@@keithsarty3039 If you're talking about the star cluster, he's referred to them in some of his videos that touch on Hermetic and Hellenic belief. As the cluster has significance to a lot of cultures there are lots of perspectives on them, Great Plains and Eastern Woodlands indigenous groups like the Cherokee and Sioux in particular have very interesting oral traditions centered on Pleiades. If you're talking about the alien race, they're an invention of the New Age and do not have any historical basis besides what's retroactively ascribed by believers, so I doubt Dr. Sledge would touch on them
@@flexplodin PKD really had an amazing mind, in light of recent events I read his article “Naziism and the High Castle” and it brought immeasurable peace and insight
Watching this, I couldn't help but remember "George Costanza Theology". George: God would never let me be successful. He'd kill me first. He'd never let me be happy. Therapist: I thought you didn't believe in God. George: I do for the bad things.
"Hope is killing me. My dream is to become hopeless. When you're hopeless, you don't care, and when you don't care, that indifference makes you attractive."
Where is the music for the opening? I had to mute it because "DANCE ALL DAY Musicvertriebs GmbH" - www.dance-all-day.com/#contact - is fraudulently claiming that my use of 18 seconds of a public domain version of Chopin's Nocturne is under their copyright and UA-cam is doing nothing about it. So, I had to remove the music opening sequence and have to have the music re-recorded at my own expense. It isn't fair that a large corporation can falsely claim music as their property in an attempt to hijack the funds I use to support this educational channel. Please consider supporting Esoterica at Patreon so I can have some financial independence from UA-cam given that they so easily betray creators to corporate greed and fraud. Many thanks for your support!
So sorry YT is giving you crap. Ppl can spew all the misinformation they like with no consequences, but then they come after somebody actually doing their due diligence because of a few seconds of piano music. Smh. Pull yourself together, YT 👏👏👏
Exactly why I checked the comments lol. Something about that intro tune is booth soothing and intriguing. Hope YT won’t trouble you about it much longer
Only if paired with an inability to stop ruminating on the nostalgia of the past! Nostalgia is an incredibly important part of life for elderly people as they age.
Right? I never heard anyone articulate this in such a casual way. I've never heard anyone articulate this AT ALL. It's so obvious! I had always known this because I notice people in my family that always rhapsodize about the past when their present lives were so miserable. Also, notice how popular culture sows nostalgia as a sentimental summoning of the past? Fetishizing the past, really.
@Sab_MJsMama Wait until you find out what the 80s did for capitalizing on nostalgia! One contender would be George Lucas if capitalism went to film school 👀
"I'm not a romantic and I think nostalgia is basically a form of depression" Never heard of this guy before and no idea what he's about but with this first line I am so in
@@Di_yay Very shallow, and it's his meaning alone. There are many facets to a diamond. And some are blinded by the light reflected off of the many facets around the diamond he can only see one side of lol.
Ignorance is bliss but that doesn't make it right for God says per his word that his people parish for lack of knowledge!! I am not saying your necessarily wrong or that nostalgia has to be bad but to be honest I have never put together that idea that nostalgia could be bad because as he said, it's a form of depression which I want to nod my head and agree but I have to look further into that claim as it could be off and wrong but I dunno... I'm just telling you that Bliss is used in conjunction with ignorance in a phrase we all know to well so I put one and one together
@Judystroyer98768 I keep asking for proof and people just get abusive and try to gas light. Still a major lack of proof. All they got is propaganda and photos taken well after alleged events.
😆😆 He is very dry and holds his attempt to convey unbiased mythological scholiast works that when he drops sarcasm in without any nod or wink, it cracks me up.
Justin is one of the few speakers I have listened to that always notifies the audience precisely when the conversation goes from fact to speculation. And he also provides reasonable reasons for why the speculation is necessary within the context. And then he takes it a step further and gives the audience an idea of to what degree that speculation can be relied upon. Huge thanks for that. Educators of all types should be taking notes.
Its simply not objectively nor universally true. Aspects of nostalgia are legitimate because some things, many things, were much better back then, and other times it can be an escape because of depression
It's simply not. Maybe go look up the definition 🤣🙄 I mean seriously do people REALLY put such weight on literal strangers stuff the blurt out? If it's somehow depression then I guess 95% of humans are depressed? Yea not true.
@@chrxmefaceexactly thank you!!! Got so annoying seeing so many people acting like this is some huge revelation without even looking up a definition or critically thinking about it. Scary how quickly some give another power to define a very common widespread emotion
I absolutely appreciate your channel so much. I am a homesteader in Japan...live in deep forest country. As I am getting older, my thirst for knowledge is growing... knowledge of the mysteries. I don't get to go to gigs that much anymore, so studying from your channel and listening to metal are my delights. Iron Maiden was here in September, but I couldn't check them out... super busy with the farm and tea cultivation. Thank you for your videos.
As soon as you mentioned Donkeys I immediately thought "oh my god this is how we get Alexamenos" and I am flabbergasted. Never would I have expected this video to cover a synchretization of Yahweh with Set, but to then lead from there to that being the origins of the Alexamenos graffiti is such a wild ride.
I guess it was not on purpose, but your way of writing "synchretization" is very meaningful example of two different words synchronized into one syncretic word.
@@arturhashmi6281 Huh. I've been spelling that word wrong for like, 4 years now and literally never noticed. My brain has always inserted the h, and I didn't even notice difference in this very comment until I googled.
I can’t find this thing you call: antacotatia greca? Where the “gods of various national pantheons were set in a system of grand correspondences”. CC is no help 😩 must find this book
Thank you for all your meticulously researched and highly produced video essays. It is the cherry on top of my workweeks each Friday. You are truly a godsend ❤
I absolutely love the early years of the Yahwish/Christian divide in the Early Classical period. The wrestling match between traditional polytheistic beliefs, proto-monotheism, and the earliest notes of modern monotheism produced some truly wild dogmas
Agree! My favorite painter of all time. If you havent already, you might be interested in finding his later computer art. Seeing what he as a painter made using the tools available is fascinating.
The Bible shows us signs of the false God, but it’s hidden. This world was created in 6 days, “God” rested on the 7th. 6 is a number of imperfection, unfinished.
seeing "pt 1" has made me very happy. My professor of history in community college told me that he was fascinated by the gnostic view and I've only touched on it a bit, thank you for making the content that you do.
The Gnostic belief of “Lucifer” being imprisoned and set free every Aeon to gather followers for its army has always been a very interesting concept to me as far as the duality of the universe
@@gaetzwarren8146 yeah so just as “the angel of the lord” is the character who speaks to people in the Bible (no one has ever heard God’s voice) there is a counterpart often called Beelzebub…the story goes that “The Devil” or “Lucifer” or “Satan” is imprisoned by metaphorical chains in the center of the earth and what people encounter as the devil throughout the world is actually its right hand man, Beelzebub..the story goes that every Aeon (which could be a thousand years, 10k years or a million) The devil is set free by God to wreak havoc and garnish its followers before being put back for another Aeon…see one must remember that the soul is the currency of the universe and no human being can be forced into worshiping God or The Adversary…this concept is that, without light there can be no dark and without the dark there can be no light…remember, angels and demons are the exact same being
@@gaetzwarren8146 think about the stories in the Bible where God and Lucifer and talking to each other and almost making wagers on the purity of human beings
An incredible history lesson. I've read about 'gnostic' beliefs before, but never even thought about how they might arise naturally from the religious and cultural climate of its time and place
ב''ה, Euro-Slavic and probably Greek/Levantine gnosticism is what thinkers got to once realizing e.g. the essence of C_____ianity is just anti-Semitic genocide, and that religion's prophets promised plague and war for it.
I'm only just 5:46 into the video and I absolutely love it, it's rare to come across one who is an serious academic, yet takes it all with a sense of exalted calm and a good deal of humor. I have subscribed
“Like Elmo on MDMA” I just stumbled upon this video while looking for a way to pass time and I’m now hooked. I dont really know much about esoteric history, but this is looking like a great maze to get lost into. Thank you for your work!
Thank you for another fascinating dive into the depths of early Christian and Gnostic theology, Dr. Sledge. Your exploration of the origins of the malevolent Demiurge and its connection to the demonization of Yahweh in Egyptian and Roman contexts was both enlightening and thought-provoking. It's incredible how religious and cultural factors intertwined to shape these theological concepts. I'm eagerly looking forward to your future episodes, which promise to shed even more light on this complex and intriguing topic. Keep up the excellent work!
