Gnosticism

About

Gnosticism is a belief system that was practiced in the late First Century around the same time as the early Christian church was getting founded.

History

Gnosticism, which has its roots in a number of antiquated mystical traditions and might even be older than what historians have found. Many of its books were rooted in Library of Alexandria in ancient times and they embrace a wide range of beliefs, but it mostly centers on the notion that gnosis, or spiritual understanding, holds the secret to redemption. These books were seen as lost content to the Holy Bible and did not make the final cut. To this day, there is academic discussion on who really wrote the Nam Hammadi Codex and created Gnosticism. Gnostics typically see a higher, holy realm in opposition to the imperfect or illusory material world that stems from the beliefs of Plato and is a concept of Platonics. The existence of a transcendent, unknowable deity, the function of divine emissaries or aeons, and the quest for spiritual enlightenment in order to break free from the cycle of reincarnation and achieve unity with the divine are among the major themes among others found within the Nag Hammadi library texts discovered in 1945 AD. Despite having the Library of Alexandria be burnt down by the Roman officials as part of a lack of sufficient funds, their influence can be seen in JRPGs, Philosophy, spiritual beliefs in the ancient world, the occult, plays, movies, and much more.

Online History

Furthermore, the 4chan board of /x/, emphasizing the enigmatic and unfamiliar, often views the world in a lense similar to that of the Gnostic perspective, which frequently depicts the physical world as a domain of deceit or illusion governed by inferior, demiurgic energies. Talks about /x/ may touch on topics like archons ruling the world and the pursuit of truths that go beyond common knowledge, which can relate to Gnosticism's pursuit of gnosis. Many Gnostic thinkers believe in what is known as spiritual truths and might also engage in discussions about reptilians. Many obscure images on /x/ discussing the archons, the Demiurge, and spiritual truths might include the greenpill character, the version of the demiurge with benis's face, and pessimistic looking memes.

Influence On Popluar Culture

The world of Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) and a few western games has been greatly impacted by Gnosticism in terms of plot patterns, character archetypes, and narrative themes. Gnostic ideas are frequently included into works like "Xenogears," "Shin Megami Tensei," "Genshin Impact," "The Talos Principle," "Deus Ex," "Final Fantasy VII," and the "Persona" series, which depict universes in which existential crises, cosmic forces, and the pursuit of enlightenment are recurring themes. Encouraging or misleading higher powers are faced by characters, who may fight with issues of identity, the nature of reality, a world created by an imperfect god, and spiritual enlightenment, evoking Gnostic themes of resistance against material limitations. With their complex narratives and intellectual nuance, these games provide players the chance to ponder deep existential issues influenced by Gnostic philosophy whatever or not the player is aware of the connection.

However, it's most popular influence on popular culture is that of the Matrix movies which were deeply rooted in Gnostic themes as the Matrix was a big part of the belief system.

Sub Memes

Le Sad Demiurge

Le Sad Demiurge is a reaction image that depicts Benis as a snake creature with a lion head. The joke sums up Gnosticism in such a way where it can be shown that humanity has the tendency to blame the most minor of issues on an invisible boogeyman.

https://cryptotheism.tumblr.com/post/699989476286644224/wait-do-you-have-the-le-sad-demiurge-comic-its
https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoBestFriendsPlay/comments/ltrai8/sad_demiurge/
https://www.reddit.com/r/shittydarksouls/comments/vhdp6u/le_sad_demiurge/

The NPC meme is the spiritual successor to the concept of Hylics who are spiritually unenlightened. In contrast those ruled by the mind were known as Psychics and Pneumatics were the highest order of humans. The Gnostics believed that some humans are walking husks known as Hylics way before the NPC meme became a thing.

Search Interest

External References