For centuries, the Great Sphinx of Giza has stood as a solitary sentinel, gazing eternally westward across the desert sands - a silent guardian of one of history’s most lasting mysteries. Yet groundbreaking new research suggests this iconic monument was never meant to stand alone. Drawing on geometric analysis, archaeoastronomical alignments, and the deep symbolic logic of ancient Egyptian cosmology, researcher Damiano Piras presents a compelling case for the existence of a second, twin Sphinx, a mirror image hidden beneath the Giza Plateau, oriented toward the rising sun in perfect counterbalance to its famous counterpart.

The implications are staggering. If confirmed, this discovery would not merely add a monument to the archaeological record; it would fundamentally transform our understanding of how the ancient Egyptians conceived the Giza complex, as a unified cosmic system encoding the eternal cycle of the sun. From the dual lion-deities Shu and Tefnut to the double-headed god Aker, guardian of both horizons, the ancient Egyptians were deeply devoted to the principle of duality as cosmic order. Could the Giza Plateau itself be the ultimate expression of that belief, with two Sphinxes standing as stone embodiments of sunrise and sunset, life and death, east and west? The evidence, hidden in plain sight for millennia, may be closer to the surface than anyone dared imagine.

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In our latest podcast episode, we sit down with Jack Kelley, filmmaker, author, and founder of Empire Builder Productions. His recent project, The Atlantis Puzzle (spanning both a documentary film and a comprehensive book), challenges the popular narrative of Atlantis as a sunken island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Instead, he presents a compelling case that Atlantis was a real place located in Africa during the Green Sahara period.

Jack’s journey began in 2019 on the Greek island of Santorini, where a chance encounter with a book led him to the decades-long research of Greek engineer and independent researcher George Sarantitis. Sarantitis approached Plato’s dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, as complex puzzles written by a philosopher known for layering historical facts, geographical realities, and profound allegories.

In this fascinating interview, we dive deep into:

• The Power of Context: Why reading Plato’s account of Atlantis without understanding the broader context of ancient Greek literature and mythology leads to flawed assumptions.

• The Green Sahara Connection: How climate shifts over millions of years created a lush, vibrant Sahara, complete with mega-lakes and rivers, that perfectly matches the geographical setting described by Plato.

• The Richat Structure: Why the mysterious “Eye of the Sahara” in Mauritania, with its concentric rings, aligns remarkably well with Plato’s description of the Atlantean capital.

• Decoding Ancient Terminology: How Victorian-era translators misinterpreted terms like “Atlantic Pelagos” and “Pillars of Heracles,” leading generations of explorers to search in the wrong places.

• The Philosophical Core: The true message behind Plato’s story, a cautionary tale about societal decline, the corrupting influence of power, and the loss of virtue.

Jack Kelley invites us to step into the mindset of a 4th-century BC Athenian. By understanding the multiple layers of Plato’s work, we can uncover a narrative that connects prehistoric African civilizations, ancient Egyptian records, and Greek mythology.

Listen to the full interview now and explore the magic and mystery of the ancient world!

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When the gavel fell at Sotheby’s London auction house in 1936, the academic world braced for a revelation. Up for sale were the “Portsmouth Papers”, a massive cache of unpublished manuscripts written by Sir Isaac Newton, the undisputed father of modern physics. Scholars expected to find the discarded drafts of Principia Mathematica, early sketches of calculus, or perhaps unrecorded optical experiments.

Instead, they found madness. Or rather, they found a man who had spent his entire life searching for something far more profound than gravity.

Of the 329 lots auctioned that day, more than a third were entirely alchemical and theological in nature. They contained over a million words, more than Newton ever published on science, detailing his obsessive quest to decode biblical prophecy, his secret denial of the Holy Trinity, and his decades-long attempt to reconstruct the architectural blueprints of the Temple of Solomon.

John Maynard Keynes, the legendary economist who purchased many of these manuscripts, was stunned by what he read. He later delivered a lecture to the Royal Society that shattered the myth of the rational scientist:

The man who defined the laws of motion did not view the universe as a cold, mechanical clock. He viewed it as a divine cryptogram. And for his entire life, Newton was secretly trying to build the key to unlock it, a conceptual “God Engine” that would reveal the mind of the Creator.

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A Dominican monk appeared at the Inquisition in Cologne in winter 1327. He was not viewed as a rebel or an outsider, but rather as one of the most highly regarded theologians throughout all of Europe, who had been a professor at the University of Paris and was in charge of many monasteries. The things he had been teaching ordinary people in their native Germanic tongue were such an enormous threat to the Church but were also seen as so liberating, that the Church felt they had no other choice than to stop him from doing so.

His name was Meister Eckhart.

Eckhart’s “crime” was that he told people that they did not need to rely on the Church, the priests or even religion to connect with God. Rather, he taught that the same spark of God that created the universe also resides within the very spirit of every human. He famously stated,

Because of this, he has been tried as a heretic. The truths that he uncovered still remain among the most profound and practical spiritual teachings in the history of humankind.

This week, we will investigate the radical mystical teachings of Meister Eckhart. We will study how his teachings brought together the Western Religious Tradition and Eastern Philosophy, and how his belief in “letting go” has the potential to free you from a lifetime of searching for meaning and purpose.

Who Was Meister Eckhart?

Eckhart von Hochheim, a German Catholic priest, philosopher, and mystic (circa 1260 – 1328), was born in the vicinity of Gotha, which at the time was part of the Holy Roman Empire. He became a Dominican monk at an early age, rising to the rank of Meister (Master) of Theology while studying and teaching in Paris, the center of medieval scholarship throughout Europe. Nonetheless, Eckhart believed that edifying knowledge should not be confined solely to the classroom, so he began to teach everyday people about God through his sermons delivered in their native German language. To accomplish this, he made complex religious ideas understandable to them by using the language of their lives; thereby, all human beings can experience and participate in the fullness of God today.

Eckhart’s insistence on teaching mysticism to commoners was viewed with alarm by the ecclesiastical authorities. In response, Archbishop of Cologne ordered an inquisitorial trial against Eckhart in 1326; however, he diligently defended himself, directly appealing to the Pope in Avignon. Although Eckhart passed away prior to a decision being rendered in his case, Pope John XXII, in a bull issued in 1329, condemned as heretical many of Eckhart’s statements.

Despite this condemnation, Eckhart’s teachings have continued to be disseminated underground through groups such as the “Friends of God” into the teachings of future philosophers, mystics, and more recently, the work of psychoanalyst, Carl Jung.

Eckhart’s Three Liberating Ideas

Eckhart’s philosophy is startlingly modern. It strips away the dogma and rituals of religion to focus entirely on the direct, unmediated experience of reality.

1. The Spark of the Soul (Fünklein)

Eckhart proposes that there is an aspect of our soul that is eternal and uncreated. He calls this aspect Fünklein or “the Spark” because it represents the point at which humanity and divinity are completely synonymous. Fünklein cannot be earned, prayed for, or become worthy of; rather, it is within you and exists in the very center of your being and is waiting to be recognized.

2. Letting Go (Gelassenheit)

Why does Eckhart say that we do not recognize our divine spark if it is already there? The answer he provides is that we are filled with ourselves. We are filled with our fears, desires, identities, and even our conceptions of God. Awakening does not involve acquiring more knowledge or virtue; it involves Gelassenheit, which is a German word coined by Eckhart meaning “letting go” or “releasing.” In order for the divine to fill our empty space, we must first empty ourselves, that means “letting go” or “releasement.” It is the practice of emptying yourself completely, so that the divine can fill the space.

