The Gnostic Observer

I call myself “Mattias.” I don’t use my real name in this capacity in order to keep my professional life where it belongs: compartmentalized and ignored unless I am actually working. Generally, I am a person somewhat known for my intellectual curiosity and “polymathic tendencies.” Since a young age, I have thrown myself into diverse fields, including natural sciences, philosophy, religion, logic, physics, astronomy, and ethics, which eventually disillusioned me from the corrupt nature of cultic societies and institutions. My political views have been varied throughout my lifetime ranging from right-leaning conservative to a left-wing anarchist. Kool-Aid abounds on all sides, it really does. If any right-wing or left-wing devotees are reading this, I apologize. The truth hurt me too and it was hard to accept for a long time.

As for the website’s title, when referring to a “gnostic observer,” there are multiple applications for this term. It can indicate someone who observes and practices Gnostic spirituality in their daily life, or it can refer to someone who professes to be a Gnostic and observes the world around them through that lens. The concept of the observer is also relevant in quantum mechanics, where the observer effect describes how the act of observing a quantum particle fundamentally alters its state. In this sense, a “gnostic observer” could relate to the idea of how observing and participating in Gnostic spirituality can fundamentally change the observer’s understanding of the world and themselves, much like the observer effect changes the state of a quantum particle. Additionally, a “gnostic observer” could mean someone who closely follows and observes the latest developments, trends, and issues within the Gnostic community, whether that be spiritual or academic in nature.

My early life was practically ruined by exposure to a Christian cult that nearly broke me. Thanks to them, I gained a surface-level understanding of spirituality and a passion for learning ancient languages like ancient Greek and Hebrew, and thereafter discovered their manipulations of Christian and Hebraic Scriptures. This inspired my journey of self-discovery that led me to college, and eventually law school, where I learned how the legal system is an ingenious system of lies and propaganda. Over the years, I have worked as a policy advocate, but the reality is that all political views are just a dialectic of another, and basically all different sides to the same polygon.

My studies have taken me on deep dives into countless academic areas but have not made me more comfortable. Studying such a vast array of different fields have all revealed true enlightenment’s common patterns. I discovered even more similarities than differences among them, a realization that kept me on my journey of intellectual exploration. Very many years ago, I said to my friends (who were a mixed bag of agnostics, atheists, Christians, and spiritualists) that I planned to do some extensive reading and study evolutionary biology, relativity, quantum physics, and astronomg, and I fully expected to come out an atheist. Boy was I wrong.

Instead, my interdisciplinary explorations led me to understand how society peddles many lies, including its version of spirituality. Despite my cynicism and lack of illusions, I felt empty despite my atheism, later reaccepting theism, and eventually settling on being agnostic, in the sense that I believed in deeper spiritual or hidden truths about the nature of our universe, and the possibilities that there could be entities beyond our understanding of reality, but I didn’t claim to “know” or understand their true nature or mystery. However, the mystical underpinnings of Gnosticism have been my interest in recent years, and I’ve found it enlightening; helping me break free of the institutional beliefs that held me captive for most of my life. It enabled me to think for myself and escape from dogma’s grip, be it religious, political, or societal. In this screwed-up world, I have found that Gnosticism provides a path to enlightenment that gives us true hope.

The study of Gnosticism can offer numerous benefits to individuals across different worldviews. Spiritually, it can lead to a deeper understanding of one’s relationship and a greater sense of connection with the divine, along with a plausible explanation for why there is so much wrong in the world (but also where there also so many glimpses of hope and goodness). Philosophically, it can provide insight into the nature of human existence, the meaning of life, and the relationship between the individual and the universe. Secularly, it can broaden one’s knowledge of the diversity of human beliefs and offer a unique lens of inspiration through which to examine the historical and cultural forces that have shaped human civilization. Additionally, the study of Gnosticism can provide a framework for understanding the formation and development of various religious traditions and offer a platform for dialogue and understanding across religious boundaries. Ultimately, I feel the study of Gnosticism can encourage intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and a more nuanced and multidimensional understanding of the world around us. I would not be able to think critically and be as objective as I am today had I not discovered it’s rich philosophical and mystical truths.