Condemned to Gnosis: On the Road to Reality – Part Two (by Zoltán Varjú)

Condemned to Gnosis: On the Road to Reality – Part Two (by Zoltán Varjú)

Gnostic Redemption and the Completion of the Universe: The World as a Cyclical Process

“All living things are born from death, and all that dies returns to life. Thus everything that exists is in constant circulation, and the balance between living and dead things is always preserved.” – (Plato, Phaedo)

According to the Gnostics, the universe is not the result of a linear, one-time act of creation, but rather has a cyclical nature. This cyclicality manifests itself in the universe’s origin, persistence, and destruction. Gnostic philosophy views the cosmos as a kind of flawed cycle, in which the demiurge created an imperfect material world that constantly drifts away from the divine source.

The cyclicality of the world is closely related to the concept of Gnostic redemption. Here, redemption is not an external divine intervention, but an inner process through which the soul liberates itself from the prison of the material world. One of the key elements of this cycle is reincarnation, whereby the soul descends multiple times into the material world in order to learn, to experience, and ultimately to acquire gnosis. When the soul finally recognizes its true nature, it breaks this cycle and returns to the divine fullness.

Thus, Gnostic redemption is not a universal event accessible to all, but a personal spiritual journey that every soul must traverse individually. To achieve redemption, the soul must see through the illusions of the material world and recognize that its true essence derives from the divine spirit. This process is often described as an inner journey, during which the human being frees themselves from the chains of the physical world and returns to the source. The endpoint of the world’s cyclical process, according to the Gnostics, is when every soul recognizes its divine nature and returns to the pleroma. At that point, the material world disappears, as it is no longer needed, since all souls have regained their original place in divine fullness. However, this process may require vast amounts of time, since souls exist on different levels along the path of awareness and understanding.

The cyclical worldview is also present in other ancient cultures, such as in Indian philosophies, where saṃsāra – the cycle of birth and death – is a central concept. These teachings likewise emphasize the liberation of the soul from the cycle of the material world. Modern science does not engage with such cyclical models of the world, but quantum physics and multiverse theories reopen the possibility of imagining the universe as multilayered and potentially cyclical.

“When souls reach the afterlife, they choose a new life for themselves, and based on their choice, they are reborn into a new body. The wise choose a life directed toward knowledge and goodness, while the less wise are drawn toward earthly pleasures.” – (Plato, Republic:Myth of Er)

The Nature of Time: Cyclical and Linear Conceptions in the Light of Gnosticism and Science

TOMORROW, SOMEWHERE ELSE
▼

Tomorrow, somewhere else, life copies me again,
pouring me into new form, around the nucleus bound,
a prison of protons, yet seed of awakening –
countless vanished aeons are born anew within me,
as a spark flares and light ignites the flame.
I am carried along, woven into stardust,
kneaded into existence, though arrival still delays,
abandoned in the night-dark, frozen in deep sleep.
The soul slumbers on, until the moment of awakening
becomes rebirth:

Tomorrow, somewhere else, life copies me again,
pouring me into new form, around the nucleus bound…

The nature of time is a question explored both by science and by spiritual philosophy.
Modern physics treats time as a dimension, an inseparable aspect of the space-time fabric. According to general relativity, time is not absolute; it bends under gravity and velocity, meaning that its flow is not uniform but experienced differently in different circumstances.

In Gnostic worldview, however, time is cyclical. The cycles of creation and dissolution mirror the soul’s spiritual journey, as it descends again and again into the material world, learning, experiencing, and ultimately breaking free from the cycle through gnosis. For the Gnostics, time is not linear, nor infinite- it is a closed circle that repeats until the soul attains redemption.

This cyclical view of time resonates with other ancient traditions, particularly Indian philosophy, where samsara– the cycle of birth and death- is central. Modern physics, by contrast, interprets cosmic processes in linear terms, yet theories of the multiverse and parallel realities open new possibilities for reimagining time’s essence.

The contrast between linear scientific and cyclical Gnostic time highlights how the nature of time may far exceed our current comprehension. Quantum physics and relativity may lead toward a new understanding of time, one that echoes the ancient spiritual intuition of cycles

The Role of Consciousness in the Creation of Reality: Quantum Physics and Gnostic Philosophy

One of the most intriguing intersections between science and spirituality is the role of consciousness in shaping reality. Quantum physics, through the observer effect, suggests that consciousness influences the very structure of reality. Certain particles behave differently depending on whether they are observed or not. This raises profound questions: Does reality exist independently of observation, or does consciousness play a creative role?

„”The soul can never find rest until it recognizes the highest truth, the foundation of all existence.” — (Plato, Symposium)

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The Gnostic vision is strikingly similar. According to Gnosticism, the material world is not an autonomous reality but an illusion, crafted by the demiurge to disguise imperfection as perfection. The human mind’s task is to pierce this illusion and recognize reality’s true, spiritual essence. Gnosis – inner knowledge – is what allows the soul to transcend the prison of matter and awaken to its divine origin.