3. The Godhead (Gottheit)

Eckhart makes a radical difference between “God,” the creator deity we worship, and the “Godhead,” which is the nameless, infinite, and silent ground of all existence. The God of religion is a construct of the human mind. The Godhead is the ultimate, absolute reality that transcends any conceptual thoughts we may have about it. To truly experience divine reality, Eckhart believes we must relinquish all preconceived notions of God: “I pray to God that he take away my concept of God.”

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The Modernity of Eckhart’s Teachings

Eckhart’s teachings resemble the philosophical system of Zen Buddhism or Advaita Vedanta rather than those of Later Medieval Catholic Church. He understood that the ego is the source of human suffering; an individual constructs their identity based upon their ego and then spends their life trying to create more and more wealth, status, knowledge, etc., and accumulating all that will give him/her a sense of being somebody special or important.

Eckhart teaches us that this search for “meaning” or happiness through external accumulation and enhancement of ourselves is fundamentally misguided. We are searching for something that has always existed within us already; therefore, in order to have true peace, we must remove parts of the self that do not belong there. When we cease our efforts to create an ego-based existence and begin to experience our authentic selves (our empty “nothingness”), we can experience true connection to The Infinite.

How to Practice Gelassenheit Today

You do not need to be a medieval monk to apply Eckhart’s wisdom. Here are three ways to practice his philosophy in the modern world:

1. The Practice of Emptying

Observe how much time we spend creating distractions for ourselves during empty moments (e.g., scrolling through Facebook, listening to a podcast, and worrying about what will happen tomorrow). Take just one moment each day to practice “true emptiness.” Sit down for 5 minutes and empty the mind of all thoughts; do nothing. Do not try to meditate; simply allow yourself to exist without being anyone or going anywhere.

2. Release Your Attachments to Outcomes

Gelassenheit means acting without attachment to the results of your actions. When you create, work or serve others, do so completely but do not expect accolades or recognition from the actions you take. Eckhart refers to living “without a why.” If you act solely for the sheer joy of acting, you are acting out of the Divine.

3. Let Go of Your Labels

Our identities come from our work, our relationships, our political ideologies, and our past mistakes. These labels form a rigid prison for our souls. Work on releasing yourself from these forms of identification. Think to yourself, “If I am not my job, my thoughts, or my history, what is left?” What is left is pure awareness, the divine spark of the soul.

The Ultimate Releasement

The Church silenced Meister Eckhart because his teachings empowered the common person; to Eckhart, every person held the Truth inside them; they simply had to let go to find it.

In a society that keeps telling us we must search for meaning, acquire more, achieve more, and become more, Eckhart’s message transcends time and brings us relief by letting us realise that we do not have to seek out meaning or truth; we simply have to take time to still our minds, remove all distractions, and acknowledge the Divine Light of God that is within us all along.

By Dr Ioannis Syrigos

Recommended Reading

Meister Eckhart: From Whom God Hid Nothing by David O’Neal

The Way of Paradox: Spiritual Life as Taught by Meister Eckhart by Cyprian Smith

In the early fourth century, the most powerful man on earth made a calculated decision: the name of Jesus of Nazareth had to be erased from human memory.

He did not just want to suppress a religion; he wanted to annihilate it at the root. He ordered the systematic destruction of every Christian scripture, the demolition of every church, and the execution of anyone who refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods. It was the most severe, coordinated, and brutal persecution in the history of the Roman Empire.

But in his desperate attempt to wipe Christianity from the face of the earth, Emperor Diocletian achieved the exact opposite. By issuing formal, empire-wide edicts to destroy the Christian texts, he inadvertently left behind an indestructible historical record. His obsession with erasing Jesus became one of the most compelling secular proofs that the early Christian movement was not a fringe cult, but a force so powerful it terrified the masters of Rome.

And he was not the only emperor to leave a paper trail. Decades earlier, another imperial document was carved into marble in Nazareth, an inscription that suggests the Roman state was deeply concerned with the specific details of the resurrection story.

This is the history the empire tried to burn.

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When we think of the crusading orders of the Middle Ages, we think of the Knights Templar, the legendary warrior-monks who amassed unimaginable wealth before being brutally suppressed by the King of France in 1307. The Templars are the subject of countless books, films, and conspiracy theories. But while the world obsesses over a ghost, they ignore the order that survived.

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) did not disappear. They adapted, evolved and today, they are the only medieval chivalric order that still operates as a sovereign entity on the world stage. They have no territory, yet they issue their own passports, mint their own currency, and maintain diplomatic relations with 113 countries. They have permanent observer status at the United Nations.

And they are the only entity in the world that issues a passport to exactly one person at a time.

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In Siberia’s taiga before recorded history there was a collective gathered around a fire waiting for their shaman, he wore animal skins and played a drum while dancing with rapid beats aligning with their hearts. To an outsider this may appear as lunacy, but to the community this was the most important work a person could perform:

Shamanism is not a religion based on dogma, or belief systems; rather, it’s about experience, and is one of the most ancient spiritual practice of Earth.

For 20 weeks we have studied great thinkers, philosophers and sages who created intricate systems of understanding, however, this week we look back at the base: Shamanism and Native American traditions originated in many places independently, from South America to North America; all have a similar view of the Universe.

Shamanism and Native American trials in our present age of crisis, isolation through technology and disconnection from nature, are more than simple and unimportant; they are critical and after years of scientific research have shown us how we can live with our planet in balance.

The Illusion of Dead Matter

The modern worldview has, at its core, the concept of a dead universe. We are educated to see the Earth as simply a collection of resources for extraction, the animal kingdom as nothing more than biological machines, and that only human beings possess actual spirit and intelligence. The advancements in technology that this worldview has fostered, has come at the cost of a sense of belonging. The current world we live in consists of objects and, because of that, we find ourselves feeling completely isolated.

The Indigenous worldview provides us with an alternative vision of reality: Animism.

Animism provides an understanding that everything has its own life. The river is not just water flowing down a hill; it possesses voice and spirit and serves a purpose. A mountain is not just rock; it is considered an ancestor. The trees in a forest represent a community of conscious beings that communicate in ways we have lost the ability to understand. Human beings do not rule the Earth as the masters of creation, but, rather, we are the younger brothers/sisters of a vast and ancient family of all living things; therefore, our primary function or contribution to the world is to ensure harmony and respect amongst the members of our family.

The Role of the Shaman

Without a doubt, in today’s times, we all have illnesses and are experiencing unfortunate events caused by ecological collapse. Simply put, these hardships are not random; rather, they are all signs of a community having broken down. As much as there is a connection between the community of humanity, there is also a fragile and interdependent relationship between the entire community of living beings who make up the ecosystem of the Earth as a whole. When the balance has been disrupted, illness, misfortune, and ecological collapse will occur.

The shaman is a bridge between the human community and the natural world; he is an intermediary or messenger between these two worlds. The shaman’s name comes from the Tungus language of Siberia (North Russia/America) and is often translated as “he who knows,” or “he who sees in darkness.” Shamans train for many years, learning techniques for entering into the spirit world and becoming one with it; through the use of drumming, chanting, or using sacred plant medicines, they are able to access the spirit world.

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Rather than preach or to take on the role of leader of the community, it is the shaman’s responsibility to provide spiritual healing. A shaman can achieve this through the retrieval of lost parts of a patient’s soul, negotiating with natural spirits to ensure successful hunting, and guiding the souls of the deceased to their rightful resting places. In essence, a shaman acts as the spiritual immune system for the community.

Is This Wisdom Applicable Today?

