whipped dog?

Yes, Grace always had a choice. Heaven nudged her but always gave her the option to say no and go in another direction. Free will. And no, Grace was frightened at times of the magnitude of what lay before her but she was never cowed and too terrified to put one foot in front of the other to search for what God ultimately wanted to show her and teach her about herself. Granted, she did have her tantrums. We all do when faced with monumental decisions and the unknown. But she made her choice and she stood her ground.

And she died. So was Grace "ok"?

Grace's best friend felt betrayed by Earl and by default, God. Earl said Grace was going to be ok.

Steve: "you cannot be excessively guided or you no longer have free will."

Exactly.

And "gnostics do get run over by buses."

Darn!

And we're also not going to "get winning lottery numbers." Steve, you ruined my plans!! I was going to retire at thirty-five in the Bahamas. *sob*

So where does that leave us? Why would the All not save us with a Golden Parachute or Holy Umbrella of protection? We're special, right?! We're GNOSTIC!

...... back up there. Delete that "s" word. It has no place in gnosis. Absolutely none. We are all unique individuals with individual paths... and here's the kicker- our paths intersect with millions of other intersecting paths of other individuals. We're all special in the All's eyes. We are all worthy of the same amount of care and attention and he is fully capable of giving it.

So what is the deal with this "everything is going to be ok" type line that gnostics know and feel to be true? And where does fire and brimstone come into this? The answer is that it doesn't. Hell is a human creation whereas heaven is being reunited with the body and fabric of the All. Our existence is simply an evolution of our soul. Learning, thinking, and discovering how much love we can feel for someone even as they are making a mistake. Being able to love is key.

Why would the All tell us(and even convey to us through "angels") that everything is going to be ok? More simply put- divinity runs on a very different clock than humanity. In the long run the All is more worried about the nature and growth of your soul than more immediate concerns that you may have. A non-functioning car does not always merit heavenly intervention!! It's not that he doesn't care. Because he does. But ultimately, everything will be "ok" if you died at that very moment, with or without your car working again so try not to take it personally. The All is concerned with your soul.

He wants to show you, teach you, listen to you, and be your most intimate companion. But that does not mean he will protect you from disease or accident. Even murder. Because remember- our lives intersect millions of other people's lives and this includes their bad decisions. Not just the good. We can't always have the good.

This realization that everything truly WILL be ok makes it much harder to be terrified of physical death.

Physical Pushing With Lay Gnosis

Last night was a landmark achievement.

Lay gnosis has led me to exploring(unexpectedly and haphazardly, at that) the force of ch-i/qi/ki. Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, etc. All pretty much the same concept of "life force."

How did this happen? I have not the foggiest clue. But I'm pretty amazed so far.

During my nightly session of relaxation and lay gnosis practice(hand trick), I felt a very strong nudge from Pleroma telling me to "push!" with my dominant hand toward my receptive hand. Even with dislocating my right arm two years ago and major nerve and tendon damage, my right hand is still the dominant one in lay gnosis.

Now, I've been practicing 'pushing' on a small scale up 'til now. With my hands an inch or so apart I gently move one or both hands in a small circular motion so that I can literally feel the swirled texture of the energy pattern on the palm. Playing around with that for the past few months has been enough to satisfy me. So when Pleroma suddenly says, "push!" I pushed. HARD. He hasn't led me astray in any way so far so why not trust him now? What's the worst that could happen- absolutely nothing and I feel silly? Please. I have a bit more regard for Pleroma than that. And I knew it was his voice I was hearing.

When I pushed with my right hand against the repelling-magnetic energy field of my left I felt a small layer of the muscles in my stomach tighten and my mind was sharply focused. My left hand moved back about six inches. Toward the end I could even push my left hand back with my hand separated by at least three inches. The force was just as powerful.

I let go of my focus and the energy field dropped. Deep in the area just above my belly button I felt a sort of wide expansion of warm energy which after a heartbeat dimmed and receded. Overall I felt a bit drained.

I was so excited by this new experience that I tried it again only a minute later. The results were kinda pathetic. I could barely manage to make the energy field between my hands at all. I lay back down and rested for about twenty minutes and considered what had happened. Relaxing. I tried again and this time I was able to push my receptive hand back in exactly the same way. The sensation just above my belly button was exactly the same- an expanding bubble of energy and then a soft collapse.