Both quantum discoveries and Gnostic teachings thus suggest that consciousness is not a passive observer but an active co-creator of reality. This parallel illuminates not only the dialogue between science and ancient wisdom but also the profound complexity of existence itself.

Matter and Energy: Scientific Laws and Spiritual Meaning

At the foundation of physics lies the equivalence of matter and energy, expressed in Albert Einstein’s famous equation E = mc². Matter and energy are interchangeable forms of the same reality. All that exists—particles, waves, fields—is fundamentally energy.

In Gnostic thought, matter is regarded as a flawed creation, a lower-order veil that hides the higher spiritual truth. Yet, through the lens of modern physics, matter may be understood not merely as illusion but as a form of condensed energy, pointing back toward a deeper, perhaps divine source. Matter is not independent of spirit but one of its manifestations.

Thus, science explores matter through natural laws, while Gnosticism seeks to transcend matter toward spirit. Their perspectives converge in recognizing matter-energy as a bridge: physics sees it as universal essence, while Gnosticism interprets it as a mask concealing divine light.

Multiverse and Parallel Realities: Scientific Hypotheses and Gnostic Cosmologies

„Only the life directed toward the Supreme Good, the Beautiful and the True is of value, for these cannot be grasped by the senses but only by the intellect.” — (Plato, Symposium)

Modern cosmology increasingly entertains the possibility of the multiverse: countless universes existing side by side, perhaps with differing physical laws. While no direct evidence yet confirms their existence, these hypotheses expand the scope of reality beyond a single cosmos.

For Gnostics, parallel realities are already integral. The material world is but one layer, beneath higher spiritual realms. The pleroma, divine fullness, stands apart, awaiting the soul’s return. The multiverse resonates with this layered cosmology: multiple realities exist, but only the soul’s ascent through gnosis reveals their true significance.

Science examines parallel universes through models and equations; Gnosticism journeys through them as a spiritual path. Both suggest that our cosmos is not alone, nor absolute, but part of a greater, multidimensional whole.

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and Inner Vision

The greatest mysteries of modern cosmology – dark matter and dark energy – remain unseen yet shape the universe’s structure and fate. They represent the unknown, hidden powers holding the cosmos together.

For the Gnostic, this resonates deeply: reality’s surface conceals a deeper order, accessible only through gnosis. The invisible forces of physics parallel the hidden truths of spirit. Just as science seeks to unveil the unseen with instruments, the soul seeks to unveil divine light through inner vision

„The soul nourished by contact with pure truth always aspires to the realm of ideas, turning its gaze toward them. Thus, knowledge is remembrance.” — (Plato, Phaedo)

Dark matter and energy may therefore symbolize, in a Gnostic reading, the unseen foundation of reality – a bridge between science’s mystery and spirit’s revelation.

The End of the Universe – Scientific and Gnostic Horizons

„When the soul, in its purity, untroubled and clear, turns toward truth and the divine, it attains the highest knowledge and perceives what is eternal and unchanging.” — (Plato, Phaedrus)

Scientific models envision the cosmos ending in heat death, collapse, or transformation. Gnosticism, however, reads the end differently: as the dissolution of illusion, the fading of matter, the return of all souls to pleroma. The universe ends not in silence but in fulfillment, as divine light remains.

The End of the Universe: Scientific and Gnostic Perspectives

The question of how the universe will ultimately end has inspired both scientific theories and spiritual interpretations. Modern cosmology has proposed several scenarios for the universe’s fate, among which the following are the most significant:

The Big Crunch

This theory suggests that the current expansion of the universe might one day halt, reverse, and collapse into a final singularity. The stages would unfold as follows:

• Expansion slows down as gravitational forces overcome the outward thrust of expansion. This could occur if the universe’s density—of matter and energy combined—were great enough for gravity to dominate.

• The universe contracts, growing hotter and denser. Galaxies, stars, and planets move closer, eventually collapsing into a single point.

• The final state would be a cosmic singularity, similar to the initial state of the Big Bang: infinitely small, infinitely hot.

Today, however, the Big Crunch is considered less likely, as observations show that the universe’s expansion is not slowing but accelerating.

The Big Freeze

Also called “heat death,” this is perhaps the most probable scenario based on current data. Driven by dark energy, the universe’s expansion accelerates indefinitely:

• As the cosmos expands, energy becomes increasingly diluted. Galaxies drift apart, and interstellar space grows colder as radiation and matter thin out.

• Stars exhaust their nuclear fuel and die. No new stars are born, leaving the cosmos ever darker and emptier.

• Eventually, the universe approaches absolute zero, where no physical processes can continue.

• The final stage is a silent cosmos of dead stars, black holes, and scattered debris—an endless frozen void.

The Big Freeze thus represents not a sudden collapse but a gradual extinguishing of cosmic fire.

The Big Rip

A more dramatic scenario envisions the universe’s expansion accelerating without bound, driven by a form of dark energy known as phantom energy:

• Expansion grows ever faster, not only pulling galaxies apart but tearing atoms themselves from one another.

• Gravity can no longer bind galaxies or stars; structures unravel.

• Eventually, even molecules and atoms are ripped apart, as space-time itself disintegrates.