My limited personal time due to work/life balance doesn’t allow me to deep dive into the subject matter you cover in your videos as much as I used to enjoy doing. I appreciate this channel allowing me to absorb information while roped in the mundane such as driving or currently, folding laundry, it’s through you that I’m able to continue pursuit of my interests
Some of the things you say are hilariously brilliant. Thank you for your educational entertainment. "...nostalgia is basically a form of depression." "When God gives you lemons, God must be evil." "Like Elmo on MDMA." "I'm going to get donkey-cancelled." And that's just this video alone. Definitely joining your Patreon to help fund the new intro music. 👍
I think this has been one of the most direct and juicy lectures that you’ve delivered in terms of the modern landscape of religious social consciousness❤ Thank you for everything that you do.
First time I comment because i want to say what an fantastic video. It was an entire paradigm shift for me. I have meditated on the topic since it came out and I cant wait for p2.
The inversion of the beneficent God almost sounds like Zoroastrian leftovers lol very interesting video, top quality as always. The name Samael is giving me Silent Hill flashbacks 😂
Just yesterday I decided I needed to dive into the concept of the demiurge, long neglected by me despite much study. I scoured UA-cam and nothing jumped out as suitable for starting a serious study (gathering some sources and getting some insights to help on the way) and BAM, just like magic, our guy is here with a dream come true!
I agree. This is the overview of the origins of the demiurge I wish I'd had 24 years ago when I started studying gnosticism (as a hobby) 20+ years ago. 😊
"In the time before the Titans, before the Gods of Olympus, a great battle was waged. The wrath of the Primordials, the very beings who forged the Earth raged out of control for an eternity." GOWA Truly Love this Line War is the Father of All Things indeed.
I love this channel and Dr Sledge so much. I used to crave for UA-cam “explained” videos to be truly in depth and researched on such topics as Esoterica tackles. This channel makes my existence existential… thank you sir, top drawer, top drawer.
"... I think that nostalgia is basically a form of depression..." That genuinely made me laugh out loud. It's so true though, nostalgia is overrated. The worst part is that, regardless of whether it's a longing for one's own past or an historical period, the era was almost never as good as one remembers/imagines it. I know there are points from my own life, like my early 20s, I sometimes catch myself thinking that I should've appreciated it more in the moment - which, don't get me wrong, is something we should always try to do - but then when I really think about it, maybe the reason I didn't enjoy it as much as I think my rose-tinted memory warrants is because I'm leaving out all the boring stuff, the shitty parts, and the insecurities of that period of my life. I'm much more grounded and secure in my own opinion of myself at 32 and had yet to encounter, like most people of that age, the key life lessons or cultivated the (dare I say) wisdom necessary to have appreciated it more "in the moment." Instead of focusing on that bitter-sweet vision of a past that probably never actually existed, all I can do is try to focus on the present and appreciate and take advantage of the ways in which I've grown since my younger years, knowing that I'll be tempted in another decade to over sentimentalize my current life.
Within the context of what we now call the Old Testament, it is not difficult at all for me to understand how Yahweh was viewed as an evil and demonic god. What I can't comprehend, given that context, is how the character ever came to be viewed as good!?
The LORD is good because almighty God created everything, is all powerful, and at the end of the day (or the end of time) determines our fate. What humans call good matters not.
If you believe that Jesus was prophesied in the Old Testament, you have to affirm that it is YHWH who sent him, because who else would the prophets be receiving these prophecies from?
@@tydy5266 I reject the premise. 1: The bible was written in a circular and self-referential manner over the course of centuries with a specific bias. 2: Even then, the majority of OT "prophecies" Christians trot out can't be about Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the later myths of the NT.
Thank you, Dr. Sledge! I have wondered for so long the origins of Gnosticism and this makes a lot of sense.but there is much to be absorbed here. I look forward to more of this series.
11:14 I expected to have a great time with this video, even if I already knew the basics of this subject well enough. I didn't expect this explanation of Timaeus to be so succinctly beautiful and illuminating.
I appreciate the irony of the subject matter more than ever after being told that " _Nostalgia_ is a form of _depression_ " by someone who chooses a career teaching such a specialized topic of History. 😉 This channel is sincerely the best single source of ongoing esoteric instruction in human history . I appreciate your dedication, your content, and the community of amazing, curious and sophisticated people who congregate here to learn. Cheers!
I just wish it was a bit more secular and a little less biased towards a jewish ethnocentric lense; however i overall agree with you. A great teacher that tries to be objective and a lot less judgmental than other video creators
Fantastic as always. Couldn't help but think of that one bronze statue that was originally Set in a typical Ba'al pose that was retrofitted to be Amon (ears removed, horns added, neat hat added) as you were talking of the different "applications" of Set.
Doc Sledge, I can't thank you enough for this series, given my obsession with the Demiurge and all things "Gnostic". Just the perfect time (maybe orchestrated by the Demiurge himself?) for me to come back to following your great channel.
Whoa man, ngl I saw the thumbnail and thought this was a LOTR video..but that opening line had me hooked. This was a slamming video for 3 am my friend. Keep up the great work
This is one of my all-time favorite discussions right here. Love this channel and its discussion on Gnosticism. Is God evil? That leads to debates and questions that many thinkers throughout history asked, and are still asked to this day. Did the Ancient Greeks see Zeus or Apollo as good when they are not raping mortal women or forcing tragic heroes to push a rock up a hill for all eternity? I have been asking myself those gnostic questions since I was a little kid growing up in the 90s. And thinking about it now with the 90s being the decade of Edge and Angst. I was exposed to a lot of Gnostic themes that asked those same questions in pop culture and the underground. Those questions and themes were found in a lot of heavy metal, industrial, and goth music that I was exposed to, and fell in love with heavy dark music. I listened to all genres of metal and dark music within that decade and within the first two years of the new millennium. Listening to records from Nine Inch Nails, Feilds of the Nephilim, had those gnostic themes in their songs. Even though Trent was likely singing about what he was going through at the time. Every Nine Inch Nails record, from Pretty Hate Machine, all the way up to With Teeth, played this story in my head telling about God being evil, and it made me deeply question how can we trust in the divine? Even though Trent was most likely writing about his issues at the time and used maybe gnostic language as a metaphor for his drug addiction at the time, it's just that is how every one of those songs spoke to me. Listening to darker music and various metal bands made that question grow louder as I got older. My favorite Slayer album of all time is God Hates Us All, if that title alone doesn't say Demiurge, then I don't know what is. It wasn't just music that made me ask those questions at a young age. Other mediums came to me as well. My favorite comic book reading in the '90s and early 2000s was Spawn, and I loved the HBO Cartoon as well, those mediums were heavily gnostic times two, where Todd Mcfarlene would lay out that both God and the Devil are equally evil, both are megalomaniacs, and both have malevolent intentions for humanity. Some of those themes were found in some of my favorite Video Game series such as the Silent Hill games, and my all-time favorite Video Game series Legacy of Kain, heavily gnostic-inspired there. And even Demiurgic Gnosticism can be found in popular Japanese manga and anime such as the Beserk series. As the decades go by, that question still lingers there and has gotten louder and louder in my subconscious. Gnosticism is not just found in music, video games, and some of my favorite horror literature written by writers such as Lovecraft, King, and Barker. It's also in Fantasy as well. Even though Tolkien was a devout Catholic, the gnostic philosophy of the Demiurge did have an effect on his writing. It has even been on the minds of many brilliant minds in the world of science. When Charles Darwin was exploring the Galapagos Islands while developing the groundwork for the theory of evolution. He would observe various species of insects whose whole reproductive life cycle is to find a living host to lay their eggs in, and that host dies a horrible death by being eaten alive from the inside out by hundreds of larvae. His observations of the immense cruelty found in nature made Darwin question the morality of a benevolent God. I also find it fascinating that the themes of Gnosticism with life being a prison and a demurge have some similarities with Buddhism with the Wheel of Samara. Where Buddhism, states reincarnation is a prison, and through the core teachings of Buddhism, one can find escape from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. And seeing those paintings of the Wheel of Samsara or Wheel of Rebirth which shows the wheel is held by a Yama Demon or lord of death who holds the wheel in full control does have some Demiurgic similarities, and since the discussion in one previous video about the discovery of Buddhists living in ancient Egypt was fascinating and made me wonder. Could some Buddhist beliefs have some effect on Gnostic Demiurgic philosophy in the same way Zoroastrianism had its effect on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? The gnostic debate about the morality of a creator god has always fascinated me and inspired me to put in my fantasy stories and horror stories as well. It is a gold mine for creative writing, and I always think about Demiurgic Gnosticism when I go back to my favorite bible story about the Prophet Elisha, where a bunch of kids makes fun of Elisha's bald head, and Yahweh decides to punish the kid by having them getting mauled to death by she bears. Not only does it make God act malevolent in that story over something so childish, but it makes God petty, and insecure. I guess the creator was thinning on his crown and didn't want to be reminded through his glory boy and knew that rogain was not going to be invented until much later. God decides to teach a bunch of little kids a valuable lesson in making fun of male pattern baldness. Behind the pages of holy scripture, the foundations of a Demiurge are always closer than one notices and can give a storyteller a lot of material in horror, fantasy, and even science fiction. Love this episode, and can't wait for part two.