You do not need to go to the forest and drum or go into a trance state to gain the benefits of indigenous wisdom. Shamanism is a rich source of teachings that contain a powerful antidote for many of the stress factors of today.

The current pandemic of loneliness is because we have lost our ability to connect with the non-human population. When we go to a park and view it as “timber” and “landscaping,” we feel lonely; however, when we go there and acknowledge the fact that we are surrounded by living, breathing beings that are aware of our presence, we are no longer lonely.

The other issue we face today is that of environmental despair due to our perception of the planet as a machine. The indigenous way of viewing the world has taught us that we are all connected; thus, by harming the river, we are also harming ourselves. The shift towards understanding this relationship will be the only way to truly solve the ecological crisis we are encountering. Understanding our relationship with the environment from a position of obligation only creates political obligation. Understanding it as a position of love and care creates family ties throughout the world.

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Three Practices to Reconnect

Three easy ways you can start to make the animist worldview part of your daily experience are:

1. The Practice of Acknowledgment Every time you step outside, acknowledge the living things around you by silently greeting everything that is alive. Say hello to the Sun, Wind, Trees, and Birds. You don’t have to say the words aloud; only acknowledge them silently inside. An internal ‘I recognize you’ gives you an awareness shift from seeing objects to recognizing subjects.

2. The Practice of the Sit Spot Find one specific place in Nature that resonates with you. It could be a bench in a park, under a tree, or even your balcony with a plant. Go to this place on a regular basis (every day, every other day, etc.) and sit for at least ten minutes without doing anything (no reading and no phone). Observe your surroundings and the subtle rhythms and communications of Nature. Over time as you repeatedly visit this location, you will begin to develop an understanding of the natural world around you.

3. The Practice of Reciprocity Part of the Indigenous World View is that you never take from Nature without first giving back something in return. If you harvest food from the garden, take water from a spring, or enjoy the shade from a tree, give something back. The gift can be something physical (a pinch of tobacco, a splash of water, etc.) or a silent prayer of thanks. The act of reciprocity keeps balance in the web.

The Fire Still Burns

The wisdom of the ancients understands the universe as a singular system of interconnections through ecological and quantum physics. For centuries, humanity has attempted to dominate the earth with success only to create an isolated, fearful existence within the confines of this world of our own design.

All indigenous wisdom asks is that we stop striving for control over each other and instead begin listening to one another. The flame of wisdom is still lit by our ancestors; they remain present and are waiting for us to remember.

By Dr Ioannis Syrigos

Recommended Reading

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Shamanic Journeying: A Beginner’s Guide by Sandra Ingerman

History does not only survive in temples, treasures, and royal tombs. Sometimes it waits in severed hands, headless skeletons, plague graves, sacrificial children, and bodies preserved so perfectly that they seem to accuse the living from across the centuries.

These are not ordinary archaeological finds. They are the discoveries that make researchers stop, look again, and ask what human beings are capable of when fear, hunger, power, disease, or belief pushes a society past its moral limits. Each bone, burial, and forensic trace reveals a side of the past that official monuments were never built to remember.

From Egypt’s screaming mummy and Viking execution pits to vampire burials, Inca child sacrifice, and evidence of cannibalism in prehistoric Europe, the following ten discoveries expose history at its most unsettling. They are shocking not because they are legends, but because science shows they were real.

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What does it mean to discover that witchcraft runs in your blood? For Enid Baxter Ryce, it isn’t a metaphor, she is a direct descendant of three convicted Salem Witches, and comes from a long family history of natural magical practices. This is the story of how she found them.

Every family has its skeletons, but some are buried deeper than others. My peculiar mother left behind a series of mysterious boxes, secreted under an 18th-century house in the woods with a stream running through its basement. As I painstakingly research each hidden object and document to piece together our family’s bizarre history, I stumbled upon a single, shocking word in an incomplete Daughters of the American Revolution application: Witch.

While my father casually claimed our ancestors were “Puritans,” the historical record reveals a far darker, more chaotic truth. We weren’t the pious Puritans of New England lore; instead, we were Celts, rebels, and outcasts. Drawing on primary sources and genetic data, I discovered that my sixth great-grandmother, Margaret Jacobs, was a convicted Salem Witch. Her mother, father, and grandfather were also convicted.

But it was my eighth-great-grandfather, George Jacobs Sr., who truly defined our family’s defiant spirit. He and his family dared to laugh at the powerful teenage accusers, mockingly calling them “The Witch Bitches”, a sarcastic rebellion that would ultimately cost him his life on the gallows.

Below is the untold story of Salem’s most defiant family, a cowardly father who abandoned his newborn to flee the constables, and the historical troll who exposed the hypocrisy of the witch hunts.

The Trial of George Jacobs, August 5, 1692 by Tompkins H. Matteson, 1885.

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In the deep woods of Kerala, in 800 AD, an 8-year-old boy had a vision that would change the course of Eastern Philosophy forever. He did not possess wealth, have an army, nor any political power. However, over the course of the next 24 years, the boy walked barefoot across the Indian subcontinent, debating the greatest scholars of his time, establishing monasteries in each of the four corners of the land and reviving a spiritual philosophy which was almost lost to time.

His name was Adi Shankaracharya.

Unlike so many others who claimed to speak for a distant God or a distant Tradition, he came as a philosopher with a radical and uncompromising message. This message continues to challenge the way we understand the nature of reality today. His work did not talk about “the way to heaven” or “pleasing the Gods.” His message was about “waking up” to something which is as terrifying, as it is liberating.

What did this young monk teach that led to such a tremendous shift in human consciousness? What is it about his philosophy, Advaita Vedanta, which makes it one of the most potent antidotes to stress, loneliness and the relentless searching of modern society? The entire issue of this week’s edition of Ancient Wisdom is about answering those questions and an opportunity to look into the mirror and see who is looking back at you.

The Problem of Separation

The following assumptions about life can be termed as the belief of separation - an individual has a self; whereas, everything else exists outside of their individual self. Thus, an individual is a separate and individualised self; within an enormous and indifferent world, they must survive, discover their own meaning and eventually die. This sense of separation is the root of all human suffering. It creates fear, because the world is big and you are small. It creates desire, because you feel incomplete and need things outside yourself to feel whole.

At the time when Adi Shankara was living in India (8th century), the spiritual landscape of that country appeared to be, at that time, disassembled into a plethora of spiritual paths. The Vedic tradition had been bogged down by complex rituals and stereotypical behaviour patterns for many years and was in a lengthy process of becoming; Buddhism was deteriorating and was gradually losing supporters. People were searching for answers, but they were looking in the wrong places, in external ceremonies, in intellectual debates, or in the hope of a better afterlife.

Adi Shankara was able to show that while all of these behaviours were at fault for the present-day spiritual confusion of humanity, he also recognised that the assumptions associated with searching for divine enlightenment are misdirected. When an individual is searching for divine enlightenment, that individual will not be able to discover the divine unless that searcher becomes aware that the searcher is actually the source of the divine.

The Philosophy of Non-Duality

Advaita Vedanta was developed and systematised into its full presentation and comprehensive thought by Shankaracharya. Advaita often translates literally as “not-two” or “non-duality,” while based on the culmination of the Vedas, the oldest spiritual texts from India, notably the Upanishads.

At its essence, Advaita Vedanta may be expressed in a unique, concise idea: there is but one reality, and that is you.

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To understand how Shankaracharya arrived at this conclusion, we must look at the three foundational pillars of his philosophy.

