The ancient Gnostics were, and still are, accused of cosmic pessimism, of seeing this life as torture. Many have pushed back that this wasn’t their true message but maybe there’s something here we shouldn’t be turning away from: Is life horrible and happiness fleeting? Could embracing a depressive realist view of existence actually allow us to see things as they really are instead of what we want them to be?? Explore these questions and the hell that is existence in our anti-antidepressent show with philosopher and the founder of negative pyschoanalysis, Dr. Julie Reshe. Read her article “Depressive Realism” here: https://aeon.co/essays/the-voice-of-sadness-is-censored-as-sick-what-if-its-sane Check out her homepage at: https://www.juliereshe.com/  [https://ia902603.us.archive.org/16/items/the-power-of-negative-thinking-w-dr-julie-reshe/The%20Power%20of%20Negative%20Thinking%20wDr%20Julie%20Reshe.mp3]  —————– Become a patron: http://patreon.com/gnostic​​ 

Founded in 1754 by the mysterious Martinez de Pasqually, the Order of Knight-Masons Elect Priests of the Universe (AKA the Élus Coën) practiced a system of white magic (theurgy) aimed at recovering humanity’s original, spiritual memory. Members of the secret fraternity worked tirelessly for the restoration of man’s inner divinity and eventual reintegration with God. M.R. Osbourne has published the first English translation of the “Lessons of Lyons” a collection of Élus Coën teachings made of notes and lectures written between 1774 – 1776 by Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin, Jean-Baptiste Willermoz and Jean-Jacques Du Roy d’Hauterive concerning the directions given by Martinez de Pasqually. We’re happy to welcome Michael back to the show and we know you’ll want to have a copy of the “Lessons of Lyon” for yourself so pick one up at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRDB9DVS  [https://ia601604.us.archive.org/35/items/lessonsof-lyon/LessonsofLyon.mp3]  —————– Become a patron: http://patreon.com/gnostic​​ 

Dr. Agata Bielik-Robsonm, Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Nottingham, poetically interrogates Gnosticism and Lurianic Kabbalah with us to reveal how Gnosticism is an essential consequence of monotheism and is deeply embedded in the Bible, in Jewish history and thought, and maybe, in so many unrecognized ways, in much of western philosophy. From the contraction of God to the psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan’s “solid hatred addressed to being” to the archons of the symbolic order, Dr. Bielik-Robson unveils the wisdom of the serpent and invites us to read the subterranean bible. Read her work at Academia.edu at https://nottingham.academia.edu/AgataBielikrobson Watch Dr. Agata Bielik-Robson’s video on Tzimtzum, God’s contraction, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKI_KilHNfM  [https://ia801605.us.archive.org/11/items/wisdomoftheserpent/wisdomoftheserpent.mp3]  —————– Become a patron: http://patreon.com/gnostic​​ 

Jacob Frank was a Jewish messianic claimant in 18th Century Poland. Famous and influential in his time, he’s mostly remembered today as a cult leader, a madman, and a swindler, and -maybe- he was all these things BUT that doesn’t mean his thought, his religious ideas, and his life are not fascinating and worthy of study. In fact, some of his doctrines ring with echoes of Gnosticism, and his connections to the western esoteric tradition are startling. Our guest Rabbi Dr. Jay Michaelson’s new book “The Heresy of Jacob Frank From Jewish Messianism to Esoteric Myth” is a groundbreaking study of Frank, clearing up many misconceptions and laying out his surprising influence on the modern world. You don’t want to miss this one folks, it’s wild, strap in and tune in! This ep and all our content is also out as a podcast, subscribe where ever you usually listen or go to https://pod.link/845230843 Please note my self restraint in not naming this show “A Frank Discussion with Rabbi Dr.Jay Michaelson”.  [https://ia801606.us.archive.org/29/items/frank_202303/frank.mp3]  —————– Become a patron: http://patreon.com/gnostic​​ 

The Secret Revelation of John was lost to humanity for almost a millennia and a half, and now that we have it again, what light can it shine on the human condition and our relationship with the Divine? What healing can it bring to a world that feels more broken than ever? Dr. Shirley Paulson’s new book “Catching the Light: The Secret Revelation of John” is a highly readable, powerful, and original guide to Secret John. Combining the best in scholarship with penetrating spiritual insights, Dr. Paulson illuminates the story of Sophia, the Demiurge, the Savior, and of us all. Check out this Talk Gnosis interview with her about it, then head over to her site https://earlychristiantexts.com/ to buy a copy, subscribe to her podcast, take her courses on other NHL texts, and read the blog.  [https://ia601609.us.archive.org/34/items/catching-the-light/Catching%20the%20Light.mp3]  —————– Become a patron: http://patreon.com/gnostic​​ 