This morning when I woke up I was so tired I actually went back to bed after breakfast and slept another couple of hours. Around three pm I tried to make an energy field and was successful but pushing was only slightly successful. I was tired. So I have resolved to get some writing and research done today.

Wrote to Steve(truebluehealer.com) and he said, "Try your heart chakra next."

Great, Steve. Wonderful. I don't even know how I managed to access my stomach chakra! lol I'm basically flying by the seat of my pants.

Doing some research today I learned that the energy base felt right above the belly button is called the "Manipura" or the Solar Plexus Chakra.

Wiki:
Manipura or manipuraka is related to the metabolic and digestive systems. Manipura is believed to correspond to Islets of Langerhans,^[35] which are groups of cells in the pancreas, as well as the outer adrenal glands and the adrenal cortex. These play a valuable role in digestion, the conversion of food matter into energy for the body. Symbolised by a lotus with ten petals. The colour that corresponds to Manipura is yellow. Key issues governed by Manipura are issues of personal power, fear, anxiety, opinion-formation, introversion, and transition from simple or base emotions to complex. Physically, Manipura governs digestion, mentally it governs personal power, emotionally it governs expansiveness, and spiritually, all matters of growth.^[36]

Full Circle

I've been musing a bit the past two days, relishing hearing from some readers who have discovered lay gnosis and thus begin their journey, and found myself thinking about the term 'coming full circle' quite a bit. Thinking about the growth I've gone through the past year in lay gnosis and gnosis in general.

When a lay gnostic says they've arrived full circle it's meant to convey deep seated satisfaction of the soul, not just in regards to where they are currently in their spiritual experience but in realization of just what this journey means in the long term.

I feel I have come full circle. Not in that I have somehow managed to fall back to a certain faith or mind set I had in childhood or adolescence. Because I haven't. No, I mean in that I truly realize that I am spiritually where I was before I began on Earth. It's taken me thirty years to get here. And I feel complete.

My soul feels connected to the All in just about as intimate connection as I had before I was born.

I've managed to sweep off and away all the literalist dirt others have tried to throw on me and at me my whole life. I've cleaned out my metaphysical closet of junk and useless shackles.

I am whole and complete as I am. No Hail Mary's necessary. I was not born in sin. I have nothing to be ashamed of or apologize for. Freedom is sweet and I intend to enjoy it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PS. Right after I wrote this post I checked my email and finally got around to reading a message from Steve. It was on crop circles. *head/desk* Very funny. See, this is the kind of quirky stuff that happens with gnosis. It's that symbiotic connection that exists between gnostics and ... it takes on a life of it's own. I'm thinking about coming full circle spiritually and he writes me about crop circles. This is just a taste of the All's strange sense of humor.

Lay Gnosis, Reiki, Etc. --Chadly's Comments

In responding to a Reader(Chadly) on some much earlier blog posts I found that our discussion was getting so long and convoluted Blogger kept nagging me about the length of my return comments. *smacks Blogger* If I want to write a book, damn it, then I will!

However, in deference to technology I decided to make it a bit more coherent and move it to the front for anyone else interested.{Here is a link to the video we're talking about.}

In response to my post on Intro To Lay Gnosis Chadly wrote:

"Personally, I always understood Pleroma to be more the Gnostic version of "Heaven". When I speak of the True God, I refer to "it" more as "First Thought" or "The All", maybe even "Mother/Father", etc.

I agree much with your early statements about dogmatic religion's prayers basically not reaching. Just curious though, what are your views of the more "progressive" religions/denominations, such as the more liberal Episcopals or the United Church of Christ? Those are the two most liberal I can think of, other than Unitarian-Universalism.

About to watch the video now. So far it seems an interesting concept. It does seem similar to me to witchcraft and the spellwork I've done, and I personally speculate that witchcraft(at least, as practiced by those of us who consider ourselves Gnostic Witches and Gnostic Druids) taps into the same energy/source, both internally and externally.

Addendum: I just watched the video, and I find it very fascinating. It actually does kind of remind me of what I know of Reiki. It also reminds me of a couple of practices I used to do when I first started down the metaphysical path, when I considered myself a Christian Witch, that I haven't done in awhile and may try to resume.

The first was a grounding technique to rid yourself of negative energy built up throughout the day. You ground yourself and visualize energy black in color(or whatever color you associate with the negative). Then, using your hands, you kind of "pick off" that energy and throw it out into the cosmos, replacing it gradually into a white energy field, or whatever color you most associate with "positive".