A good point. And since you've specified that you like writing and creating stories, which makes you "God"/Author of that fictional world, how it will play out? Will people in there suffer just like Miura's Berserk, or it will be a happily ever story from the get go? My point with this is the fact that i do believe that God just wants to make a story for his own pleasure, which there is conflict, tragedy, comedy, horror, brutality and even moments of wholesomeness. So as a character i accept the my destination as everything "It is what it is" Since there is not a single mention of actual free will on the bible, but predestination is explained plenty of times by Paul in his letters.
I apologise for saying this but I think you’re so lost and on wrong track, don’t forget that the fallen angels been worshipped as gods like Apollo, Zeus and so on ( that’s why in the Bible too is more titles used “ Lord” “ Sovereign God” “Almighty God” “Lord god” “The Most High God” they want to confuse us that is all the same Creator God of all….The Father is pure love, you just have to connect using your heart, the brain gets lost in this world ruled by evil!
I never bothered to look into what the into music was before. Today, I put on music for my baby to take a nap, and I heard it instantly. Frédéric Chopin Nocturne in B flat minor (Op. 9 No. 1)
Ah, finally. Someone gets it. It’s lonely being into this stuff sometimes. Not that I’m superior, merely just lamenting that I live almost alone in my interests sometimes.
This is so cool. I had thought the basic gnostic framework must have unfolded as a response to the problem of evil- since in some ways it seems like an elegant solution to that problem, but i had no idea of all these rich historical aspects.
@@scumoftheearth4745 And why should I assume that non-sentience even exists? You said it yourself. It falls apart if I acknowledge non sentience. So what if I just... Don't? Why can't I believe that sentience and consciousness are a fundamental default force inherent to reality itself and not just a consequential byproduct of physicality?
@@denofpigs2575 sorry I didn't realize your comment was supposed to be taken at face value, I thought you were under the impression you had a strong argument against Descartes proof of the self or something lol. deleted my previous reply
Bud. I could listen to your lectures all day. And I do. Actually. I move dirt for a living and play your stuff while I work and is absolutely positively the best educations I've ever gotten
As a donkey I am absolutely here to donkey cancel you. I can’t help but to conceptualize much of this as the Egyptians and the Jews dunking on each others’ God(s) via elaborate fanfics. It’s humorous but also fascinating. Humans have truly always been like this. Thank you for communicating all of this information in such a digestible way!
This video, among so many others of yours, Dr. Sledge, is a fantastic and fascinating analysis of this subject. I absolutely can not wait for more videos on this subject and just about every other subject you cover. I love your channel and intend to make a donation to your Patreon to help in your continuing work. Thank you so much for your scholarly insights and impeccably astute observations on all the material you cover.
Very happy to see a video on this topic that I've been interested in for a while from an academic source like yourself! I always saw later gnosticism as the only theologically sound 'offshoot' of christianity that logically explained the separation in personality and attitude between the god of the old and new testaments. It was very interesting to learn that the theory and idea predated jesus and many of the theories that come up when one does surface level research on the philosophy.
Great video as always. Seems like as good a time as any to ask if gnosticism is sus? Linked with anti Jewish sentiments. Have you done a video on this?
Funny thing about Demiurge is that they make such fantastic effects pedals. (i.e. Doomy(O))) ) Seriously, though, I always look forward to your content. Thank you for your hard work.
This is so fascinating! My understanding of the Demiurge is still growing after years of study. One thing is for sure, religion will always be in an infinite loop of interpretation, internally and externally. Also, interpretations will always be accepted, debated, and rebuked.
I swear that I watch this channel because it's one of the better ones at explaining the inspiration for Elden Ring and Dark Souls lore. I'm not kidding! The Dark Souls series is clearly one inspired by the history of ancient Greek, Roman, Jewish and Christian civilizations. Elden ring digs even deeper and starts with neolithic prehistory and goes through ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome along with Jewish Christian and Pagan religions co-mingling and warring throughout. It nice to be able to learn more about the history that inspired it all. =)
So, listening to this reminds me a bit of the teachings my dad passed on to me. I've forgotten some of them (you don't use it, you lose it), but my sister got married to a religious scholar a few years back. I was hanging out at their house after the reception was long over, and the two of us got talking religion. I spoke with him about the things I believe and compared them to the things my dad believed. After explaining what I could recall of my dad's teachings, he responded, "Well, if your dad was teaching those things to the masses, he'd probably be tried as a heretic today." The biggest thing being the identity of God, so to speak. We refer to God as the Father, but God is also all things, so must also be a Mother. For him, there were two "sides" or "faces" of God and you prayed to one or the other (or both), depending on what you sought. For lessons on love, kindness, and patience, you prayed to God the Mother. For lessons on strength, guidance, and perseverance, you prayed to God the Father. To limit God to just a man is to reduce His power as a God, to shape him in your own image instead of you being made in your own. I can see a bit of why that might be a touch scandalous and could be construed as a blending of more pagan relgions with Christianity. He was only a second generation American, so he was raised around folks from the Old Country. However, he was, in my eyes, the most ideal Christian known to humanity. He gave everything he could for others, asked for nothing in return, was not outwardly bigoted, loved and respected everyone he interacted with, and was only ever violent in defense of his family. Even then, it was a last resort. If what he believed is somehow heretical, then who is the heretic?
Putting this as a reply because it's supplemental but outside the initial scope. I've witnessed some interesting things that my dad was able to do. Some might call them miracles. Some might call them magic. I see them more as a mere extension of his own faith. "Truly, I tell you: If you had faith as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible for you." My two oldest sisters were abused as kids by their father. As a result of this, they began acting out for several years before spending time in an institution. Before that stay, the oldest of the two poisoned and killed a kitten in her bedroom. It had been dead long enough to have gone cold by the time we found it. Instead of getting angry and yelling at her for doing such a thing, he knelt down, gently held it in his hands, and prayed. In front of all of us, he prayed for several minutes straight, chanting the same prayer over and over again. Suddenly, the kitten was alive again and returned to its mother. Grew up just fine. She was scolded for what she did, and that may have been the sign that the two of them needed professional help. A few years later, my birth mother, whose immune system is made of tissue paper and hope, caught the flu. This was confirmed by a visit to the hospital to get her the needed medication to help her through it. While she was resting in bed, my dad sat down next to her, held her left hand in his left, placed his right hand on her forehead, and prayed. A few minutes later, she felt fine. Went back to the hospital two days later, just to be sure, and, yeah, she was completely cured. I would get these massive, chronic headaches every month. They felt like a combination of a sinus headache, a tension headache, and a migraine. With my eyes closed, I could FEEL it if someone walked into my bedroom as a huge spike in pain. Doctors checked everything they could think to and found nothing. They figured it was some sort of extreme migraine, but I didn't have enough of the signs to conclusively say so. After two years of having them every single month, I'm in the middle of having one again. Through my screams of pain, I hear my dad say to absolutely no one, "I think he's suffered enough." He gets out of his chair in his bedroom, walks into mine (which causes that spike in pain), and then sits down next to me. He places his hand on my forehead, hangs his head, and prays. First, he gives the Lord's Prayer, and then continues: "I pray that you take this pain away from my son and place it onto me. I will carry his pain, O Lord, so that he may suffer no more." He then repeated this over and over for about five minutes until it suddenly... Stopped. The headache was gone and I haven't had one like it since. It's been twenty years since then. I was a bit afraid many years back to share that story with people, not because I figured it too embarrassing or too far-fetched to tell in mixed company, but because I felt like talking about it would undo the work. It would break the spell, the protection placed upon me. I've told it many times now and that doesn't seem to be the case. He cured me of who knows what it may have been. I'm not asking anyone to believe what I've said here, but he's not the only person I've known to be able to do something similar. I don't remember the man's first name, but he went by Mr. Bishop. A fitting surname, I suppose. He's the grandfather of the best friend of an ex girlfriend of mine, and we met at his granddaughter's going away party before she shipped off to join the Navy. We first just had regular small talk, then he asked me if I believed in ghosts. Told him I've seen a few, so we swapped ghost stories, and then we talked magic. I didn't tell him the stories about my dad at first, as that's not usually one you share with someone you just met. Instead, he talked about the times he's saved the lives of a few family members through prayer. He's not bringing anyone back from the dead or anything, but simply praying that they stop bleeding. A nephew in a car accident, severed femoral artery. Hospital was too far away and the tourniquet wasn't working properly. EMT told the family to say goodbye, but he prayed and his nephew stopped bleeding. Asked me to take his card and share it with my higher ups when I was in the military. All he wanted was to help. Said to me, "You know, when I was growing up here, many people said what I could do, whatever it may be, that it's evil. That it's something given by the devil. But how could something be evil if I only use it for good? How could that be wrong?" My great, great Aunt also did one thing similar. I never met her, considering she passed away probably 80 years before I was even born, that adds up. My dad, though, told me about how his sister was dying. She was completely pale, couldn't keep food or water down. The doctor was just giving her pills, hoping something might help. After a while, he gave up and told the family to say their last goodbyes. Instead, my grandmother called her aunt. She lived just down the block, so was there shortly, and walked into the kitchen. In Polish, she asked my grandmother, "[Where is the girl?]" She responds, "[In her bedroom, there.]" "[Close the door behind me.]" Thirty minutes later, the door opens and my dad's sister is at the kitchen table, color in her face, happily eating dinner as if nothing had happened. Despite being 6 years older than my dad and having a twin brother, she outlived all of them. Her twin brother passed in his early 50's when his heart suddenly stopped. Not a heart attack, just stopped while he was on his morning jog. My dad made it to 63, and that's old for his family. Had a heart attack brought on my stress, as he was desperately trying to find the bankruptcy paperwork that was due in a few hours, unaware that he had likely deleted them off of his computer. She made it to 86 years old having died peacefully in her sleep, still living in her childhood home.
