Unverified Personal Gnosis

[sionnach]

Re: Unverified Personal Gnosis

All religion is a personal experience.

But, when you ascribe to a certain set of beliefs, you accept that paradigm as your own. And when you do that, your experiences tend to fit your preconceptions.

An unverified personal gnosis is a personal experience but religion is often more than personal. Because we die we want to believe there is something more than just existence and how to find that meaning is both a personal and social journey. It is social because there is a feeling of security in knowing thus we seek out others that share our beliefs. We want to believe there is a truth to the world, something real that we can believe in beyond self created preconceptions. But where do we look for that truth? Where did our pre-Christian ancestors find it? The problem is the nature of this kind of truth appears to be unverifiable thus it comes back to the individual in the end to accept the knowledge for themselves - their gnosis.

[callmeclemens]

Re: Unverified Personal Gnosis

More and more often I feel like my lack of personal relationships with the Gods is based on my inconsistent worship and ways of thinking.

Ingener my UPG is that Gods can be emotional, and as a result of that what you've done or failed to do can make you less appealing.

[Azvanna]

Re: Unverified Personal Gnosis

More and more often I feel like my lack of personal relationships with the Gods is based on my inconsistent worship and ways of thinking.

This is me also. I know I'm doing the right stuff, but it doesn't feel as real as it used to.

As for an interesting unverified personal gnosis I'd like to share....

When I was a very new Christian, I was in prayer and felt that my God asked me who I thought was in his family. I knew he wasn't talking about the church as a whole, but as his very close family. So I replied with Father, Son, Holy Ghost. But then I saw in my mind's eye a picture of those three in a circle, but also my own face. I couldn't find anything in the Bible to back that up convincingly. However about 5 years after that, an itinerant speaker came through our church and mentioned the same revelation. I think it was the beginning of my understanding of what it is to carry the presence of God within.

[callmeclemens]

Re: Unverified Personal Gnosis

This is me also. I know I'm doing the right stuff, but it doesn't feel as real as it used to.

As for an interesting unverified personal gnosis I'd like to share....

When I was a very new Christian, I was in prayer and felt that my God asked me who I thought was in his family. I knew he wasn't talking about the church as a whole, but as his very close family. So I replied with Father, Son, Holy Ghost. But then I saw in my mind's eye a picture of those three in a circle, but also my own face. I couldn't find anything in the Bible to back that up convincingly. However about 5 years after that, an itinerant speaker came through our church and mentioned the same revelation. I think it was the beginning of my understanding of what it is to carry the presence of God within.

The difficult transition for me comes from leaving a faith were salvation is a key part, and entering into one for which there is no need.

If you don't require salvation, understanding you relationship with the Gods become more complex.

[DragonsFriend]

Re: Unverified Personal Gnosis

It is less what or how you do, than it is how you believe and live.
As humans we are easily distracted or angered and we must overcome these obstacles to be co-creators with deity.

[Azvanna]

Re: Unverified Personal Gnosis

The difficult transition for me comes from leaving a faith were salvation is a key part, and entering into one for which there is no need.

If you don't require salvation, understanding you relationship with the Gods become more complex.

For me it came down to expanding my idea of Salvation to mean more than getting into Heaven. It was about living in union with the principles of God to have the best life and to manifest the likeliness of God here on earth wherever I go.. like the idea of Echad. I believe that 'Christ' is what happens when spirit is manifested fully in flesh.