The second was a visualization technique to help in focus of energy during spells, where you make sort of an "energy ball" in between your hands, visualizing it as varying strengths and sizes as you develop your mental skills.

The reason this reminded me of those, is because of the interesting fact of simply how I learn. In learning new skills, I'm a visual learner, learning by copying others, which is why the language I learned quickest outside of English, was American Sign Language. In learning music, I learn by ear, hearing it and mimicking. But in both of these exercises previously mentioned, I would have a difficult time visualizing the energy and the colors, and find myself noticing the *feeling*,such as noticing tingling in my hands during the energy ball visualizations. In retrospect, maybe that's one of the reasons most of my spells tend to be mentally/emotionally focused and attempting to draw things to me(such as to improve my attitude or draw opportunities to me), rather than explicitly trying to change the external, such as making it rain.

Perhaps that's why I eventually grew lax in these exercises - I didn't think I was "doing it right" because what I expected to 'see', wasn't what happened. Perhaps now that I'm becoming more stable in my spiritual path, I'll revisit them."

I am responding back:

"Christian Witch. I like that. Yeah, I can identify with that. Makes sense. But only when you're still in that stage of development. Once you move past it then it is no longer witchcraft. There is no craft involved. It's you and Pleroma. That's it. You find all the energy coalescing into the one place it truly exists instead of separated out into various aspects like what witchcraft focuses on.

http://gnostic-unrest.blogspot.com/2009/11/celebrate-2012.html
Read the scripture quote in that entry. It helps identify somewhat the attitude of the 'hierarchy' of the totem pole I talked about. Difficult concept to wrap your brain around. It does takes time.

The All is heaven. It is the place and "person" of what created the elements our universe is made from. It is the primordial spark. First atom. The very atom which exploded into the Big Bang. Your term "First Thought" would be about right. Kudos!

Here's how I keep it straight: the All made the elements. Sophia made Yahweh and hid him, embarrassed because he was flawed. Yahweh wanted someone to play with and so he made our universe out of the elements already present. Yahweh didn't make any elements. He molded what Pleroma already created.

The more liberal Episcopalians are still reaching. And the UCC. They've got a ways to go. If they get there ... we'll see. It'll be interesting to see just how close they come to being Unitarian Universalists in a few decades. And speaking of Unitarian Universalism-- Wow. I was just thinking about writing an article on them yesterday afternoon! Sheesh. Quit picking my brain, man! I already had some literature sitting here waiting for me to compile. That's really funny.

Unitarian Universalism and Buddhism are, in their own unique ways, the absolute closest I can think of to gnosticism. Actually, I'd put (farthest to closest, top three:) Atheism, then Unitarian Universalism, and then Buddhism sitting closest to gnosticism. My explanation of Atheism is in this post. They're like... baby gnostics in cribs.

Buddhism comes closer because of the meditative practices and body/mind awareness techniques which are so essential for a lasting connection to Pleroma. UU is only one step further out because, yes, Jesus was a prophet imbued with gnosis and he wanted to pass it on to all of humanity(hence the laying on of hands and the Holy Ghost)- but we cannot prove that he was in (a literal sense) the Son of God as what literal religions would want us to belief with "faith." Gnosis has not a darn thing to do with faith. Because technically, so are you. You are the Son of God. And I am the Daughter of God. Clarification: Yahweh! And you and I are both the grand(or great grand) children of Pleroma.

The whole definition of "God" versus "Pleroma/All" is kinda nerve wrecking in the beginning. So I call Yahweh Yahweh and the All the All or Pleroma. Simplifies the whole "God" umbrella.

UU's cannon is in fact cannon-less. They are basically hippies high on gnosis. Which is what I LOVE! I've been curious how many UU churches I could find locally. I'll have to intensify my search so I can write about it. I'd really love to visit one.

Their rejection of Hell is one of the most interesting aspects of their ... creed. Even though they don't really have a creed, per say. Let's just say that it's a common enough thought pattern amongst the members that it's "Commonly Accepted and Recognized" by the UU. This rejection of Hell is a very common belief among gnostics. UU's may not call themselves gnostics but they are. The majority of their members are either on the fence about to be toppled over straight into gnosis or are already there but call themselves UU's instead of gnostics.

Nice to see that Arius managed to have a lasting legacy after being stomped on by the new formed Vatican. Poor man put up with a lot.