1. Brahman: The One Reality

Shankaracharya said that the only reality in the world is Brahman. However, Brahman cannot be pictured as having a personal nature, like being a God who is ruling from high in the sky, because Brahman is complete and unending consciousness that has no context or boundaries. It is the silent, unchanging background against which the entire drama of the universe plays out. It has no beginning, no end, no form, and no limits. It is the only thing that is truly real, because it is the only thing that never changes.

2. Maya: The Veil of Illusion

If Brahman is all there is to reality, then what is the “stuff” we see around us? What of the trees, cities, people, happiness, sadness?

Shankaracharya explained about all this through the term Maya, which is normally translated to mean “illusion,” but a better way to translate it would be “appearance”.

While the world is not false, it does not directly represent anything. Shankaracharya uses the famous analogy of the snake and the rope, where you may be on a dark road and see something coiled up on the ground, and you jump back in fear thinking it is a snake. You have become anxious, your pulse is racing and your palms are sweating because you thought it was a snake. Once you shine a light on it, you realize it is a piece of rope. There never was a snake; it was a projection of the idea of a snake over the reality of the rope. In the same way, the world of separate objects and individual selves is a projection superimposed on the single reality of Brahman.

3. Tat Tvam Asi: That Thou Art

This gives rise to the most liberating and radical perspective of Advaita Vedanta. If Brahman is the only reality, and the world appears as though there were separation among us humans, then what does it mean for you?

You are not the body because the body changes and dies. You are not the mind because the mind is constant with passing thoughts and feelings. Your true self, the pure awareness of your existence, the silent observer of everything you experience, the reader of these very words as you read them today, is your Atman. The ultimate revelation of Shankaracharya is that Atman and Brahman are the same thing.

His Ideas are Still relevant

In this fast-paced age of constant identity crisis and search for purpose, we work to create who we are through our careers, relationships, social media, and accomplishments. We will ultimately fail. No matter how much effort you put into building your identity, whatever you create on the ever-changing material plane is destined for destruction at some point in time.

Advita Vedanta offers a sense of peace and rest from all this hectic work. You don’t have to create yourself because you are already whole, unending, and perfect. You are not looking for meaning, as you create meaning. You are not afraid to die, as your true nature has never been born nor can it die.

Advaita Vedanta doesn’t teach us to disengage from our lives or be disconnected from the world. With full awareness, when you understand that the same consciousness that looks through your eyes also looks through the eyes of every person you encounter, your sense of compassion is no longer a social obligation; it’s simply a fact. You love your neighbour for no other reason than the fact that your neighbour is, in a literal sense, you!

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Three Practices to Experience Non-Duality

Advaita Vedanta is more than just an idea; it is something you actually experience. The following describes three different ways to bring the principles of Advaita into your everyday life.

1. The Practice of Neti Neti (Not This, Not That)

This ancient technique is used to discover who you truly are by self-inquiry. When you identify strongly with a feeling, thought, or physical sensation, say out loud or internally: “I know this feeling exists, so I cannot be this feeling.” Continue to remove all observable items (the body, mind, roles, past) and observe what is left after everything that can be seen has been removed. What will remain after all these things are gone is the Silent Witness.

2. The Practice of the Silent Witness

Throughout your day, try to become the observer instead of being the actor. While you do something like walk, eat or do work, picture yourself watching these things on a screen. Notice how your mind constantly talks and judges; however, don’t engage it; just watch it. By developing the Silent Witness aspect of your own being, you will slowly leave behind the drama of Maya and connect with the peace of Atman.

3. The Practice of Seeing the One in the Many

When talking with another person, think to yourself: “The consciousness in them is the same consciousness in me.” By making this small change in your perspective, you will dissolve the illusion of separation and develop a deep sense of empathy and connectedness.

The End of the Search

The fire has been burning for thousands of years. The most important journey any human can take is to discover our true self, which lies just one millimeter away from our perceived self. We have devoted our lives to searching for God and peace and meaning in life. The Shankaracharya’s message is a simple one: quit looking around. Look at yourself, the one who is seeking. What you seek is within yourself.

By Dr Ioannis Syrigos

Recommended Reading

The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination (Vivekachudamani) attributed to Adi Shankaracharya

I Am That by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Something big is coming for our community. Next week, we will be announcing a special opportunity to take these ancient teachings off the page and into your daily life. Keep an eye on your inbox.

For millennia, humanity has looked to the heavens with a mixture of awe, reverence, and profound confusion. What we today call Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) or Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) are not a product of post-World War II science fiction or Cold War anxieties anymore. Instead, a rigorous examination of historical records, religious texts, and classical artwork reveals a startlingly consistent narrative: humanity has been documenting encounters with unexplained aerial phenomena since the dawn of civilization.

With the historic events of May 2026, marked by the U.S. government’s unprecedented declassification of thousands of military and intelligence files, the gap between ancient mythology and modern reality is rapidly closing. This article explores the deepest roots of the UAP phenomenon, examines how ancient peoples recorded these encounters in art and text, and links these historical anomalies directly to the official government disclosure taking place today.

Ancient Texts: The “Chariots of the Gods” and “Fiery Discs”

Long before the invention of the camera, ancient civilizations used the most advanced technology at their disposal, that is written language, to record extraordinary aerial encounters. When we strip away the local cultural and religious terminology of the era, the physical descriptions of these phenomena bear a striking resemblance to modern UAP reports.

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The story of the Tower of Babel is one of the most misread passages in all of Scripture. Most people know the outline: humanity tried to build a tower to the sky, God knocked it down, and scattered the people across the earth. A simple morality tale, a myth about arrogance or a story that ends in confusion and dispersal?

But that is not the story the ancient texts tell.

The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, states that the builders of Babel worked for forty-three years. The tower they constructed reached a height of 5,433 cubits and 2 palms, roughly 1.6 miles into the sky.

The Third Book of Baruch records that the builders did not want to reach heaven, they took tools and attempted to physically pierce it, demanding to know whether it was made of clay, brass, or iron.

And Flavius Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, writes that the man behind the project, Nimrod, was building a fortress against God. A structure so vast and so unified that no flood, no divine judgment, could ever destroy it again.

This was a declaration of war against the divine order.

Genesis gives us only nine verses on Babel, but those nine verses contain what may be the most alarming statement God ever makes in the entire Old Testament:

God did not destroy the Tower of Babel because it was too tall. He destroyed it because of what a unified, centralized humanity, operating in total defiance of the divine order, was on the verge of achieving. The scattering of languages was an act of mercy. A necessary intervention to prevent a catastrophe that, according to God Himself, would have been unstoppable.

And in 2026, for the first time since the plains of Shinar, that system is being rebuilt and the tower is rising again.

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Deep under the sands of Upper Egypt lies an ancient temple that was known by the Greeks as Hermopolis, or the City of Hermes. The temple has a unique purpose among all temples of the ancient world. This temple was not built for public worship or to be a place where kings held ceremonies; in fact, it did not allow the public (as in many temples) inside its doors. In order to enter, one must undergo an extensive selection process which includes passing tests and demonstrating one’s willingness to let go of everything that one might think is true about reality.

These places were often referred to as Mystery Schools by the ancient Egyptians, and they served as the center of humanity’s greatest exploration. Though they were not just places for religious activity, they were essentially a laboratory for the study of consciousness and were staffed by some of the most intelligent people of their time who were trained to understand the hidden laws of the universe, the soul, and their relationship. Guided by Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom, writing, mathematics, and magic, the Mystery Schools provided the foundation for modern esoteric traditions including Kabbalah, Hermeticism, and Freemasonry. Thoth was also known to the Greeks as Hermes Trismegistus, or the Thrice-Greatest.