• The universe ends in a final, absolute rupture, where the very fabric of reality is torn asunder.

The Big Rip describes an apocalyptic ending, where acceleration becomes destruction, annihilating all matter.

Comparing the Perspectives

These scientific scenarios envision the cosmos ending in collapse, freezing silence, or cosmic rupture—depending on the balance between gravity, matter, and dark energy. Current evidence favors the Big Freeze, as expansion appears to be accelerating. Yet a change in the nature of dark energy, or a new discovery about gravity, could revive the prospects of the Big Crunch or Big Rip.

In contrast, the Gnostic vision interprets the end of the universe not as tragedy but as liberation. The material cosmos is seen as a flawed creation, bound in cycles of birth and decay. Its end marks the triumph of spirit, when all souls break free from material chains and return to the pleroma—the divine fullness. For Gnostics, the world does not simply cease; it is transfigured, rising to a higher state beyond material limits.

Thus, science and Gnosticism approach the same horizon differently: science frames it in terms of physical processes, while Gnosticism sees it as spiritual redemption. Yet both perspectives converge in one sense: the universe’s fate is linked to the mystery of consciousness and reality itself. Each seeks answers pointing toward ultimate understanding.

Liberation – Condemned to Gnosis.

References

• Karen King – What is Gnosticism?

• Karen King – The Secret Revelation of John

• Hans Jonas – The Gnostic Religion

• Wolfgang Smith – The Quantum Enigma: Finding the Hidden Key

• Ken Wilber – A Brief History of Everything

• Fritjof Capra – The Tao of Physics

• Rupert Sheldrake – Science and Spiritual Practices

• Gregory Bateson – Mind and Nature: A Necessary Unity

• John D. Barrow – The Origin of the Universe

• Lawrence Krauss – A Universe from Nothing

• Brian Greene – The Elegant Universe

• Brian Greene – The Fabric of the Cosmos

• Stephen Hawking – The Grand Design

• Stephen Hawking – A Brief History of Time

• Lee Smolin – The Trouble with Physics

• James S. Cutsinger – Paths to the Heart: Sufism and the Christian East

• Henry Corbin – Alone with the Alone: Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn ‘Arabi

• John Hick – The Fifth Dimension: An Exploration of the Spiritual Realm

• Roger Penrose – The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe

• David Bohm – Wholeness and the Implicate Order

• Elaine Pagels – The Gnostic Gospels

• Carl Jung – The Seven Sermons to the Dead

• Giordano Bruno – On the Infinite Universe and Worlds

• Michio Kaku – Parallel Worlds

• Lawrence M. Krauss – A Universe from Nothing

• Stanislav Grof – The Cosmic Game: Explorations of the Frontiers of Human Consciousness

• Aldous Huxley – The Perennial Philosophy

• Pierre Teilhard de Chardin – The Phenomenon of Man

• Rudolf Steiner – Cosmic Memory: Prehistory of Earth and Man

• Max Tegmark – Our Mathematical Universe

• P. D. Ouspensky – Tertium Organum: A Key to the Enigmas of the World

• John C. Lilly – The Center of the Cyclone: An Autobiography of Inner Space

• Zoltan Varju – CSISZOLATLAN – DunapArt Kortársak sorozat – Hungary – Paks, 2023. – ISBN: 978-615-01-8834-8 (Tomorrow, Somewhere Else – poem)

Plato’s Works – with Explanations

• The Republic (Politeia) – Plato’s most famous work, which discusses justice, the structure of society, and the ideal state. It contains the famous “Allegory of the Cave,” which reflects on the nature of reality and human understanding.

• Phaedo – This dialogue recounts the last days of Socrates and explores the immortality of the soul, the afterlife, and the concept of reincarnation.

• Laws (Nomoi) – Plato’s final work, dealing with the nature of ideal laws and their role in the organization of society and political philosophy.

• Timaeus – A cosmological dialogue that describes the creation of the universe. Plato presents the figure of the “divine craftsman” (Demiurge), who shapes the cosmos. The dialogue also touches on natural philosophy and the structure of the material world.

• Phaedrus – A dialogue about the nature of the soul, love, and the world of ideas. Plato here emphasizes the importance of transcendent reality beyond the senses and the realm of forms.

• Apology – Plato’s account of Socrates’ defense speech against the charges brought against him. It deals with one of the central questions of moral philosophy: how to live justly in an unjust society.

• Gorgias – A dialogue that examines the relationship between rhetoric and ethics. In it, Socrates debates questions of power and truth.

• Symposium (The Banquet) – A collection of speeches and dialogues about divine love (eros). Plato presents the concept of ideal, spiritual love, which serves as a path to the growth and perfection of the human soul.

• Parmenides – A dialogue that examines the problems of being and unity, offering criticism and further development of the theory of forms.

• Crito – A dialogue between Socrates and Crito on the respect for laws and justice, set in the prison where Socrates awaits his execution. It reflects on duty and obedience to justice.

• Philebus – A dialogue that investigates the nature of pleasure and knowledge, and how these contribute to true human happiness.

• 06.09.2025. © Translated by Igor Bruckenheimer