German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel is considered by many to be one of the most important thinkers to have ever lived. And he had a lot to say about Christianity, maybe even enough to say he changed how we thought about the faith forever. However, Hegel is notoriously difficult to follow, so Dr. Todd McGowan, author of “Emancipation After Hegel,” comes on the show to talk Hegel with the Talk Gnosis crew. We dialogue about dialectics, bringing heaven down to main street, the death of God, death in German, similarities and differences between Hegel’s thought and Gnosticism, why alienation can be a good thing, stoicism, and Hegel’s beautiful prose. Listen to Todd’s podcast “Why Theory?” at https://pod.link/1299863834  [https://ia804707.us.archive.org/1/items/finaltodd/finaltodd.mp3]  —————– Become a patron: http://patreon.com/gnostic​​ 

Welcome to another episode of Pop Gnosis! Today we’re going to be talking about the Netflix phenomenon Sandman, created by Neil Gaiman. We’ll touch on its comic history as well. On Pop Gnosis we take a look at the culture around us through a gnostic lens. Sometimes the connections are direct and easy to see, but sometimes maybe they’re lurking just underneath and need to be uncovered with a little digging. So that’s what we’re doing here! Gnosticism is full of mythology and mysticism, and one of the primary elements is imagining a level of reality that goes even higher than gods and angels. Sandman matches this with The Endless, forces that are older than anything, personifications of Dream, Death, Destiny, and so on. Forces that both rule reality and serve it, with strict duties to perform. The first season of Sandman dives into all of this, as Dream goes through a series of events that bring him closer to human experience than he’d ever dared to… dream?  [https://ia904700.us.archive.org/0/items/pop-gnosis-sandman/%5BPop%20Gnosis%5D%20Sandman.mp3]  —————– Become a patron: http://patreon.com/gnostic​​ 

Matt Christman has a new podcast, Hell on Earth, about the Thirty Years War (the apocalyptical cross-Europe conflict from 1618 to 1648) and how it birthed the modern world—and he returns to the Talk Gnosis to discuss the role of the Rosicrucian legends and conspiracy theories played in the War. Tune in to hear about the court of the Winter King, mythical conspiracies versus real conspiracies, how the 17th Century changed religion, why we need utopian visions, and digressions ranging from UFO cults to living the story. Listen to Hell on Earth and get more context on the Thirty Years War: https://hellonearth.chapotraphouse.com/ Check out CushVlogs: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=PLhxUDrMFUqyMQSozC1ES-Q4BkT8MJbY_1  [https://ia804707.us.archive.org/1/items/rosicrucians30yearswar/rosicrucians30yearswar.mp3]  —————– Become a patron: http://patreon.com/gnostic​​ 

Epiphany season, which marks the famous visit of the Magi to Jesus in the well known Christmas story, is upon us! And to celebrate we’re interviewing Dr. Eric Vanden Eykel, author of “The Magi: Who They Were, How They’ve Been Remembered, and Why They Still Fascinate.” Ancient historian and scholar Eric Vanden Eykel reveals what the author of the Gospel of Matthew may have meant to convey with this mysterious story of wise men from the East and helps us to understand both the Magi and the ancient and modern interpreters who have tried to study them. He shows how, from a mere twelve verses in the Gospel of Matthew, a varied and vast literary and artistic tradition was born. Get the book where every you buy them or grab it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Magi-Theyve-Remembered-Still-Fascinate/dp/1506473733  [audiosrc=https://ia804706.us.archive.org/32/items/mysterious-magi/Mysterious%20Magi.mp3]  —————– Become a patron: http://patreon.com/gnostic​​ 

Filmmaker, podcaster, and academic Helen Rollins comes on the show even though she’s probably sick of Gnosticism (she’s Jon’s thesis advisor). It’s a conversation that goes everywhere including the relevance of theology even if you’re not religious, art, trying to create during these Gnostic times, dialectical dialogues, filmmaking, and how embracing contradiction can set us free (well…free-ish). Check out her podcast “The Lack”: https://pod.link/1561070699 Watch the trailer for Helen’s film “Allone”: https://vimeo.com/456149116 Take Helen’s archived course “The Emancipatory Contradiction” at https://gcascollege.ie/courses-1/contradiction-seminar-helen-rollins  [https://ia601505.us.archive.org/20/items/talk-gnosis-helen-rollins/Talk%20Gnosis%20Helen%20Rollins.mp3]  —————– Become a patron: http://patreon.com/gnostic​​