Then again, heresiologists (i.e., heresy-hunters) who gained power ended up targeting other early Christians as 'heretics'. Some of those so-called heretics had ideas like your father, some even stranger by the standards of modern conventional Christian thought. For example, the Trinity was one way of solving the dilemma by equating the Holy Spirit with the divine mother or as a feminine spiritual power. The irony is that much of modern Christianity, whether or not it would've been deemed heretical, would've simply been unrecognizable to the early Christians.
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Maybe even some of their spiritual abilities or practices!😊
@@keithsarty3039 If you're talking about the star cluster, he's referred to them in some of his videos that touch on Hermetic and Hellenic belief. As the cluster has significance to a lot of cultures there are lots of perspectives on them, Great Plains and Eastern Woodlands indigenous groups like the Cherokee and Sioux in particular have very interesting oral traditions centered on Pleiades. If you're talking about the alien race, they're an invention of the New Age and do not have any historical basis besides what's retroactively ascribed by believers, so I doubt Dr. Sledge would touch on them
@@flexplodin PKD really had an amazing mind, in light of recent events I read his article “Naziism and the High Castle” and it brought immeasurable peace and insight
@@SigmarUnberogen thank you
Watching this, I couldn't help but remember "George Costanza Theology".
George: God would never let me be successful. He'd kill me first. He'd never let me be happy.
Therapist: I thought you didn't believe in God.
George: I do for the bad things.
"These pretzels...are making me THIRSTY!"
"It's not a lie if you believe it. "
"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK! I GOT IT FROM THE INSTITUTE!"
"Hope is killing me. My dream is to become hopeless. When you're hopeless, you don't care, and when you don't care, that indifference makes you attractive."
“THEY’RE KILLING INDEPENDENT GEORGE!!!” Also, “I WAS IN THE POOL!!!!”
Where is the music for the opening? I had to mute it because "DANCE ALL DAY Musicvertriebs GmbH" - www.dance-all-day.com/#contact - is fraudulently claiming that my use of 18 seconds of a public domain version of Chopin's Nocturne is under their copyright and UA-cam is doing nothing about it. So, I had to remove the music opening sequence and have to have the music re-recorded at my own expense. It isn't fair that a large corporation can falsely claim music as their property in an attempt to hijack the funds I use to support this educational channel. Please consider supporting Esoterica at Patreon so I can have some financial independence from UA-cam given that they so easily betray creators to corporate greed and fraud. Many thanks for your support!
Demiurge made them do it?
So sorry YT is giving you crap. Ppl can spew all the misinformation they like with no consequences, but then they come after somebody actually doing their due diligence because of a few seconds of piano music. Smh. Pull yourself together, YT 👏👏👏
Exactly why I checked the comments lol. Something about that intro tune is booth soothing and intriguing.
Hope YT won’t trouble you about it much longer
Strike your own video first
Some have use this trick
Don't you think it's time, Justin? Isn't it time? Time for a doom metal opening?
i was absolutely NOT prepared for the emotional ton of bricks that was the line "nostalgia is basically a form of depression" right out the gate
Only if paired with an inability to stop ruminating on the nostalgia of the past! Nostalgia is an incredibly important part of life for elderly people as they age.
That’s someone strictly moving forward.
Right? I never heard anyone articulate this in such a casual way. I've never heard anyone articulate this AT ALL. It's so obvious! I had always known this because I notice people in my family that always rhapsodize about the past when their present lives were so miserable. Also, notice how popular culture sows nostalgia as a sentimental summoning of the past? Fetishizing the past, really.
@Sab_MJsMama Wait until you find out what the 80s did for capitalizing on nostalgia! One contender would be George Lucas if capitalism went to film school 👀
Yeah...that statement kinda messed me up and forced me to stop and reconsider how often I revisit games and movies from the past.
"I'm not a romantic and I think nostalgia is basically a form of depression" Never heard of this guy before and no idea what he's about but with this first line I am so in
@@dinozavier I personally feel like it’s a shallow way of seeing it.
@@Di_yaylook at this guy...hes nerd
@@Di_yay nerd
@@brandonlawrence5851 were all here on this video, were all nerds
@@Di_yay Very shallow, and it's his meaning alone. There are many facets to a diamond. And some are blinded by the light reflected off of the many facets around the diamond he can only see one side of lol.
Nostalgia can be a form of depression. It's a wise observation. But as someone who regularly throws N64 Mario Kart parties, it can also be pure bliss.
Can i come bro
@@liammorris7324 where do you live brother?
@@Kid_Ikaris northeast
Ignorance is bliss but that doesn't make it right for God says per his word that his people parish for lack of knowledge!!
I am not saying your necessarily wrong or that nostalgia has to be bad but to be honest I have never put together that idea that nostalgia could be bad because as he said, it's a form of depression which I want to nod my head and agree but I have to look further into that claim as it could be off and wrong but I dunno... I'm just telling you that Bliss is used in conjunction with ignorance in a phrase we all know to well so I put one and one together
Sounds awesome!!
Sometimes your sarcasm, Dr. Sledge , is deep and wide.
"The Israelites live fine after this; nothing bad ever happens to them later."
The darkest of humor.
@Judystroyer98768 I keep asking for proof and people just get abusive and try to gas light.
Still a major lack of proof. All they got is propaganda and photos taken well after alleged events.
😆😆 He is very dry and holds his attempt to convey unbiased mythological scholiast works that when he drops sarcasm in without any nod or wink, it cracks me up.
💀
wha happun?
The thumbnail is metal AF
Thanks to Zdzisław Beksiński
Genuinely thought this video was about a Meshuggah song cause of it
@@vernaltear that song kicks ass
@@TheEsotericaChannel Such an amazing artist. couldn't bear to watch "The last family" in a single seat. a really sad and tragic story
Like a real life metalocalypse album cover
Justin is one of the few speakers I have listened to that always notifies the audience precisely when the conversation goes from fact to speculation. And he also provides reasonable reasons for why the speculation is necessary within the context. And then he takes it a step further and gives the audience an idea of to what degree that speculation can be relied upon.
Huge thanks for that. Educators of all types should be taking notes.
Word 💯
Its becoming the norm among young youtubers as well such as wendigoon.
Man...like a lot of folks here, the thought that nostalgia is a form of depression never crossed my mind, but has haunted me since you uploaded this.
Its simply not objectively nor universally true. Aspects of nostalgia are legitimate because some things, many things, were much better back then, and other times it can be an escape because of depression
It's simply not. Maybe go look up the definition 🤣🙄 I mean seriously do people REALLY put such weight on literal strangers stuff the blurt out?