What did these initiates learn at the Mystery Schools? And why is the knowledge gained at these temples of such importance in today’s age of information overload, institutional decay, and the search for true knowledge? The objective of this week’s edition of Ancient Wisdom is to provide these answers. The information contained within this edition is not based on mythological accounts but rather based on the history of the oldest university in human history, along with the core principle that remains relevant today: that the laws governing the planets above are the same as the laws of the soul within.

The Problem the Mystery Schools Refused to Ignore

For orthodox theologians at this point in history most importantly are those who expect everyone to obey the gods (deities), have faith in a pantheon of distant and judgmental gods, and accept the limitations of humanity. Mystery School initiates began with a much broader theme, something that most of their contemporaries would have tried their best to avoid – and that is that a very frightening and beautiful idea is that everything we see in the world is governed by laws that are hidden from us, but these hidden laws are accessible through our own intelligence, and can also be understood by the human soul.

We love to believe that the world itself is a creation that has been done perfectly, and that it is governed entirely by benevolent gods. We also want to believe that suffering is simply a test or punishment, and that we have a path to salvation that exists outside of us. We all need to feel secure in our lives, we need certainty and we need to have clearly defined rules for living. We need our spirituality to be so simple that we can manage it with a ritual. All the educated minds of the world at that time believed in the separation between the gods and humans, and that they were ruling over humanity from above.

Thus, the first statement made in the theology of the Mystery Schools is that the creator of the material world has given us a blueprint and that we can read that blueprint. As you can see, the beginning of this philosophy may feel very disorienting. However, it is important to realize that the Mystery School initiates were not attempting to give humanity a reason to feel hopeless, but rather to tell the truth. They were not saying that life does not have meaning, but they were saying that we do not find meaning by pretending that the suffering and cruelty of this physically manifested world is part of a perfectly divinely ordained plan that we cannot comprehend. The literal interpretations of myth, religious authority and our own self-recrimination that most of us continue to grasp, are nothing more than illusions. The universe is not going to shape itself to fit our need for orthodox theology. The material world is a manifestation of the divine, true laws are hidden from us, and the only way to attain salvation is to awaken from the illusion created by our superficial view of reality.

The initiates of the Mystery Schools taught that life was a subjective experience. We experience life in a never-ending state of being. We exist in an infinite expanding sphere of spirituality, and our minds continue to view life as being confined to an unchanging and external environment. This limitation creates suffering and ignorance. The initiation into the Mystery Schools was not an invention of the concept of inner divinity, but a choice by the initiates to recognize that there indeed exists a divine spark within man and therefore to deal with it accordingly.

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The Three Pillars of the Mystery Schools: A Radical Diagnosis

The Mystery Schools’ major discovery is referred to as their esoteric theology. These concepts are a diagnosis of the state of human ignorance, and a route out of our spiritual shackles.

The first concept is The Keeper of All Knowledge.

The concept of The Keeper of All Knowledge refers to the god Thoth, the Egyptian god of writing and wisdom. Historically, it was believed that the gods were completely separate from humanity; however, Thoth provided tools to remedy the separation between humans and the gods. Thoth created writing, mathematics, astronomy, and magic; therefore, the Mystery Schools were temples to Thoth and were the only locations where initiates were taught the secret knowledge of the universe. Because the light that emanates from the Creator is pure, the initiates believed that the human soul must also be pure and is made of light. Therefore, there are no barriers between humans and the gods; there is only a lack of understanding. We are not miserable sinners awaiting external salvation; instead, we are pieces of divine light who have forgotten where we came from.

The second concept is The Weighing of the Heart.

Another significant piece of esoteric theology is the concept of The Weighing of the Heart. Upon examining the cruelty and imperfection of the material world, the initiates understood the true nature of the world. They believed that the foundation of Egyptian initiatory initiation was centered around Ma’at, which represented truth, justice and cosmic order. Therefore, in order to receive the most profound esoteric teachings, each initiate was required to demonstrate that his/her heart was lighter than a feather. The initiates taught that this purifying process was a prerequisite for aligning one’s soul with the divine order of the universe. We should not only worship the Creator of this flawed material world without question, but instead we should worship the hidden, transcendent cosmic laws of Ma’at that exist outside of our perception of the material world.

The third concept is As Above, So Below.

The most important tenet of Mystery School teaching was that of As Above So Below. This teaching is the foundation of the Philosophy of the Western Esoteric Schools. Rather than teaching salvation through blind faith or external rituals performed by an organized religion, the Mystery Schools taught that through understanding that there are the same laws governing the human soul that govern the heavens. Through knowing the self, we can know the cosmos. The concept of As Above, So Below is the foundation upon which all of Western Esotericism is based. Since the Divine Spark is within, salvation cannot come from an external source. The master initiate is never separate from God; rather, the master initiate becomes freed by awakening to his/her own true essence through becoming conscious of the Divine Spark that is present within.

A visual guide to the forbidden theology of the Egyptian Mystery Schools.

Why the Mystery Schools Still Feel So Modern

Civilisation changes on a continuum and has affected every other area of human experience beside our perceptions of historical events.

Due to the increasing amount of mistrust in institutions, growingly interconnectedness through technology globally, and people seeking spiritual connection for themselves (to be who they truly are), now we experience feelings of alienation, and a need to search for answers to our deepest existential questions, and that we are looking for authentic experiences, at rates that surpass any other culture captured in recorded history.

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As a result of this phenomenon, society continues to tell its members that certainty and safety can only be achieved by relying on a rigid authority figure (the establishment or a government, etc), tribal identity (what tribe they belong to) or through the illusion of successful material possessions (having something to show for their years of work).

Through historical records, we find that no matter what happens to an individual, their mind always seeks to find truth or something absolute, therefore creating a situation where they can never be totally free from a constant outside demand.

Even today, individuals that come from the background of being initiated into Mystery Schools still very closely identify with the words and teachings of the Mystery Schools. This is due to the understanding that although suffering arises from the things we go through in life (suffering comes from life), it can also arise from our greatest unwillingness to look within ourselves (our minds) for our connection to the divine.

Evidence of this exists across our experiences of daily life. Consider the person who goes through a spiritual crisis; he/she will often react defensively and tend to grasp even tighter to their external form of spirituality and have a very hard time letting go of that external form.

When an individual faces the vastness of modern institutional failure or when an individual feels that he/she has failed to achieve the proper spiritual path through society’s attempts to force them into rigid belief systems, this will often cause him/her to fear, feel meaninglessness, and retreat to, or embrace, a narrow-minded dogmatic belief system (i.e. hellfire and brimstone or “no salvation but through the church”).

We build an identity based upon being “saved” by an outside force, only to later discover that the true nature of the human experience is always a diverse, complex, and ever-changing inner world that constantly challenges our beliefs.

Initiates of the Mystery Schools were the first to identify this pattern of humanity. To be human is not just to go through life; we are always clinging to and pushing away from the universe with the expectations of how we want to be saved, which leads to our eventual defence against those expectations.

Therefore, the teachings from the Mystery Schools are much more than simple historical references; they represent a body of teachings that provide a framework for human beings to better understand who they are as conscious beings engaged in a never-ending quest for truth, and help provide a framework for many mental and emotional responses to the hardships that one has experienced during their lifetime.

Three Practices for an Initiate’s Mind

The philosophy of the Mystery Schools is powerful because of the things that a practitioner practices. If the initiates lived in today’s world, they would encourage all of us to not only admire their hidden texts, but to put them into practice.

Here are three suggestions for how to begin putting these concepts into practice:

1. The “Keeper of Knowledge” Reflection

Be mindful of the thoughts in your mind throughout the course of your day and how often you view yourself as being inherently flawed, unworthy, or separate from the goodness of the Universe. This could happen in a moment of self-criticism, during moments of feeling like you have failed at something, or as a part of your belief system regarding how you should be punished.