If you have performed Reiki then your hand is on the door handle of gnosis!! Literally. You are on the threshold about to walk through the door.

The light ball or static electricity you describe is very familiar to me. (Although when you have one dominant hand it can get a little tricky.) The life energy field we all share can be transferred and manipulated. Isn't it curious, though, how the Church refuses to acknowledge that Reiki is in fact the same action as laying-on of hands healing? They'd much rather perform an exorcism. Ya know... just in case it happens to be a demon instead of simple illness. Overkill.

I haven't explored traditional Reiki too much. But from what I've read in passing there is a "Secret Art of Inviting." Is this perhaps the touch of lay gnosis? As Steve's video shows, lay gnosis is communicable(oh my God it's catching!!! lol) and so transmittable not only by touch but by internet and sound.

Blessings to you,

~Angel

Pleroma's Alarm Clock

Today was supposed to be the day when I wrote a second reactionary piece to the previously posted article on the woman who was fired for having premarital sex, thus conceiving her(in the eyes of the Church) bastard child. But the All had other plans for me today.

I was woken up this morning(ahem.. afternoon) by Pleroma, who effectively kicked me out of my nice warm bed with the most irritating alarm-clock'ish musical tones I've ever heard. Instead of only hearing something with your auditory receptors, Pleroma forces you to feel his metaphysical foot on your ass shoving you out of bed.

One medium pitched and then one higher pitched tone that I can feel vibrating in my chest. This isn't the first time it's happened. Yeah, try going to back sleep when the All decides that you have had quite enough sleep. Ain't gonna happen. He doesn't have a snooze button. (!!grrr!!!) Instead, he jacks into your brain and gives you something akin to a super caffeine high. What a lovely way to start your day.

So, I'm up. Unwillingly. I am up out of bed. Apparently I'm supposed to do something today. I'm guessing this has something to do with the article I'm supposed to write on the blog. And the drawing I'm working on for a convention I'm attending. I've only got two weeks to get it done so I better get moving. I don't even have a firm plan in my mind of a layout. *sigh* Need to take some more pictures to get a grip here on what I'm trying to convey. I don't have a clue. The artist in me is suffering from painter's block. Hopefully I'll recover in enough time to put something together for the convention.

Anyway. Back on the topic of Pleroma's annoying snooze-button-less alarm clock. Do all gnostics have this experience? The answer to that would be no. So what's different about me? Why do I have Pleroma's foot invading my personal space?

Lay gnosis is an invitation for Pleroma to take a more hands-on approach with us in our daily lives. And boy oh boy does he love it when we sleep! We're more open to having conversations with him when our brain has slowed down and our inhibitions don't get in the way. Think of it as nighttime therapy for the soul. An intimate communion.

What do practitioners of lay gnosis get out of the whole deal? Balance. Peace. Knowledge. Also, a head full of universally funny jokes. (Be ready to discuss the absurd!!) The All has a sense of humor and he really wants to share it with you. "Why be so serious?" he asks. "Your life should be fun. Enjoy it. Learn from it. I'll be here when you need rest and even when you need a shoulder to cry on."

That is the first stage of being open with Pleroma. You are child-like in every way. The second phase sets the stage for a more mature relationship with the All. You question. You don't always receive the answers when you think you need them. Demanding doesn't work. He gives you space to ask those questions which are important to you at the moment but he also gives you space to find the answers on your own. Daddy is distancing himself so you can grow, so you can find out what you are capable of. He is not a crutch and he doesn't want you to use him like one.

He doesn't have you swaddled up in a blanket like a baby anymore, smothering you with love. Because in the beginning that is truly what it feels like. You feel high. Inebriated. Drunk on love. In love. With everything and everyone and most importantly him. Finding that divine cord connecting you to him isn't hard to do. It's neon pink, baby! A live wire! He wants to firmly imprint upon your soul just how much he loves you. He doesn't want you to forget it any time soon.

In phase two he is giving you room to run away from him if you so choose. And I have done so a number of times. Home life, married life, life with two kids/two cats/bills/etc can intrude upon your internal dialogue with the All on a daily basis. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. This is about learning how to balance your physical life with the divine. It is possible to have both. You don't have to cloister yourself away to have this connection. But it does demand some acrobatics. Thankfully, Pleroma is eternally patient.

However, that does NOT mean he is not adverse to soundly kicking you out of your own bed because he believes you are being a lazy ass! Such is the lesson I learned today.

