the following I previously posted at palmtreegarden forum, thought it was worth putting here even though it may cover some ground I've already discussed
In Michael Baigent's recent book "The Jesus Papers" he makes the startling argument that Jesus was intiated into the secrets of visiting the 'Far World', secrets that many other traditions throughout the mediterranean world had been privy to over the millenia including the Egyptians, the Orphics, other Mystery cults etc
He draws particular attention to the similarities between Secret Gospel of Mark and accounts of practices of Mystery cult traditions in which the initiate is put into a state of 'incubation' in a dark and quiet place, usually under the ground or in a cave. Baigent's argument is that Jesus didn't raise the young man in white clothing from the dead literally, (traditionally an initiate would wear clothes than usual- that he is mentioned as having certain clothes is significant) but rather rose his spirit by giving him Gnosis of the Heavens
Anyone who has read Baigent's book would realise that even though he doesn't use the word "astral" anywhere in it (perhaps he carefully bit his tongue!) that he is most certainly talking about Out-of-Body experience (astral projection), seperation of the consciousness from the body-in short, the exploration of another Realm. One is left with the distinct impression that Baigent believes in this realm, not merely researching and discussing those who did believe in it.
It cannot be denied that if a person acheived such a state, exploring (real!) realms beyond our normal perception, that this is a form of Gnosis, even if it is somewhat less than 100% undiluted by our own psychological projections/expectations/delusions/fears/desires (as the Tibetan Book of the Dead clearly states it is)-ANY exploration of such a spiritual realms that goes beyond mere 'lucid dreaming' is a form of Gnosis, though certainly not the only one.
The controversy I wish to discuss (but by no means the only one in regard to this topic, please do suggest others) is about when personal first-hand experience, Gnosis of the Other Realms then leads us to have the Ancient Gnostic texts defer to our own experiences, to indeed be superceded by them. Growth!
I may sound insulting, but I do feel there are many Neo-Gnostics who have a strong subconscious reluctance to explore the possibilities of Astral Projection/Out-of-Body experience or any other sustained personal explorations into paranormal phenomena- a subconscious reluctance borne of the tyrannical, blind and crippling rule of the Ego, (which we can never really smite definitively while we're still alive, at the very least, I do believe)
Also, there is the fear of the downgraded sense of importance, of revelation from our blessed Gnostic texts. But this needn't be the vase. I Feel the Truth immanent in what they say, You Feel it too. We know they aren't true all the time but when they speak Truth they Speak Truth.So I think we as Gnostics need to not fear the Paranormal, or our exploration of it, but rather embrace it.
This is a website on Gnosticism set up by New Dawn Magazine, and the article I have linked concerns the correlations between Gnosticism, Out-Of-Body Experience, Tibetan Book of the Dead, Emmanuel Swedenborg, etchttp://www.gnostic.info/outofbody.html"The Out of Body Experience as Gnostic Revelation" by Jim Dekorne
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