Gnosticism

Gnosis is a Greek word meaning “knowledge.“ It refers to a profound and personal, experiential understanding of spiritual truths. Gnosis signifies not just intellectual knowledge but deeper, transformative insight into the divine or ultimate reality.

Gnosis meant salvation through mystical union with the divine and is something that each individual has to experience internally for himself or herself. It can’t be obtained through any outward social/institutional means alone: believing in creeds, observing the sacraments, obeying the clergy, behaving morally, etc.

Gnostics believes that within each individual resides a divine spark or element of the true God. The goal of life is to awaken this spark through spiritual enlightenment and return to the divine source.

(Text derived from gnosticismexplained.org)