To reiterate: lay gnosis is an open invitation extended by you so that the All can have a more direct communion within your soul. Literal interpretation of the Bible, Koran, Bhagavad Gita, and other religious texts wont get you there. This is something entirely different.

Lay gnosis steps outside the boundaries of the literal, the inane, and the superficial. It gives you something real. Tangible. Something you can live with and feel it's worth.

I highly recommend visiting Steve, of TrueBlueHealer.com's website and browsing around. He is present on YouTube with a user ID of kimbo99. Browse around. Have fun.

Here's his first intro video for lay gnosis. It is worth your time!! Note: please make sure you have your volume turned on.

"Gnosis is knowing by internal experience rather than faith, hope or belief in an externally produced report. Gnosis is as real as eating and drinking, and is part of the human life cycle." ~Steve

gnōthi seauton
Know Thyself

Redemption from what, exactly?

Stephen Hoeller, the modern day gnostic philosopher and Bishop of the Ecclesia Gnostica, put together a fantastic lexicon concerning the How's and Why's of gnosticism.

(Pay careful attention to number thirteen as it concerns "lay gnosis.")

Here is what he has to say concerning gnosis and salvation:

1. What is Gnosis?

Gnosis is the revelatory and salvific knowledge of who we were, of what we have become, of where we were, of wherein we have been thrown, of whereto we are hastening, of what we are being freed, of what birth really is, and of what rebirth really is. This is an ancient definition which is still accurate.

2. Is there more than one kind of Gnosis?

The experience of Gnosis comes to human beings in individual manifestations, yet it always has common features and a common keynote.

3. Is Gnosis an experience or a doctrine?

It is both. The experience of Gnosis is mystical knowledge that liberates. This is both accompanied and preceded by a kindred kind of Gnosis that informs. These were called (by Clement of Alexandria) the Divine Gnosis and Human Gnosis respectively. The human or doctrinal part of Gnosis consists of a certain kind of knowledge of the spiritual, psychic and material worlds and their relationships.

4. How is Human Gnosis acquired?

Primarily by way of the study and assimilation of the teachings of the Messengers of Light and of the seers and sages of the Gnostic tradition and by way of the amplification of these by individual insight.

5. How does one come to Divine Gnosis?

By divine grace combined with sincere and informed human aspiration.

6. What specific help is there available to us in order to receive both Divine and Human Gnosis?

Such help comes to us from Messengers of Light and other enlightened teachers of Gnosis.

7. Was there a time when humans were without Gnosis?

From the beginning of the human race, some people were in possession of Gnosis. These early Gnostics were at times symbolically called the "Great Race of Seth", after Seth, the third son of Adam, who was recognized as the prototype of all Gnostics.

8. Who was the latest great revealer of Gnosis?

It was the Lord Jesus Christ, who acted both as the rectifier of the existing tradition of Gnosis and as the revealer of new elements of Gnosis.

9. Can Gnosis be given by another?

A Messenger of Light comes to enlighten humans by his teachings and to transform their spiritual lives by the mysteries he bestows on them. But only those in whom the true spiritual intuition ("the Light Mind") is awakened will welcome the message and benefit from the mysteries.

10. What are we to be saved from?

We are to be saved first from ignorance which prevents us from knowing our true source, our real nature, our condition and our destiny. At last we shall also be saved from the burden of earthly existence with its attendant conditions of suffering and exile from our true home.

11. What brings about salvation?

Salvation is brought about neither by faith (belief in God, or Christ) nor by works (the performance of good deeds), but by Gnosis.

12. Why is this so?

Because faith and works do not result in a radical change in the being of one's consciousness, but Gnosis does.

13. What does the radical change of consciousness brought about by Gnosis accomplish?

It establishes a renewed link of the soul with the spirit and of both with God. This breaks the bonds that have shackled our true being to the forces of earth. Ultimately it brings liberation from all earthly things.

14. What are the further benefits of salvation by Gnosis?

A turning away of the soul from the attachments of life, a constant straining upwards to the pure Divine Spirit, wherein is our true home. Also, God's friendship in this life, a good death, and after that a swift passage through cleansing regions to God's presence in the Fullness (PLEROMA) of divine glory, goodness and love.