If it's somehow depression then I guess 95% of humans are depressed?
Yea not true.
@@chrxmefaceexactly thank you!!! Got so annoying seeing so many people acting like this is some huge revelation without even looking up a definition or critically thinking about it.
Scary how quickly some give another power to define a very common widespread emotion
Yes, and online they give their energy to anyone. They’re up against ai, and you can’t level up or defeat that by watching videos on UA-cam 😂
@@Marmalade93 They are the fodder right.
I absolutely appreciate your channel so much. I am a homesteader in Japan...live in deep forest country. As I am getting older, my thirst for knowledge is growing... knowledge of the mysteries. I don't get to go to gigs that much anymore, so studying from your channel and listening to metal are my delights. Iron Maiden was here in September, but I couldn't check them out... super busy with the farm and tea cultivation. Thank you for your videos.
As soon as you mentioned Donkeys I immediately thought "oh my god this is how we get Alexamenos" and I am flabbergasted. Never would I have expected this video to cover a synchretization of Yahweh with Set, but to then lead from there to that being the origins of the Alexamenos graffiti is such a wild ride.
I guess it was not on purpose, but your way of writing "synchretization" is very meaningful example of two different words synchronized into one syncretic word.
@@arturhashmi6281 Huh. I've been spelling that word wrong for like, 4 years now and literally never noticed. My brain has always inserted the h, and I didn't even notice difference in this very comment until I googled.
@@Ezekiel_Allium it still makes sense. good day to you sir
@@Ezekiel_Alliumlife be like that cuz that damn donkey! 🤣
I can’t find this thing you call: antacotatia greca? Where the “gods of various national pantheons were set in a system of grand correspondences”. CC is no help 😩 must find this book
I love how learning Elder Scrolls lore (men vs eleves in their worship of Lorkhan) really helps understand the concept of a demiurge.
What a grand and intoxicating innocence
One of my favorite quasifictional mythologies. Kirkbride is a strange genius.
Haha, yeah, I had the thought that the Altmer seem pretty Gnostic too.
Dark Souls lore gave me a great framework to work with for alot of mythologies and systems. Lots of symbolism too.
🤌@@jknott1509
Thank you for all your meticulously researched and highly produced video essays. It is the cherry on top of my workweeks each Friday. You are truly a godsend ❤
I absolutely love the early years of the Yahwish/Christian divide in the Early Classical period. The wrestling match between traditional polytheistic beliefs, proto-monotheism, and the earliest notes of modern monotheism produced some truly wild dogmas
Leading to so much chaos in the world too. “A house divided cannot stand” -Jesus Christ
@@silentservant_ Behold the Split level home
Jesus- GET BEHIND ME SATAN!
*pseudo-monotheism
@@CandorHispanus Henotheism, if we're using the technical term
Classics are important. Someone translate original Greek bible
"When God gives you lemons, you FIND A NEW GOD."
_- Powerthirst 2, 2007_
That's a deep cut! 😂
Picnicface dying was the end of an era.
Or you become the God you're looking for. All external God's becomes pieces of 💩 in the end
Narffet has autism and after seeing that I’m afraid it might be contagious
⚜️ PSALM 82:6 & JOHN 10:34 JESUS said "YE ARE GODS"
I love the use of the Beksiński painting on the thumbnail. There is something very fitting about pairing his work with gnostic discussion.
Agree! My favorite painter of all time. If you havent already, you might be interested in finding his later computer art. Seeing what he as a painter made using the tools available is fascinating.
Thanks for the name of the artist. I just looked up some more of his stuff and WOW! I love it!
rumour has it we are not all shown the same thumbnail. ❤
Make sure to check out Dr. Litwa's Episode and channel - ua-cam.com/video/OlXP0V6CACU/v-deo.html
Now removed from YT and listed as private (June 2024).
@@BroonParker updated the link
The best channel about occultism
Bobby Hemmit is great as well.
The Bible shows us signs of the false God, but it’s hidden. This world was created in 6 days, “God” rested on the 7th. 6 is a number of imperfection, unfinished.
@macthomas8899 Do you mean this as in the Bible is showing us that the God in it is false?
@@macthomas8899 Bro Panic as well 🙏🏾
@@macthomas8899 what the hell? Isn't it a perfect number being even?
Your research and dedication to truth is unparalleled
“huh, this looks like an interesting video”
“aaaaaand there goes my evenings for the next week”
great work!
Morning coffee tastes much better with your videos, thank you Dr. Sledge!
Finally, I'm gonna figure out what this Demiurge guy is all about. Heard he's been beefing with me for eons.
Or Aeons! Hopefully this isn't too dumb of a joke
Fr, I can't wait for him to come catch these enlightened hands.
lol. All of us in the realm of chaos.
He’s gonna be taking a trip to demiurgent care
218
seeing "pt 1" has made me very happy. My professor of history in community college told me that he was fascinated by the gnostic view and I've only touched on it a bit, thank you for making the content that you do.
The Gnostic belief of “Lucifer” being imprisoned and set free every Aeon to gather followers for its army has always been a very interesting concept to me as far as the duality of the universe
Hmm interesting. Anymore info?
@@gaetzwarren8146 yeah so just as “the angel of the lord” is the character who speaks to people in the Bible (no one has ever heard God’s voice) there is a counterpart often called Beelzebub…the story goes that “The Devil” or “Lucifer” or “Satan” is imprisoned by metaphorical chains in the center of the earth and what people encounter as the devil throughout the world is actually its right hand man, Beelzebub..the story goes that every Aeon (which could be a thousand years, 10k years or a million) The devil is set free by God to wreak havoc and garnish its followers before being put back for another Aeon…see one must remember that the soul is the currency of the universe and no human being can be forced into worshiping God or The Adversary…this concept is that, without light there can be no dark and without the dark there can be no light…remember, angels and demons are the exact same being
@WarrenDay-we9do ok let me call the semantics police for you
@@gaetzwarren8146 think about the stories in the Bible where God and Lucifer and talking to each other and almost making wagers on the purity of human beings
@@gaetzwarren8146 “joy wouldn’t feel so good if it wasn’t for pain, and sunshine wouldn’t be so special if it wasn’t for rain”
I never thought I would be studying religion daily. You are a great teacher. Thank you.
Bro read you Torah correctly
Can you summaries whats all this about so is God good? Or are we all being fool?
@@KionCora the question I'm also asking. As a Christian, I must admit, I'm confused rn. And have Paul's warnings ringing in my ear
@@KionCoraprobably not good or bad as we conceive, and I’d say so if you believe or rely on the systems present here
@@KionCora I think the whole thing is it’s up to us to decide
An incredible history lesson. I've read about 'gnostic' beliefs before, but never even thought about how they might arise naturally from the religious and cultural climate of its time and place
ב''ה, Euro-Slavic and probably Greek/Levantine gnosticism is what thinkers got to once realizing e.g. the essence of C_____ianity is just anti-Semitic genocide, and that religion's prophets promised plague and war for it.
I'm only just 5:46 into the video and I absolutely love it, it's rare to come across one who is an serious academic, yet takes it all with a sense of exalted calm and a good deal of humor.
I have subscribed
“Like Elmo on MDMA”
I just stumbled upon this video while looking for a way to pass time and I’m now hooked. I dont really know much about esoteric history, but this is looking like a great maze to get lost into. Thank you for your work!
❤ playing your intro music in my head. it’s still there 🎶
Came here to say this. IP pirate can't take that from us.
@@joshgrillo2482 Neuralink: Hold my beer.
Some musically talented Esoterica wanted to record some theme music!
Those pirates are the reason why we can't have nice things😥
I sat singing de de de...I was alone but the dog and cats seemed to approve
Thank you for another fascinating dive into the depths of early Christian and Gnostic theology, Dr. Sledge. Your exploration of the origins of the malevolent Demiurge and its connection to the demonization of Yahweh in Egyptian and Roman contexts was both enlightening and thought-provoking. It's incredible how religious and cultural factors intertwined to shape these theological concepts. I'm eagerly looking forward to your future episodes, which promise to shed even more light on this complex and intriguing topic. Keep up the excellent work!
Exactly my thoughts!
My limited personal time due to work/life balance doesn’t allow me to deep dive into the subject matter you cover in your videos as much as I used to enjoy doing. I appreciate this channel allowing me to absorb information while roped in the mundane such as driving or currently, folding laundry, it’s through you that I’m able to continue pursuit of my interests
Me too. It’s tough to balance the logistics and necessities of a daily life with one’s true intellectual passions. UA-cam helps!
