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Gnosticism was based on earlier beliefs (origin unknown) and taken up and transformed by early Christianity. One of the fundamental underlying beliefs is that the Crater of the world is actually an evil god pretending to be the real god and is trying to tie our souls to this world. This world is seen as evil and tainted and we should distance ourselves from it as much as possible.
That is the common underlying denominator but there was no single doctrine and different, varying forms of Gnosticism was taught by individuals who directly took on students. Very little is actually known about their exact beliefs and practices, most of it lost.
Gnosticism was later suppressed by the early church (and branded a heresy) for quite a few of its doctrines as well as their opposition to any formal church structure as that would be the work of the diam urge (evil god).
Although many parallels can be drawn between Gnosticism and later spiritual and philosophical traditions (notably Manachaism, Catharism, Rosicrucianism, paintings of Hieronomous Bosch) which was influential at the time, any such speculation is based on very little evidence.
More recent spiritual groups claim to continue Gnostic beliefs but as there is very little evidence of what Gnostics actually practiced it is mostly wish full thinking.
The continual reoccurence of the themes of Gnosticism, often with very little proof of cross-fertilisation may point to it being a basic message in the human psyche or a need to be freed from church influence
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what is gnosticism... its origin...its influence to the world today?