If you notice that you are about to take an action based upon the self-condemnation you are experiencing, simply pause to remember this one thing.

When you stop in that moment and take a breath and reflect upon the positive “God essence” that is at the centre of who you are, you are truly practising what the Mystery Schools encourage. You begin to separate yourself from the self-condemnation of your ego and enter into a deeper state of self-compassion. This practice is not meant to suggest that you do not need to grow; it is intended to build your awareness that if you are able to see the illusion of being unworthy as untrue, you will release some of the “hold” that it has over you.

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2. The “Weighing of the Heart” Practice

Once a day, take a few minutes to reflect upon everything you want to own and the enormous amount of time and energy required to acquire it. The idea of “Weighing of the Heart” doesn’t only have to do with being judged in the afterlife for the things we accumulated here, but can also refer to all of the systems of oppression, societal expectations, and materialistic desires that demand your worship today.

As you navigate the external pressures placed upon you this week, consider asking yourself the following: “Am I giving my ultimate allegiance to a flawed, temporary system, or am I remembering my connection to something higher and more enduring, and aligning my heart with truth and justice?”

The above question is one of the fundamental lessons of the Mystery Schools: We are truly suffering when we fail to recognize that the material world is not the ultimate reality. If you spend time reflecting upon the fleeting nature of the demands of society upon you, you will begin to see through the illusion that the only way to be successful is to be materially successful, which will allow you to approach life with greater calmness, less reactivity, and greater spiritual freedom.

3. Seeking “As Above, So Below”

The Mystery Schools teach that the journey to enlightenment is not simply an intellectual understanding of how to relate to ourselves and others but also how we interact with the world around us. As you go through your daily routines this week, pay attention to one instance where you would typically have looked to an external authority (a book, a guru, or societal consensus) for an answer to a deep, personal question. Instead, stop and look inward to find the answer, trusting that you have access to the truth within you, and that the laws of the universe are reflected in your inner being. Cast away the need to seek validation only from outside sources.

The view of the Mystery Schools is that we are all manifestations of an infinite, living, spiritual reality, and this spiritual truth cannot be contained in rigid institutionalized form. The truth is alive and available to you in your immediate inner experience, your intuitive feelings, and your present-moment awareness of the truth. Thus, each time you break the cycle of reliance upon outside sources for your answers or truths and begin to trust your own inner light, you will come into connection with the power of the universe, which is the basis for awakening. Awakened consciousness is not simply a “feeling”; it is the result of a disciplined, conscious choice to seek the divine presence within yourself.

The Freedom the Mystery Schools Achieved

Although the Mystery Schools do offer great possibilities for awakening within, they do not guarantee that their promises will be easily accepted by mainstream society. They provide something much greater than the approval of orthodox beliefs; they provide a way for an individual to free their soul completely. As a result of this new perspective on life, however, you will face resistance from others. But through your new perspective, you will no longer experience fear due to external judgement.

You will continue to experience moments when you feel confined or trapped within the material world, but that does not mean you need to create an identity based upon this confinement. You will still live in a society where individuals must conform; therefore, you do not have to submit yourself to spiritual incarceration.

You will continue to live in a world that is in a constant state of change; therefore, you do not need to wait for an eventual saviour before you will be able to realise your direct connection with God.

It has been thousands of years since the Egyptian Mystery Schools were at their highest, but their teachings remain relevant in today’s world. People are still going through a process where they feel unworthy and depend upon others; however, the basic pattern of creation maintains a spark of light hidden within every person.

The reason why initiates of these schools knew the secret knowledge was not due to pride; the knowledge was available to those who were willing to risk their safety through orthodoxy in order to attain the highest levels of truth and understanding.

The true nature of the Mystery Schools’ philosophies reflects the same tension between opposing worlds and the promise that one can be free through a connection to these higher frequencies of God.

The first stage of the Mystery Schools’ teachings is the frightening realisation that the material world holds imperfections; however, the teaching concludes with the belief that there exists within the universe an experience of spiritual courage, boundless inner exploration, and a connection to the law of the Universe that is available for every person. In today’s world, where so many people are building walls of dogma, and submitting to outside authority, the Mystery School teaches something of great value that is not as common as dogma – that you do not require a saviour to identify your divinity.

If you have found a way to remove yourself from your need for a saviour, you have then connected yourself to your own eternal kingdom.

By Dr Ioannis Syrigos

Recommended Reading

The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy

The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead translated by Raymond O. Faulkner

There is a glaring omission in the modern Bible, a silence so profound that it echoes through centuries of theological history. In the Book of Genesis, we are introduced to a patriarch named Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. The text tells us something extraordinary about him:

Unlike every other figure in the early biblical genealogies, Enoch did not die. He was taken directly into the divine presence.

Yet, the canonical Bible tells us almost nothing else about him. It is a staggering brevity for a man who achieved what no other mortal had. But the truth is, the ancient world knew exactly who Enoch was, and they knew exactly what he saw when he was taken up. For centuries, a massive, detailed, and terrifying text circulated among the early Jewish and Christian communities: The Book of Enoch.

It was read by the apostles, it was quoted as scripture by the authors of the New Testament, it was revered by the early church fathers, and then, in the fourth century, it was systematically suppressed, banned, and ripped out of the biblical canon by institutional authorities.

Why? What did the Book of Enoch contain that was so dangerous it had to be erased from history? The answer lies in a forbidden narrative of cosmic rebellion, the true origin of evil, and a warning that the institutional Church found too terrifying to leave in the hands of the faithful.

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Have you ever wondered if the legendary lost city of Atlantis was more than just a myth? What if the key to unlocking this ancient mystery lies not beneath the ocean waves, but buried beneath the shifting sands of the Sahara Desert? Prepare to embark on a journey that challenges everything you thought you knew about human history, climate change, and the origins of one of the world’s most enduring legends.

Truth is stranger than fiction. In no place has that saying emerged more strongly for me than in the multi-year investigation of an ancient myth that led me to understand a dramatic real-life environmental transformation known as the Green Sahara. A desert the size of the United States that began to green circa 11,000 BCE, became lush and habitable over time, and then succumbed to gradual desertification once again. It allowed, then later forced mass migrations, brought about the collapse of some societies, and set the stage for the growth and transformation of new ones.

What does such a dramatic climate change across North Africa have to do with Plato’s Atlantis? As it turns out, a great deal.

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Hidden beneath the ancient stones of Jerusalem, a discovery is unfolding that threatens to rewrite history and trigger a prophetic sequence watched by billions. On May 5, 2026, archaeologist Dr. Chris McKinny publicly proposed a specific, pinpointed location for the Ark of the Covenant beneath the City of David. This is not a fringe theory; it is a serious archaeological hypothesis based on newly analysed topographical and textual evidence, and it has sent shockwaves through both the academic world and the global religious community.

But to understand why this discovery is so explosive, we must first strip away the sanitized, Sunday-school version of the Ark. The mainstream narrative treats the Ark of the Covenant as a sacred golden box, a beautiful reliquary for the Ten Commandments.

The ancient texts tell a completely different, far more terrifying story. The Ark was not just a container, it was a lethal, consuming divine weapon. And if it has truly been found, the implications stretch far beyond archaeology. It is the final, missing piece in a prophetic puzzle that is already rapidly assembling in the modern Middle East.