The concept of a Demiurge has fascinated me ever since I discovered what is may be. I'm enthusiastic that you're covering this not-well-known topic.
I'm loving the Beksiński thumbnails. Perfect æsthetic fit for the subject matter.
Some of the things you say are hilariously brilliant. Thank you for your educational entertainment.
"...nostalgia is basically a form of depression."
"When God gives you lemons, God must be evil."
"Like Elmo on MDMA."
"I'm going to get donkey-cancelled."
And that's just this video alone. Definitely joining your Patreon to help fund the new intro music. 👍
I'm stealing the shit out of that Elmo simile
😂
Holey Eternal Omnipresent Greetingz cuzinz 🌠 ✋️😎
Only guy I have seen who can make a dispassionate and intellectual video about these subjects.
Eric Dubay recently uploaded a video on the subject. It's essentially a summarized introduction to Gnostic theology for the layman.
@@nuckerman5000 Intellectual was a key word there.
Religion For Breakfast is also a good channel.
I think this has been one of the most direct and juicy lectures that you’ve delivered in terms of the modern landscape of religious social consciousness❤
Thank you for everything that you do.
I recognize that the part of my brain that experiences nostalgia is directly linked to the part of my brain that's active when I am depressed.
Didn’t realize Plutarch was going to be involved in this episode! Love your videos!!
"Mississippi Marcionites" sounds like an ill-advised college sports team mascot.
@@BojoPigeon Mississippi Manichees maybe?
This is great. One thing about Set. You can always count on him popping up in all sorts of weird and unexpected places.
Set just showed up in the last episode of SG-1 I watched last night.
@@JaxAndree I remember that episode!
Electric universe, Saturn theory.
He is almost as unpredictable as Anubis
Now that your Chopin is muted you should find some black metal band to let you use a sample
I vote Leviathan or Lurker Of Chalice!
Apocalypse Orchestra would do the theme justice I think
I didn't know I needed demiurge-posting so badly until seeing this video. Thank you man, take care.
First time I comment because i want to say what an fantastic video. It was an entire paradigm shift for me. I have meditated on the topic since it came out and I cant wait for p2.
The inversion of the beneficent God almost sounds like Zoroastrian leftovers lol very interesting video, top quality as always. The name Samael is giving me Silent Hill flashbacks 😂
Just yesterday I decided I needed to dive into the concept of the demiurge, long neglected by me despite much study. I scoured UA-cam and nothing jumped out as suitable for starting a serious study (gathering some sources and getting some insights to help on the way) and BAM, just like magic, our guy is here with a dream come true!
I agree. This is the overview of the origins of the demiurge I wish I'd had 24 years ago when I started studying gnosticism (as a hobby) 20+ years ago. 😊
Your first mistake was immediately going to UA-cam for serious study haha
Welcome
Would God not off you before you said 'Observer if It wanted to die?
I believe the rest of God as we know It (HIM) is captured in a machine awaiting shut- down currently. Wow; oh, WOW! "We pay our taxes." -You
I've never been more hyped to click on a video, and it's only part 1.... bro is cooking
bro said nostalgia is a style of depression and I don't think I've ever been called out so hard
"In the time before the Titans, before the Gods of Olympus, a great battle was waged. The wrath of the Primordials, the very beings who forged the Earth raged out of control for an eternity." GOWA Truly Love this Line War is the Father of All Things indeed.
Who created the primordials?
I love this channel and Dr Sledge so much. I used to crave for UA-cam “explained” videos to be truly in depth and researched on such topics as Esoterica tackles. This channel makes my existence existential… thank you sir, top drawer, top drawer.
"... I think that nostalgia is basically a form of depression..." That genuinely made me laugh out loud. It's so true though, nostalgia is overrated. The worst part is that, regardless of whether it's a longing for one's own past or an historical period, the era was almost never as good as one remembers/imagines it. I know there are points from my own life, like my early 20s, I sometimes catch myself thinking that I should've appreciated it more in the moment - which, don't get me wrong, is something we should always try to do - but then when I really think about it, maybe the reason I didn't enjoy it as much as I think my rose-tinted memory warrants is because I'm leaving out all the boring stuff, the shitty parts, and the insecurities of that period of my life. I'm much more grounded and secure in my own opinion of myself at 32 and had yet to encounter, like most people of that age, the key life lessons or cultivated the (dare I say) wisdom necessary to have appreciated it more "in the moment." Instead of focusing on that bitter-sweet vision of a past that probably never actually existed, all I can do is try to focus on the present and appreciate and take advantage of the ways in which I've grown since my younger years, knowing that I'll be tempted in another decade to over sentimentalize my current life.
Esoterica is one of the best treasures on you-tube! Thank You for your content and I hope people find enlightenment in knowledge as I have with you!
Esoterica is a true gift!
this dude passed the vibe check
Only discovered the channel a couple of months ago but have greatly enjoyed all the videos I’ve watched! Can’t wait to watch more!
Eeeeey, it's the crossover we always need 😊
Keep up the exceptional work, Dr Sledge 👏⚒️
Within the context of what we now call the Old Testament, it is not difficult at all for me to understand how Yahweh was viewed as an evil and demonic god.
What I can't comprehend, given that context, is how the character ever came to be viewed as good!?
His crisis management consultant, PR and marketing teams kicked some serious booty?
Yea, so much cope trying to believe OT and NT are describing the same god. Lmao. Not even close.
The LORD is good because almighty God created everything, is all powerful, and at the end of the day (or the end of time) determines our fate. What humans call good matters not.
If you believe that Jesus was prophesied in the Old Testament, you have to affirm that it is YHWH who sent him, because who else would the prophets be receiving these prophecies from?
@@tydy5266 I reject the premise.
1: The bible was written in a circular and self-referential manner over the course of centuries with a specific bias.
2: Even then, the majority of OT "prophecies" Christians trot out can't be about Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the later myths of the NT.
always a good day when esoterica uploads
Thank you, Dr. Sledge! I have wondered for so long the origins of Gnosticism and this makes a lot of sense.but there is much to be absorbed here. I look forward to more of this series.
That music-less opening has triggered my rage. Frikkin YT
You and me both.
@@TheEsotericaChannel Know anyone who could play a version of it on electric guitar?
Is it a copyright problem or what?
@@mladendjukic1061 Look for the main comment from OP and community channel post on the topic. False copy strike, more or less.
@@Singe0255 Got it. Thanks
11:14 I expected to have a great time with this video, even if I already knew the basics of this subject well enough. I didn't expect this explanation of Timaeus to be so succinctly beautiful and illuminating.
I appreciate the irony of the subject matter more than ever after being told that " _Nostalgia_ is a form of _depression_ " by someone who chooses a career teaching such a specialized topic of History. 😉
This channel is sincerely the best single source of ongoing esoteric instruction in human history . I appreciate your dedication, your content, and the community of amazing, curious and sophisticated people who congregate here to learn.
Cheers!
Thank you for your channel. It is the best and most reliable source for all things related to religious history, esotericism, and the occult. 🙏
I just wish it was a bit more secular and a little less biased towards a jewish ethnocentric lense; however i overall agree with you. A great teacher that tries to be objective and a lot less judgmental than other video creators
I know there’s over a half hour of well-researched and fascinating history in the video, but I just can’t get past how raw the thumbnail is
Raw?
@@TheEsotericaChannel I’m using the urban dictionary definition of raw here
Fantastic as always. Couldn't help but think of that one bronze statue that was originally Set in a typical Ba'al pose that was retrofitted to be Amon (ears removed, horns added, neat hat added) as you were talking of the different "applications" of Set.
"Elmo on MDMA" is a new qualifying factor you've unlocked in my mind. Thank you for all your work!
Doc Sledge, I can't thank you enough for this series, given my obsession with the Demiurge and all things "Gnostic". Just the perfect time (maybe orchestrated by the Demiurge himself?) for me to come back to following your great channel.
Wow so much information....This type of knowledge deserves a written version so it can be broken down slowly.... amazing work
Whoa man, ngl I saw the thumbnail and thought this was a LOTR video..but that opening line had me hooked. This was a slamming video for 3 am my friend. Keep up the great work
Love your choice for thumbnails as beksinski paintings which perfectly sets the tone for the video which is interesting and yet haunting
Yup I have to agree.
Doc is really droppin some Bangers of late!