Intro to Lay Gnosis

What is it and what has it done for me?

www.TrueBlueHealer.com is the home of those strange "tingly hand people" on YouTube you may have seen around. Here's the starting point and beginner video. (If you go onto Steve's actual channel page, pardon his outlandish number of Mireille Mathieu vids. He's crazy about her.) He's created an entire series exploring lay gnosis. Explanations to diagrams to giving you hints on what to look for in the coming weeks/months. He's very thorough. No question is too mundane for this guy. Honest! Even criticism. He handles it well. Not everybody is ready for lay gnosis. But it is always ready for you.

I had never heard of lay gnosis before stumbling across that vid. Never occurred to me that something physical could happen from me tapping into my brain. Or God. Or the God connection within.

Here's the main gist of what lay gnosis is: You have so much potential within your mind because of your 'godling' (God-ling) self with it's connection to the fullness that is Pleroma(everything, anything, living, dead, material, immaterial, etc) that when you tap into this unused portion of your mind you are in fact reaching inward to seek out that connection to God that you have literally forgotten.

Imagine that. You have God's email address/fax number/home address and you had forgotten it. The address book wasn't tossed out the window. But the indoctrination you have received all your life from dogma driven religions has made you forget that you still have the address book in your possession. The trick is opening the book. You know where it is once you've found it. You feel it. You know it exists.

To open the book is what lay gnosis is all about. It opens that door. And saves you thousands of hours of meditation, reading, and all the stuff that goes along with the initial baby steps of self awareness exploration that can be so painful. It's as if a giant hurdle has been leaped, instantly. ZAP! And an instant connection is made.

When I first threw my dogmatic religion to the curb about ten years ago, I began exploring yoga. Ashtanga, specifically. The physical awareness I developed led me to a level of confidence and serenity which made me feel comfortable enough to ask for more instruction. I need not have asked. It was right there in front of me. I discovered that when I reached for more books and videos on yogic instruction in meditation or even advanced techniques I had already been doing it! How is this possible?

The answer is that yogis have tapped into this area of the brain for thousands of years. Even novices are capable of it to a certain extent. I was halfway home and I didn't even know it.

This piece of clay art is the closest example I can find to show you what lay gnosis feels like.

"When Holes Won't Heal" by MidnightOrange.

Notice that the heart which is removed from the individual is halfway up the string holding the larger heart? It's upside down due to artistic license. But it's there. And it is connected to the larger one. This is Pleroma. The Big Love which is your destiny and birthright.

Pleroma is the Gnostic God and this differs in relation to the Judeo-Christian God. So we refer to our all encompassing deity as Pleroma, the All, the perfect god, the good god, and more uncommonly 'Him', among other things. We interchangeably capitalize these names at whim. We're not too hung up on names as long as we can get our point across as to which deity we are speaking of. And most of the time when Gnostics speak to one another we can figure out which "Him" we're speaking of simply by the context.

When we refer to the Judeo-Christian God we call him: Yahweh, the demiurge, the intermediate one, God, Him, and anything else you've heard Christians say. (www.gnosis.org is a great place to start if this is all new to you.)

So what happens with lay gnosis? How is it different than say, going to church/temple/etc on a certain day and reading scriptures and praying, or even speaking in tongues? The easiest way to explain this fundamental difference is that when you are praying within a dogmatic religious scheme your prayers aren't going high enough up the totem pole to reach the one who can truly make you feel as whole and complete as you are; as you were made to be. There is no Original Sin with Gnosticism. You are whole and complete as you are. (And the whole Original Sin debate is actually turned on it's head in the Gnostic fora, but that's another blog post for another time and day.)

Here's a simplified totem pole in a Gnostic's eyes:

1) Pleroma/The All/The Good God
2) The Judeo-Christian Yahweh, the demiurge
3) You

If you are praying fervently to find inner peace, to help pay for your broken down car, or to help you deal with your a****** of a boss. You need to go to the highest source; the highest power. Yahweh is the middle man. When you call your bank with an outrageous problem and the person you immediately talk to isn't helpful, what do you do? You demand to speak to their supervisor. You have a problem and it's not getting solved. You don't want to waste your time with someone who can't help. Same thing here. Talk to Yahweh's supervisor. He doesn't like to acknowledge this supervisor. As a matter of fact, He despises him. Remember, "I am a jealous god. Thou shalt have no other god before me." So although Yahweh hates conceding that He does indeed have a supervisor, He can't stop you from speaking to Pleroma.

