Similar to enlightenment, Gnosis is considered to be a level of awareness that through insight and wisdom, a direct knowledge of God and a spiritual attainment of unity is accomplished, such as to become a god oneself. Gnosticism then is defined by the belief that we are saved through knowledge rather than through a relationship with Jesus, God's son. This Mediterranean and eastern culture believes that sin is not as large of an issue to tackle as is ignorance. Therefore, knowledge, particularly experiential knowledge of divine things and of oneself was the cure and the path to heaven.

In the Christian religion, the Bible is the focus of beliefs and traditional practices. For Gnostics, the liturgy based on our Western ideas of Mass centered on the Eucharist is the illumination, not the salvation element. With as many varieties and methods as there are circles, the quieting of the mind coupled with awareness and identifying stresses in order to release energy and achieve a certain spiritual objective are practices the Gnostic center teaches those who wish to become involved in their plight of attainment of what sounds like self actualization. Using yoga-like techniques, meditation and prayer, rituals involving elements such as bread and wine are incorporated and shared among members.

The Gnostic center teaches the five major beliefs of the Gnostic religion; that they are giants raised by pygmies, that truth comes in types and images and can only be received in those way, that we as mankind must literally "wake up" not being in a dream state, but to awaken to knowledge, that the attainment of knowledge is their central task and, that they as individuals must practice extreme responsibility as there is no on to tell them what to do. While they have clergymen in the Gnostic center, these individuals simply act as servants; leaving all authority with "the people".

The Gnostic center celebrates its early beginnings as a way to avoid the oppression and guilt associated with Christianity. Believing that a "lesser god" named Demiurge was an imiatator of the real God and actually was responsible for creating everything seen. According to Philip K. Dick, a science fiction writer interested in Gnostic beliefs "...God does not create the universe, he simply finds it one day and ...sets to work to transform the chaos into order..."

Based on the "lost" books of the Christian Bible, namely the Gospels of Thomas, Philip, The Gospel of Truth and the Secret Book of James, this ancient religion believes that new interest is carved into today's society; helped along with the release of such popular motion picture movies as The Davinci Code and Holy Grail.

While the Gnostic religion believes that the awakening of all individuals constitute a truly cosmic event, it might be dangerous to even investigate. What if we are awakened as Adam and Eve were to their nakedness and their sin? Do we really want to be awakened to horrible thing? I think I'll stay in my "dream-like state." Thank you very much! After all, isn't "ignorance bliss"?