This is one of my all-time favorite discussions right here. Love this channel and its discussion on Gnosticism. Is God evil? That leads to debates and questions that many thinkers throughout history asked, and are still asked to this day. Did the Ancient Greeks see Zeus or Apollo as good when they are not raping mortal women or forcing tragic heroes to push a rock up a hill for all eternity? I have been asking myself those gnostic questions since I was a little kid growing up in the 90s. And thinking about it now with the 90s being the decade of Edge and Angst. I was exposed to a lot of Gnostic themes that asked those same questions in pop culture and the underground. Those questions and themes were found in a lot of heavy metal, industrial, and goth music that I was exposed to, and fell in love with heavy dark music. I listened to all genres of metal and dark music within that decade and within the first two years of the new millennium. Listening to records from Nine Inch Nails, Feilds of the Nephilim, had those gnostic themes in their songs. Even though Trent was likely singing about what he was going through at the time. Every Nine Inch Nails record, from Pretty Hate Machine, all the way up to With Teeth, played this story in my head telling about God being evil, and it made me deeply question how can we trust in the divine? Even though Trent was most likely writing about his issues at the time and used maybe gnostic language as a metaphor for his drug addiction at the time, it's just that is how every one of those songs spoke to me. Listening to darker music and various metal bands made that question grow louder as I got older. My favorite Slayer album of all time is God Hates Us All, if that title alone doesn't say Demiurge, then I don't know what is. It wasn't just music that made me ask those questions at a young age. Other mediums came to me as well. My favorite comic book reading in the '90s and early 2000s was Spawn, and I loved the HBO Cartoon as well, those mediums were heavily gnostic times two, where Todd Mcfarlene would lay out that both God and the Devil are equally evil, both are megalomaniacs, and both have malevolent intentions for humanity. Some of those themes were found in some of my favorite Video Game series such as the Silent Hill games, and my all-time favorite Video Game series Legacy of Kain, heavily gnostic-inspired there. And even Demiurgic Gnosticism can be found in popular Japanese manga and anime such as the Beserk series. As the decades go by, that question still lingers there and has gotten louder and louder in my subconscious. Gnosticism is not just found in music, video games, and some of my favorite horror literature written by writers such as Lovecraft, King, and Barker. It's also in Fantasy as well. Even though Tolkien was a devout Catholic, the gnostic philosophy of the Demiurge did have an effect on his writing. It has even been on the minds of many brilliant minds in the world of science. When Charles Darwin was exploring the Galapagos Islands while developing the groundwork for the theory of evolution. He would observe various species of insects whose whole reproductive life cycle is to find a living host to lay their eggs in, and that host dies a horrible death by being eaten alive from the inside out by hundreds of larvae. His observations of the immense cruelty found in nature made Darwin question the morality of a benevolent God. I also find it fascinating that the themes of Gnosticism with life being a prison and a demurge have some similarities with Buddhism with the Wheel of Samara. Where Buddhism, states reincarnation is a prison, and through the core teachings of Buddhism, one can find escape from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. And seeing those paintings of the Wheel of Samsara or Wheel of Rebirth which shows the wheel is held by a Yama Demon or lord of death who holds the wheel in full control does have some Demiurgic similarities, and since the discussion in one previous video about the discovery of Buddhists living in ancient Egypt was fascinating and made me wonder. Could some Buddhist beliefs have some effect on Gnostic Demiurgic philosophy in the same way Zoroastrianism had its effect on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? The gnostic debate about the morality of a creator god has always fascinated me and inspired me to put in my fantasy stories and horror stories as well. It is a gold mine for creative writing, and I always think about Demiurgic Gnosticism when I go back to my favorite bible story about the Prophet Elisha, where a bunch of kids makes fun of Elisha's bald head, and Yahweh decides to punish the kid by having them getting mauled to death by she bears. Not only does it make God act malevolent in that story over something so childish, but it makes God petty, and insecure. I guess the creator was thinning on his crown and didn't want to be reminded through his glory boy and knew that rogain was not going to be invented until much later. God decides to teach a bunch of little kids a valuable lesson in making fun of male pattern baldness. Behind the pages of holy scripture, the foundations of a Demiurge are always closer than one notices and can give a storyteller a lot of material in horror, fantasy, and even science fiction. Love this episode, and can't wait for part two.
A good point. And since you've specified that you like writing and creating stories, which makes you "God"/Author of that fictional world, how it will play out? Will people in there suffer just like Miura's Berserk, or it will be a happily ever story from the get go?
My point with this is the fact that i do believe that God just wants to make a story for his own pleasure, which there is conflict, tragedy, comedy, horror, brutality and even moments of wholesomeness. So as a character i accept the my destination as everything "It is what it is" Since there is not a single mention of actual free will on the bible, but predestination is explained plenty of times by Paul in his letters.
By any chance, have you ever read any “Warhammer” or “Warhammer 40,000”? If not, it’s a fiction/video game franchise I think you might like…
You think too much and feel too little.
I apologise for saying this but I think you’re so lost and on wrong track, don’t forget that the fallen angels been worshipped as gods like Apollo, Zeus and so on ( that’s why in the Bible too is more titles used “ Lord” “ Sovereign God” “Almighty God” “Lord god” “The Most High God” they want to confuse us that is all the same Creator God of all….The Father is pure love, you just have to connect using your heart, the brain gets lost in this world ruled by evil!
I never bothered to look into what the into music was before.
Today, I put on music for my baby to take a nap, and I heard it instantly.
Frédéric Chopin Nocturne in B flat minor (Op. 9 No. 1)
Thanks
I think this might be one of your best episodes yet!
Oh man this episode was fantastic! I'm so excited to go down this journey with you!!
Ah, finally. Someone gets it. It’s lonely being into this stuff sometimes. Not that I’m superior, merely just lamenting that I live almost alone in my interests sometimes.
There. Are many hermetic / gnostic/ esoteric groups to join - Just tell me your main interest ? ❤
I love your videos, they always command attention and are not for the casual listener. Keep up the excellent work.
This is so cool. I had thought the basic gnostic framework must have unfolded as a response to the problem of evil- since in some ways it seems like an elegant solution to that problem, but i had no idea of all these rich historical aspects.
"I think therefore I am". My answer: " You better think again sunshine." Gotta love it. Keep going Justin! Get it!
Praise be! Everything in the universe is aspect of Elohim.
I'm of the belief that Descartes has it backwards.
It's not "I think therefore I am"
It's "I am, therefore I think"
@@scumoftheearth4745 And why should I assume that non-sentience even exists?
You said it yourself. It falls apart if I acknowledge non sentience.
So what if I just... Don't?
Why can't I believe that sentience and consciousness are a fundamental default force inherent to reality itself and not just a consequential byproduct of physicality?
@@denofpigs2575 i just thought you actually had an argument for rejecting Descartes proof of the self. believe whatever you want! :-)
@@denofpigs2575 sorry I didn't realize your comment was supposed to be taken at face value, I thought you were under the impression you had a strong argument against Descartes proof of the self or something lol. deleted my previous reply
Bud. I could listen to your lectures all day. And I do. Actually. I move dirt for a living and play your stuff while I work and is absolutely positively the best educations I've ever gotten
As a donkey I am absolutely here to donkey cancel you.
I can’t help but to conceptualize much of this as the Egyptians and the Jews dunking on each others’ God(s) via elaborate fanfics. It’s humorous but also fascinating. Humans have truly always been like this. Thank you for communicating all of this information in such a digestible way!
my headcanon is that everyone was just shitposting, but then people down the line took it seriously
Lol😅
Been waiting for you to cover this topic!!!!
This video, among so many others of yours, Dr. Sledge, is a fantastic and fascinating analysis of this subject. I absolutely can not wait for more videos on this subject and just about every other subject you cover. I love your channel and intend to make a donation to your Patreon to help in your continuing work. Thank you so much for your scholarly insights and impeccably astute observations on all the material you cover.
As someone who comes from a christian background, I'm glad i came across this video...
Isn't that thumbnail a depiction from one of Beksiński's paintings?
Yep, mentioned in the description.
@@TheEsotericaChannel 😊
Very happy to see a video on this topic that I've been interested in for a while from an academic source like yourself!
I always saw later gnosticism as the only theologically sound 'offshoot' of christianity that logically explained the separation in personality and attitude between the god of the old and new testaments. It was very interesting to learn that the theory and idea predated jesus and many of the theories that come up when one does surface level research on the philosophy.
💯❤️
Great video as always. Seems like as good a time as any to ask if gnosticism is sus? Linked with anti Jewish sentiments. Have you done a video on this?