As a matter of fact, after you do talk to Pleroma the Judeo-Christian God does this little fake cough thing saying, "Ahem.. Yeah. Whatever" desperately trying to get you to dismiss the experience. This is the wool which has been pulled over your eyes for so long. There is a difference between the two. The Child doesn't want to acknowledge the Father while the Father calmly embraces the Son because he knows that humans will naturally gravitate toward his Child's religions first. There is too much physical ceremony attached to His religions. Human beings crave ceremony. Pleroma knows this. He has accepted it. Doesn't mean that he's not going to keep trying to reach out to you, though. He wants to embrace you fully, not at arms length.

You have freedom of choice.

Yahweh shackles you to the idea that Heaven and Hell and Earth is all that there is. Your place is below Him. Not beside Him in love. And certainly not as an equal, capable of understanding the mysteries of the universe.

The All wants you to lift yourself up to sit not beside him in love. No. More than that. With your arms around him. Hugging him as tightly as you can. And at the same time he will be giving you all the love, compassion, and confidence you could possibly need. He wants you to find the answers through your own intuition because that was the gift he was able to pass down to you through his child(Yahweh). You are, in essence, the grandchild of Pleroma.

Accessing that intuition, that cord which connects you(bypassing Yahweh!) to the All is what lay gnosis is all about. It's not voodoo or witchcraft. It's accessing your "Seventh Sense" and higher intelligence; your intuition.

Steve, from the TrueBlueHealer site dug up the most perfect quotes from ancient gnostics. Here are three.

Socrates, "You have often heard me talk of a divine oracle or Guide that comes to me. It is a kind of voice that I first heard in childhood. It always tells me what not to do but never commands me to do anything. (theme of freewill and companionship from a second internal intelligence)

Plato talked about a second Internal intelligence dwelling within- "Someone who has used his life for learning true wisdom and exercised his higher nature if he finds the truth he cannot fail to attain immortality as completely as human nature allows because he has always nurtured his Divine essence in himself. His Guardian Genius. He is the happiest of people."

Pythagoras talks about a second intelligence in everyone- "Father Zeus, free them from their great suffering and show everyone of them the Genius who is their guide."

The age-old concept of an internal guidance system survives today through rediscovering lay gnosis. Because lay gnosis is exactly the same type of diagnostic and healing techniques used by laying-on-of-hands-healers! The Eastern schools taught that the 'chakras were out of balance.' If you have explored the chakras or life energy then you're already halfway to lay gnosis.

I had never studied life energy before diving right into lay gnosis so the shock to my senses was overwhelming. Made me positively giddy. I felt like laughing and crying at the same time.

I'll admit, it seems hokey. It seems like a ridiculous waste of time when you first watch the video. (Sorry for the blunt honesty, Steve.) Initially, it looked like a hoax. But something was niggling in the back of my brain forcing me to pay attention to it. I watched it at least three times before I sighed and said to myself, "what the hell. I have a few minutes to kill. It certainly won't be the stupidest thing I've ever done."

Here's the link to the video again.

But when my hands started tingling and I felt the repelling magnet-like sensation creeping up my arms into my shoulders and neck then down my back, I just sat in front of my computer in shock. I'd never felt such a bizarre sensation. I had hot/cold chills when it was over and my teeth were chattering.

Two nights later I started having near delusional dreams. Made no sense whatsoever. Five or six a night. Woke up feeling like hell because they were so jumbled and I couldn't make heads or tails of them. Then the serenading started. In the SHOWER. No, I don't sing in the shower. It was Pleroma. He was singing to me in my head. Everything from Matchbox Twenty to oddball ballads I'd forgotten about that I loved as a teenager. The reoccurring theme here was in the lyrics: love. I've missed you. Hold me. Let me hold you.

It's like being in love. It's more than being in love. It's knowing just how much you are loved.

When two human beings love one another it's a complete mystery as to what is in the other person's heart. Their intentions can only be taken at face value. You're really going on faith that the other person feels as strongly as you do when the words tumble from your lips. Honestly, besides the things people do for one another or say to one another... you really haven't a clue how to position the gauge on that Love Scale.