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There is a vast spiritual movement that arose during the earliest years of Christianity that was conducted in secret, which created impressive, yet illegal texts that produced a very different form of salvation than the Jewish, Roman, and all other orthodox teachings had ever produced. This movement is called Gnosticism and consisted of many different groups of early Christian mystics and philosophers who sought concealed or hidden knowledge from within themselves.

They were spiritual revolutionaries living during the most crucial period of the formation of the Christian Church. When the Gnostics lived, the orthodox authorities were developing strict dogmas and hierarchical structures with the intent of providing a literal interpretation of the Holy scriptures. The traditional responses to the problems of suffering in the world were no longer adequate for these seekers, so the Gnostics devised a radically different concept of God. The Gnostics not only strove to seek explanations for why we suffer in this material world but, moreover, sought to direct us toward an understanding of our own true, pristine origins as divine beings.

As a result of their journey, the Gnostics ultimately created one of history’s most intriguing lost chapters, which has provided a connection between the early Christian teachings and overwhelming mystical insight. This week, we will travel back to Egypt, where a discovery in 1945 revealed a vast library of underground writings that contain the answers to the essential questions regarding humanity’s divinity, the Gnostics derived this understanding through self-knowledge and spiritual contemplation of the soul, and through these explanations thereby created a path to attain tremendous spiritual awakening.

The Problem the Gnostics Did not Ignore

In their time, most traditional theologians were focused on obeying the Church’s dictates, having faith in a distant, judgmental Deity and on human beings as a whole being sinful. The Gnostics began with an expansive subject matter that many of their peers avoided throughout their lives due to its frightening yet majestic characteristics: the material realm was irrevocably flawed, but the human essence, or soul, is divine.

There is comfort in believing that the world was created perfectly by a benevolent God, that suffering is simply a test or punishment for sin, and that salvation comes from external authorities. There is a deep-seated need for closure, safety, and guarantee; we yearn for the convenience of a system of simple rules/routines by which to live a spiritual existence. Even the most learned individuals within the Early Christian Church believed that God remains wholly separate from humanity and exists solely above them with authority over their lives.

It is easy to see now why the first tenets stated within the Gnostic theology that this damaged material realm is not the work of the one true God who created everything, but rather a benign, uninformed being whom called forth this world.

While these Gnostic philosophies appear vague and confusing at times, they were not intended to foster feelings of despair, instead honestly depict the state of humanity’s plight.

While they argue that life has no meaning, they simply assert that individuals must not cloister their individual experiences of suffering or wickedness within the context of a cosmic divine template. Many of the interpretation lenses that we utilize today, whether found within the books of the Bible, read through religious orthodox authorities or in the self-blaming nature of ourselves, have been misinterpreted; thus we create chaos within ourselves when searching for a strict and closed definition of our Universe. The universe is vast beyond our comprehension and, therefore, is a deceptive manner in which we maintain separation between ourselves and the true God; likewise, the belief or hope of being saved or healed from being deceived cannot be exacted until we wake up to this reality as humans.

Life is subjective and we live in an ever-changing, boundless spiritual reality, yet our minds continue to demand permanence and external salvation from the environment. This demand causes suffering and ignorance.

The Gnostics did not invent the concept of inner divinity; they chose to acknowledge the fact that there is such a thing as a divine spark within us and therefore dealt with it.

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The Three Secrets of Gnosis: A Radical Diagnosis

The esoteric theology of the Gnostics is said to be their greatest achievement. By diagnosis, they described the human condition as ignorant, and they provided an escape route from the shackles of ignorance to attain the divine existence within themselves.

The first concept is The Divine Spark.

In the traditional Jewish/Christian view, humans were created out of sin and separated from God due to the Fall. The Gnostics believed that every person possesses within them a piece or fragment of the highest true God - that is to say, they believed that every person contains a divine spark, or a “pneuma.” Because the true God is pure light, and because the soul has been created from that pure light, every individual soul is, itself, also divine. There is thus no one person or thing that may not be reconciled to the divine. You are not separated from God, nor are you required to be saved by an external entity; instead, you are a piece of the divine light that has lost its way.

The second concept is The Demiurge.

The Gnostics, looking into the world surrounding them, saw the cruelty and imperfection of the world, and therefore determined that the world was not created by the supreme and loving God, but by a lesser being who they called the Demiurge - and their demiurge is not only ignorant, but is also sometimes malicious in his actions. The Demiurge believes himself to be the one and only God and demands absolute obedience; but in actuality, we owe our allegiance not to the demiurge, but to the transcendent God of light who resides beyond the world of matter.

The third concept is Gnosis - Direct Knowledge.

This is the primary focus of the Gnostic teachings. The Gnostic philosophy does not profess that salvation comes through institutionally enforced faith or ritual, rather, salvation comes through gnosis - a direct experiential knowledge of the divine. If, as the Gnostics state, the divine spark exists within you, then salvation cannot come from outside of you. “For he who finds the interpretation of these words will not taste death,” proclaims the beginning of the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas.

The ultimate master mystic has not a separate existence from God, but rather, the master mystic is interwoven into the fabric of the divine - and they achieve liberation by awakening to their true nature, which is, the divine.

Why Gnostic Teaching Still Feels So Modern

The evolution of civilization has influenced every facet of human experience, including how we now perceive the early history of Christianity.

With increasing institutional distrust, interconnectivity, and the rise of personal spirituality, there is a greater level of feelings of alienation, existential questioning, and a craving for authentic experiences than ever before in recorded history.

This has led to society’s continual reassurance that certainty will be achieved by adhering to rigid external authorities, tribal identities, or seeking material success.

Yet, it is evident that human minds desire to have something absolute to hold on to, and the human condition is always searching for that in a world where everything continues to demand attention.

This reasoning explains why individuals today are so strongly connected to the Gnostic teachings of their time. The Gnostics’ belief that suffering is largely due to our unwillingness to look within ourselves for the divine, as well as our reaction to the difficulties and struggles we encounter in life, provides a useful insight.

This is also demonstrated in our daily lives.

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In general, when a person experiences a spiritual crisis, they will often respond with defensiveness and attempt to validate their perspective by relying more heavily on external rules or abandoning the spiritual component altogether.

When faced with an overwhelming amount of institutional failures in today’s world, people will usually feel a sense of fear resulting from meaninglessness, and many choose to retreat into narrow-minded and dogmatic ideologies.

Along the way, they will build a rigid system of identity by claiming to be “saved” or “enlightened” through something external to them, only to have the obvious truth of the diversity and complexity of their own inner world continually question that belief.

The Gnostics addressed this issue. Humans were not only witnesses to the experience of life; they were active participants who created barriers, thoughts, and limitations based on their perception of the universe as being a reflection of their rigid, externally-focused beliefs regarding the nature of salvation.

As such, Gnostic Philosophy is more than simply an interesting artifact of historical significance; it continues to hold valuable psychological and practical implications and applications with great relevance to modern life.

Three Practices for a Gnostic Mind

The core essence of Gnostic philosophy is not what somebody believes with all their heart but how they apply it to their lives. If the Gnostics were alive today, they would tell you that it is not enough to just admire the secret writings; instead, they would want you to use these texts in practice, just as they did. Here are three ways to start applying your Gnostic knowledge and beliefs:

1. The “Divine Spark” Reflection

When you go through your daily routine, take notice whenever you have a moment of self-doubt, shame, or feel the need to assign blame or judgement to yourself. This could happen when you think of a mistake you made, think back on a personal failure, or feel as if you were going to be “punished” for something you did.

When you experience an urge to label yourself as broken, pause before taking action and ask yourself,

“How can I see that within me lies a pure unblemished Divine Spark?”

