I really miss The Gnostic Movement. It’s not an understatement to say that the years I spent in it as a student and later as a teacher were some of the most fulfilling and uplifting of my entire life! Throughout my adult years I have spent time around people of many different spiritual and religious backgrounds. It was the teachings of Gnosis however that clicked with me the most, they made sense and could be taken up in life, something which I felt was really needed if I was going to fully learn about whatever possibilities spirituality held.
If you’ve ever tried any type of meditation or awareness practice at home by yourself, you’d probably know it can be quite difficult to stay focused and to get results. So even though I’d tried lots of different types of practices from many different traditions that I’d found in books or on the internet, I hadn’t had much success. I found that by going to my local Gnostic center and practicing with like-minded people I had a lot more success staying focused, and had some pretty amazing results almost straight away. As a result I went to as many practices I was able to and the Gnostic center became like a home away from home! It was a really magical time of my life as I knew that if I went to a practice, particularly ones in the evening when I was a little sleepy and could relax more easily, I was likely to have some sort of spiritual experience! Going to so many practices also meant I got to spend time socially with senior students and teachers, and I spent many hours in the center cafe, lapping up stories about how people found Gnosis, their experience of how to best use the practices in their lives, and the spiritual experiences they had gained. The friendships I made at the center, and also at the various retreats I attended were some of the most genuine and authentic I have ever had. Interestingly because of our shared interest in spirituality, even when meeting others interested in Gnosis for the first time, I often felt like I had known them for years.
Before I found out about Gnosis I had struggled with depression and sadness. I had been interested in out-of-body experiences for years but had never been able to achieve one and I thought that they potentially weren’t possible (but that wasn’t going to stop me trying). About 3-4 months into doing the courses I learned about ways to overcome depression, and when I tried them out, I saw that they worked! When I had my first out-of-body experience, along with all the other experiences I had previously that showed me there was truth in what I was learning, this was the icing on the cake – I was hooked! 🙂 I credit the success I had with the practices to the clarity of Belzebuub’s work. I have learned much from the books of Samael Aun Weor, but the way Belzebuub writes is very clear and approachable, down-to-earth spirituality for the current age that helped to explain Samael’s teachings and to put them into a modern context.
Because I had been getting so much out of the courses and practices I wanted to give something back. I admired how the teachers gave of themselves so freely, even when I kept them back for ages after class asking questions. As I began helping out in small ways where I could I began to develop a love of helping others – I now find it to be one of my most fulfilling activities. When I had the opportunity it seemed a natural progression then to learn to teach Gnosis. When I became a trainee teacher life became even more exciting. Because I had more opportunities for practicing and the knowledge that if I wanted to help others I needed first to have a thorough understanding of what I was helping them with, the extra momentum helped me to gain even more experience. Teaching also meant I got to see it wasn’t just myself benefiting from what I had learned. It was great to see the magic I had experienced also being felt by new attendees to the courses, to see the joyful excitement in people’s faces and to hear about the remarkable and life-changing experiences they were having.
Thanks to Belzebuub’s explanations of the teachings of modern Gnosis I have been able to experience states of peace I could not have believed possible, a massive reduction in troublesome emotions such as anxiety and depression, and incredible experiences of astral projection and lucid dreaming, some which are hard to even put into words. I have also been able to manage chronic illness and deal with difficult situations in my life which before Gnosis I wouldn’t have been able to withstand. Belzebuub has played an integral part in my spiritual interest and – despite having a long way to go – my spiritual development.
I can honestly say I don’t know where I would be now if I had never come across the work of modern Gnosis, Belzebuub and The Gnostic Movement. My teenage years were pretty turbulent and unfortunately it looked likely I was not going to end up anywhere good. Finding and being able to be part of The Gnostic Movement really helped me turn my life around however, and I will be eternally grateful for the years I was able to spend in The Gnostic Movement. For the years of amazing friendship and support from like-minded people – many I consider lucky to still call friends today – and for the many exciting and uplifting, experiences, challenges and adventures I gained through learning about and practicing Gnosis.
David