When you meet the All, this Big Love which you suddenly feel surpasses every feeling of love you've ever felt in your entire life! Bigger love than when you watched your child being born. Bigger love than when you got your first car, first kiss, found that missing relative you haven't seen in 25 years. It's all encompassing. You don't think this person loves you. You FEEL it. You are in their mind and inside their very being. There are no mysteries being held from you. There are no intermediary priests, bishops, or popes to speak for you. There are layers of understanding waiting for you but they are always accessible. Pleroma says, "Let me show you!! I'm so excited to see you again! There's so much I want to show you I can't wait to get started!!" So yes, the 'honeymoon' phase can be a tumultuous love affair. Full of shower serenades, interrupted sleep, and warm hugs in the middle of the day when you think to yourself, "damn, I need a hug." And that hug is given. No questions asked. Nothing else is asked for and everything you need is given.

He'll make you laugh. He'll tell you jokes. Point out the most absurd details and then explain them to you in depth. And then you'll think, "TMI. Seriously. That's just gross." Pleroma has a universe-sized sense of humor. There is nothing better than a good joke or a good song on the radio that he'd love to share with you. Or help you remember. The Good God is big on helping your remember things from your past to re-analyze them in order to teach you something. Sometimes it's simply to show you how much you've changed for the better and to give you a pat on the back. So let him. You deserve it.

He'll soothe your anger. Allow you rest when you need it. Calm those frazzled nerves. Tune in to that connection you share and it's like sipping a pina colada on a beach. It will revive you, refresh you, and center your focus.

He'll also open metaphysical doors when they've previously been slammed in your face. Perfect example: dealing with a chronic illness and pain. I have a fairly painful illness which demanded an entire lifestyle change from food and skin/haircare products down to what medications I take. I cannot do yoga anymore. It has turned my life upside down and erased all the hard work I've done for myself over the past twelve years. Metaphysically speaking, I felt as though I'd become a useless lump of skin. All I did was concentrate on my pain and suffering. My latest epiphany occurred when I was dozing, right on the very edge of sleep. I heard, "You do not have a self" very clearly in my ear.

To anyone except a gnostic this is heresy. What do you mean I don't have a self? Does this mean I don't have a soul? That's an outrage!!!

Turning this phrase over in my mind for a day or so made me feel it's truth. It's simplicity. It's boldness. And it was from the one who loves me the most.

To not have a self is to acknowledge your connection with the true divine; your place in his arms instead of meekly at His side(Yahweh). Because of your connection with Pleroma you do NOT have a self. You are an extension of him. He, in fact, experiences your life through your eyes and body. Yes, you make your own choices. You have a separate consciousness from Pleroma. But your "self" is tied into his divine self because of the fact you are an extension of his being, the very fabric which makes up Pleroma. You are his granchild. You are part of him but separate. You complete him. Without you he would be missing a part of himself. He doesn't want that. He wants to love you as fully as he can; to show you all the wonders you are missing out on in this life. He's like a child in a playground beckoning you closer to come play with him so you can enjoy what wonders exist in life. Will you walk away?

You are everything and everyone. That is what it means to be selfless. This makes it easier to feel true empathy for a fellow human being or creature we inhabit this earth with. And by default, easier to sympathize with the physical situation I found myself living day in and day out. If I don't have a self then that means everyone is sharing my pain in one way or another. They may not know it on a conscious level but they are. And so my new goal was to bring joy to my life and therefore to others. If I enrich myself I am helping humanity grow.

As Steve says, 'Welcome Home, Godlings!'

In parting, I'd like to offer the Prayer of the Messenger Paul, the very first text of Nag Hammadi Codex I.

Grant me your mercy.
My redeemer, redeem me,
for I am yours.
I came from you.
You are my mind:
give me birth.
You are my treasure:
open for me.
You are my fullness:
accept me.
You are my rest:
give me unlimited perfection.

I pray to you,
you who exist and preexisted,
in the name exalted above every name,
through Jesus the anointed,
lord of lords,
king of the eternal realms.
Give me your gifts, with no regret,
through the human child,
the spirit,
the advocate of truth.
Give me authority, I beg of you,
give healing for my body, as I beg of you,
through the preacher of the gospel,
and redeem my enlightened soul forever, and my spirit,
and disclose to my mind the firstborn of the fullness of grace.

Grant what eyes of angels have not seen,
what ears of rulers have not heard,
and what has not arisen in the hearts of people,
who become angelic,
and after the image of the animate god(demiurge)
when it was formed in the beginning.
I have the faith of hope.
And bestow upon me
your beloved, chosen, blessed majesty,
you who are the firstborn, the first-conceived,
and the wonderful mystery of your house.
for yours is the power and the glory and the praise and the greatness,
forever and ever.
Amen.