At this point, you have now started to develop the Gnostic shift in your consciousness. You have moved your ego’s self-condemnation to the side and substituted the space for compassion for self.

To clarify, this practice is not intended to discredit your need to grow; it is simply to help you see that the illusion of feeling fundamentally unworthy has less power over you than before.

2. The “Illusion of the Demiurge” Practice

At some point each day, think about what the material world requires of you and ask yourself this:

“Is my ultimate devotion to a flawed system or is my ultimate devotion to something greater and more eternal than myself?”

The Demiurge, as you may have heard it described, is not limited to being a false god; rather, it describes the influences in an individual’s life when he or she fails to acknowledge that the material world is not the primary reality. The more an individual takes time to think about how society places unrealistic demands on them, the more they can dissolve the illusion of society’s success. An individual who realizes this will be better equipped to deal with stress and anxiety in their lives.

3. Seeking Direct Knowing (Gnosis)

The Gnostic path is not only about intellectual insight but also about how you relate to your own inner experience.

When you are going about your daily tasks this week, choose one moment in which you would normally look to an external authority - like a book, a guru, or societal consensus - for an answer to a deep personal question. Instead, pause and look inward with the understanding that the truth is already accessible within you. Let go of the need to look for validation only from outside sources.

This response is a Gnostic view because we are all part of an infinite, living spiritual reality, and that truth does not stay contained in rigid institutions. It spills into our immediate inner experience, into intuition, and into the present moment’s quiet knowing. Thus, every time you break the chain of external dependency and begin to respond with trust in your own inner light, you connect with the power of gnosis, and that is how Gnostic awakening works.

The Freedom the Gnostics Achieved

Although the Gnostics offer many promises of an inner awakening, they do not present it as easy to attain or as accepted by the mainstream. They promise something greater than the acceptance of orthodoxy: the total liberation of your soul. You will encounter many obstacles along your journey; yet, your awareness will expand to a degree where external judgment will no longer hold you captive in fear. You will continue to experience times of constriction while still physically manifesting within a material reality. However, in those moments, you do not need to create an identity based upon your circumstances. You will exist within a culture of conformists, and therefore, do not be entrapped by your understanding of confinement.

Additionally, you will reside in a dynamic reality; thus, you will not have to wait until someone creates an external solution before you are able to access the freedom of divine connection directly.

It has been over 1,600 years since the Nag Hammadi library was placed in a lost state in the deserts of Egypt; the teachings contained within still reflect truth today. Human beings still wrestle with feelings of worthlessness and dependence upon external validation, but the fundamental law of the universe remains: within every human being exists a spark of the Divine.

The heretics who understood that this secret was obtained not out of arrogance but rather through their recognition that there was no possible way for an individual to be inspired through a dogmatic belief. The challenge and the promise of Gnostic philosophy resides in the recognition that the physical realm is flawed.

While the Gnostic philosophy begins with the frightening realization of a flawed material world, Gnostic philosophy does not conclude at that point. Rather, it concludes with the understanding of the potential of an individual to live a life filled with spiritual courage, unlimited spiritual growth, and the ability to create a profound relationship with the unseen God. The Gnostics provided a great deal more than just the opportunity for a person to find their external saviour to discover their own Divinity.

The freedom from the need for an external savior in order to find your own divinity.

Therefore, if you are able to find this freedom from the need for external salvation, then you have found an eternal kingdom of your own.

By Dr Ioannis Syrigos

Recommended Reading

The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels

The Nag Hammadi Library in English edited by James M. Robinson

In the dense, impenetrable jungles of West Java, modern soldiers of the Indonesian Army have reportedly emerged from impossible ambushes - surrounded, outgunned, and facing certain death - only to find their enemies slaughtered at dawn. The opposing forces lay scattered across the terrain, their bodies bearing the deep, brutal lacerations of giant feline claws. No human attacker was ever found, and no ordinary jungle predator could have orchestrated such a systematic annihilation. The surviving soldiers believe they know exactly who saved them: the astral tiger army of Pajajaran, a supernatural host bound to protect the descendants of an ancient Sundanese kingdom by a covenant forged in another dimension over five centuries ago. Long before the modern Republic of Indonesia, this kingdom thrived amidst the rugged mountains and tropical rainforests of western Java, governed by its most illustrious monarch, Prabu Siliwangi. According to the journals of Portuguese explorer Tomé Pires (1513) and envoy Henrique Leme (1522), Pajajaran was centered around Pakuan (modern-day Bogor), a magnificent civilization of literate citizens, clean ports, and a deeply revered sovereign whose historical echo resonates to this day.

Yet beneath the veneer of this prosperous, documented history lies a hidden narrative of mysticism and inter-dimensional warfare. In West Java today, the legacy of this ancient realm remains strikingly vibrant: major boulevards, prestigious universities, and even the elite regional military command are proudly named “Pajajaran” and “Siliwangi,” and the Indonesian Navy honoured this legacy by naming an advanced naval frigate after the great king himself. Intriguingly, almost all of these institutional names are systematically paired with the visual icon of a tiger, particularly the elusive White Tiger (Harimau Putih). It is the living symbol of an ancient, unseen border crisis that once forced a human king to cross into the astral plane, duel a supernatural sovereign in single combat, and forge a sacred covenant that, according to oral tradition, field investigators, and the testimony of soldiers, remains unbroken to this very day.

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When archaeologists unearthed the remains of a woman with a dramatically elongated skull in southern Russia, the discovery made global headlines, reigniting whispers of "alien" visitors. But the truth, hidden deep within the fossil record of southern Africa, is far more astonishing and controversial than any science fiction tale. Long before the dawn of recorded history, a mysterious hominid strain with brain capacities dwarfing our own walked the Earth. Known as the Boskops, these slender, large-brained beings possessed an estimated IQ that shatters modern records, leading some scientists to propose a radical theory: were these highly advanced African "coneheads" the true architects of ancient civilizations, revered by early hunter-gatherers as divine gods and angels?

Intelligent Archaic Strain

Author Dr Pieter Wagener proposes that a mutation in the hominid line occurred about 1.4 million years ago, which endowed an alternate developing human species with a larger brain. This species, called an archaic strain, developed in tandem with ordinary Homo sapiens, but dominated them because of superior intelligence. The author proposes that this species migrated northwards about 50,000 years ago and established, from seemingly nowhere, the great civilizations of the northern hemisphere. They appeared among hunter-gatherers, whom they trained in technology and agriculture. The hunter-gatherers’ subsequent memories and legends endowed their mentors with super-human abilities, elevating them to the status of divine gods and angels of scripture.

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Every country has its legendary mountains steeped in tales of lost treasures and supernatural mysteries. But only Scotland can claim a mountain so magical that it was mentioned in the Bible, guarded by the Knights Templar, and yet might not even exist. According to early Masonic mythologies, "Mount Heredom" is the sacred birthplace of pure Freemasonry, the secret sanctuary where the first Grand Master held council. But for centuries, historians and treasure hunters have been haunted by the same impossible question: where exactly is Mount Heredom, and what ancient secrets are buried there?

Flight of the Knights’ Templar

This quest to find ‘Mount Heredom’ begins in Kilwinning, a sleepy town on Scotland’s west coast that is quite literally ‘steeped’ in legends telling of secret orders of knights guarding valuable sacred relics in the 12th century abbey, the tower of which still stands today in the center of the town. Even the old Mercat Cross in the Main Street of Kilwinning is said to contain part of the cross on which Jesus was crucified and historian Jamie Morton from Ayrshire recently presented evidence that the legendary Holy Grail was hidden in a chamber beneath Kilwinning Abbey.

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