Some of it is definitely ground in ancient anti-Judaism but it's extremely important to separate that from medieval or contemporary anti-Semitism
Thanks!
This is the first video I watch on this channel and honestly I'm kinda enraptured about it, will watch more soon!
This is really fascinating to me. You're growing on me. Keep up the good work and I'll be watching the next video to see where this goes.
Funny thing about Demiurge is that they make such fantastic effects pedals. (i.e. Doomy(O))) ) Seriously, though, I always look forward to your content. Thank you for your hard work.
BRRRRRRRR DRONEEEE
Ahh man just the fact the pedal is called Demiurge tells me all I need to know, I want one!
It's a SunnO))) life clone, also. And is like $150-250 cheaper than an actual Sunn Life pedal. And it's cute.
TUNED DOWN TO AAAAAAAAAA (eeeeeeeeee)
@@hessex1899 Couldve known there were doom fans in Esoterica comment sections lmao
Even without the intro music, it just plays in my head anyway.
Brilliant work! I finally ordered a tshirt from your shop! Love your delivery and well thought out presentation.
I was so stoked to see you started this series, learning the spiteful origions of the exodus and the demiurge has made my day for real lmfao
This is so fascinating! My understanding of the Demiurge is still growing after years of study. One thing is for sure, religion will always be in an infinite loop of interpretation, internally and externally. Also, interpretations will always be accepted, debated, and rebuked.
I swear that I watch this channel because it's one of the better ones at explaining the inspiration for Elden Ring and Dark Souls lore.
I'm not kidding! The Dark Souls series is clearly one inspired by the history of ancient Greek, Roman, Jewish and Christian civilizations.
Elden ring digs even deeper and starts with neolithic prehistory and goes through ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome along with Jewish Christian and Pagan religions co-mingling and warring throughout.
It nice to be able to learn more about the history that inspired it all. =)
Nice a souls bro. I have an obsession with those games. Glad you see parallels too haha
FromSoft Enjoyers get this shit 💯💯💯
The psychic horror of a chopinless universe
Damn Dr. Sledge starting the year off with non stop banger videos
Nostalgia being a form of depression just broke my brain. I'm sure the rest of the content is great.
So, listening to this reminds me a bit of the teachings my dad passed on to me. I've forgotten some of them (you don't use it, you lose it), but my sister got married to a religious scholar a few years back. I was hanging out at their house after the reception was long over, and the two of us got talking religion. I spoke with him about the things I believe and compared them to the things my dad believed. After explaining what I could recall of my dad's teachings, he responded, "Well, if your dad was teaching those things to the masses, he'd probably be tried as a heretic today."
The biggest thing being the identity of God, so to speak. We refer to God as the Father, but God is also all things, so must also be a Mother. For him, there were two "sides" or "faces" of God and you prayed to one or the other (or both), depending on what you sought. For lessons on love, kindness, and patience, you prayed to God the Mother. For lessons on strength, guidance, and perseverance, you prayed to God the Father. To limit God to just a man is to reduce His power as a God, to shape him in your own image instead of you being made in your own.
I can see a bit of why that might be a touch scandalous and could be construed as a blending of more pagan relgions with Christianity. He was only a second generation American, so he was raised around folks from the Old Country.
However, he was, in my eyes, the most ideal Christian known to humanity. He gave everything he could for others, asked for nothing in return, was not outwardly bigoted, loved and respected everyone he interacted with, and was only ever violent in defense of his family. Even then, it was a last resort. If what he believed is somehow heretical, then who is the heretic?
Putting this as a reply because it's supplemental but outside the initial scope.
I've witnessed some interesting things that my dad was able to do. Some might call them miracles. Some might call them magic. I see them more as a mere extension of his own faith. "Truly, I tell you: If you had faith as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible for you."
My two oldest sisters were abused as kids by their father. As a result of this, they began acting out for several years before spending time in an institution. Before that stay, the oldest of the two poisoned and killed a kitten in her bedroom. It had been dead long enough to have gone cold by the time we found it. Instead of getting angry and yelling at her for doing such a thing, he knelt down, gently held it in his hands, and prayed. In front of all of us, he prayed for several minutes straight, chanting the same prayer over and over again. Suddenly, the kitten was alive again and returned to its mother. Grew up just fine. She was scolded for what she did, and that may have been the sign that the two of them needed professional help.
A few years later, my birth mother, whose immune system is made of tissue paper and hope, caught the flu. This was confirmed by a visit to the hospital to get her the needed medication to help her through it. While she was resting in bed, my dad sat down next to her, held her left hand in his left, placed his right hand on her forehead, and prayed. A few minutes later, she felt fine. Went back to the hospital two days later, just to be sure, and, yeah, she was completely cured.
I would get these massive, chronic headaches every month. They felt like a combination of a sinus headache, a tension headache, and a migraine. With my eyes closed, I could FEEL it if someone walked into my bedroom as a huge spike in pain. Doctors checked everything they could think to and found nothing. They figured it was some sort of extreme migraine, but I didn't have enough of the signs to conclusively say so. After two years of having them every single month, I'm in the middle of having one again. Through my screams of pain, I hear my dad say to absolutely no one, "I think he's suffered enough." He gets out of his chair in his bedroom, walks into mine (which causes that spike in pain), and then sits down next to me. He places his hand on my forehead, hangs his head, and prays. First, he gives the Lord's Prayer, and then continues:
"I pray that you take this pain away from my son and place it onto me. I will carry his pain, O Lord, so that he may suffer no more." He then repeated this over and over for about five minutes until it suddenly... Stopped. The headache was gone and I haven't had one like it since. It's been twenty years since then.
I was a bit afraid many years back to share that story with people, not because I figured it too embarrassing or too far-fetched to tell in mixed company, but because I felt like talking about it would undo the work. It would break the spell, the protection placed upon me. I've told it many times now and that doesn't seem to be the case. He cured me of who knows what it may have been.
I'm not asking anyone to believe what I've said here, but he's not the only person I've known to be able to do something similar. I don't remember the man's first name, but he went by Mr. Bishop. A fitting surname, I suppose. He's the grandfather of the best friend of an ex girlfriend of mine, and we met at his granddaughter's going away party before she shipped off to join the Navy. We first just had regular small talk, then he asked me if I believed in ghosts. Told him I've seen a few, so we swapped ghost stories, and then we talked magic.
I didn't tell him the stories about my dad at first, as that's not usually one you share with someone you just met. Instead, he talked about the times he's saved the lives of a few family members through prayer. He's not bringing anyone back from the dead or anything, but simply praying that they stop bleeding. A nephew in a car accident, severed femoral artery. Hospital was too far away and the tourniquet wasn't working properly. EMT told the family to say goodbye, but he prayed and his nephew stopped bleeding.
Asked me to take his card and share it with my higher ups when I was in the military. All he wanted was to help. Said to me, "You know, when I was growing up here, many people said what I could do, whatever it may be, that it's evil. That it's something given by the devil. But how could something be evil if I only use it for good? How could that be wrong?"
My great, great Aunt also did one thing similar. I never met her, considering she passed away probably 80 years before I was even born, that adds up. My dad, though, told me about how his sister was dying. She was completely pale, couldn't keep food or water down. The doctor was just giving her pills, hoping something might help. After a while, he gave up and told the family to say their last goodbyes. Instead, my grandmother called her aunt. She lived just down the block, so was there shortly, and walked into the kitchen. In Polish, she asked my grandmother, "[Where is the girl?]"
She responds, "[In her bedroom, there.]"
"[Close the door behind me.]"
Thirty minutes later, the door opens and my dad's sister is at the kitchen table, color in her face, happily eating dinner as if nothing had happened. Despite being 6 years older than my dad and having a twin brother, she outlived all of them. Her twin brother passed in his early 50's when his heart suddenly stopped. Not a heart attack, just stopped while he was on his morning jog. My dad made it to 63, and that's old for his family. Had a heart attack brought on my stress, as he was desperately trying to find the bankruptcy paperwork that was due in a few hours, unaware that he had likely deleted them off of his computer. She made it to 86 years old having died peacefully in her sleep, still living in her childhood home.
Then again, heresiologists (i.e., heresy-hunters) who gained power ended up targeting other early Christians as 'heretics'. Some of those so-called heretics had ideas like your father, some even stranger by the standards of modern conventional Christian thought. For example, the Trinity was one way of solving the dilemma by equating the Holy Spirit with the divine mother or as a feminine spiritual power. The irony is that much of modern Christianity, whether or not it would've been deemed heretical, would've simply been unrecognizable to the early Christians.