Talk Gnosis

In this episode of Talk Gnosis, we welcome Why Theory’s Todd McGowan and Ryan Engley to read pop culture with a critical eye. We dig into how psychoanalysis and continental philosophy can change the way you watch: why form often says more than content, how constraints (think the classic Production Code of Old Hollywood) seeded subversion, and what it means to treat every film as a “garbled message” you’re free to interpret.

From Barbarella’s accidental feminism to the fourth‑wall’s cynical wink, from superheroes and the meaning of failure to why “kindness is punk,” we trade easy nostalgia and knee‑jerk cynicism for practical tools: submit to the text, read the form, look for rifts where unintended meanings break through, and let art actually move you.

Listen to the podcast Talk Gnosis on whatever program or platform you usualy use (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.) or check it out at https://pod.link/1299863834

Todd mentions his new book The Cambridge Introduction to Jacques Lacan, check it out at

https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-introduction-to-jacques-lacan/8A8D3C7E67375B173684A3DC916A648D

[https://ia600506.us.archive.org/20/items/audio-final-why-theory/audio%20final%20why%20theory.mp3]

Professor Damien P Williams was kind enough to spend time with us discussing generative technology such as LLMs like ChatGPT, and visual generators. He explains clearly at a technical level how these technologies work.

What’s more, we get into some fascinating places discussing what these technologies might mean for esotericists, and why knowing how they work is integral to knowing what meanings you are bringing in to your spiritual or magical practice.

There are some obvious concerns that are known by many; here you’ll get the deeper implications that no one is talking about.

[https://dn720703.ca.archive.org/0/items/generative-ai-and-gnosis/Generative%20AI%20and%20Gnosis.mp3]

Ike Baker—writer, esoteric thinker, and creator of the Arcanum podcast—joins us for a cosmos-ranging conversation on his work, modern Gnosticism, Platonism, initiation, and much more.

Tune in to discover how Ike’s unexpected path led him from skepticism to deep spiritual practice. He shares why he started creating esoteric content and discusses his mission to guide seekers away from reactive spirituality, encouraging genuine spiritual growth through initiation and community.

Check out Arcanvm: https://www.youtube.com/@UCNTK70AOAOi9zMqOZFdvjeA

For instance, this is a great Arcanvm ep, it’s Jon and Jason talking Gnosticism: https://youtu.be/eD2dKRBMyKo?si=mdwWEfLxcvBrIDZQ

[https://dn721605.ca.archive.org/0/items/final-for-real-audio-final-super-final-ike-made-with-clipchamp/Final%20for%20realAUDIO%20FINAL%20SUPER%20FINAL%20IKE%20-%20Made%20with%20Clipchamp.m4a]

In this episode, as part of our “Mapping Gnosticism” series, Deacon Jon and Jason analyze the results of a survey we created to understand how people are engaging with Gnostic ideas today. We distributed the survey through our website, Reddit, and Discord, and received dozens and dozens of responses from individuals who are either Gnostics or are simply interested in the topic.

We discuss the survey’s questions, which covere how people first found Gnosticism, what sources they use now, and what resources they wish existed. Hey, his isn’t a formal academic study, but our attempt to chart the territory of modern interest in this diverse spiritual tradition and it’s fuel for our takes on what modern Gnosticism is and what it could become.

[https://ia601801.us.archive.org/27/items/final-final-mapping-audio/finalFINAL%20MAPPING%20-%20AUDIO.mp3]

Have you ever wondered about the nature of mystical experiences? We often hear stories of blissful, heavenly visions, but what if a spiritual awakening was terrifying? Our guest this week is Dr. Michael Sosteric, a sociologist who underwent a profound transformation from a materialist academic to a “professional mystic.” Dr. Sosteric shares the raw details of his own mystical experience —a frightening confrontation with the God of his youth that was filled not with love, but with visceral fear and judgment. He explains how this terrifying event paradoxically acted as a “clearing,” removing deep-seated blockages and opening the floodgates to an incredible flow of insight that would define the next two decades of his life.

We go far beyond one man’s story, offering a groundbreaking framework for understanding these events. Dr. Sosteric introduces the neutral term “connection experience” to bridge the gap between scientific inquiry, spiritual traditions, and the intensely personal nature of mysticism. He argues that these experiences are a natural and common human capacity, often suppressed by the constant distractions of modern life and the fear of social stigma. Tune in to explore a new model of consciousness, learn to differentiate between a transformative crisis and genuine pathology, and discover it’s possible to map and make sense of these profound connections to something larger than ourselves.

Find out more about his work at:

https://lightningpath.org

https://spiritwiki.lightningpath.org/index.php/Main_Page

and read the papers discussed and more of his work at:

https://athabascau.academia.edu/DrS

[https://ia801204.us.archive.org/35/items/audio-final-so-esoteric/AUDIO%20Final%20So%20Esoteric.mp3]

Deacon Jon hosts Saskia Vogel, the translator of Peter Cornell’s “The Ways of Paradise,” a uniquely conceived novel presented as research notes to a lost, imaginary manuscript.

The book’s premise is it’s a series of 122 footnotes that circle the idea of paradise, creating a text that intentionally blurs the line between academic research and fiction, reality and the imagined, the esoteric and the exoteric. The text itself becomes a labyrinth exploring loss and the human yearning for a paradise that remains just out of reach, a book that is ultimately completed not on the page, but in the mind of the reader who engages with its mystery.

Get the book: https://fitzcarraldoeditions.com/books/the-ways-of-paradise/

Read an excerpt: https://www.theparisreview.org/miscellaneous/8310/the-ways-of-paradise-selected-notes-from-a-lost-manuscript-peter-cornell

Follow Saskia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saskia.vogel/

Check out her homepage: https://saskiavogel.com/

[https://ia600900.us.archive.org/0/items/audio-finalforrealsaskia/AUDIO-FINALFORREALSASKIA.mp3]

What is Gnosis?! We don’t have THE answer but we have ANSWERS…many of them! In this Mapping Gnosticism installment, Jason and Deacon Jon wander into the labyrinthe of the complex and transformative nature of experiential knowledge that goes beyond intellectual understanding.

We look at notions of spiritual enlightenment, presenting gnosis not as a singular, achievable state, but as a dynamic, ongoing journey of personal transformation that encompasses imagination, bodily experience, and a profound connection to something greater than oneself.

Is Gnosis a beautiful supernatural experience? Or more of a nuanced, often uncomfortable process of recognizing divine sparks in everyday moments—whether during a stressful commute, caring for a dying friend, or experiencing profound interconnectedness?! Or maybe Gnosis is the friends we make upon the way.

https://dn721505.ca.archive.org/0/items/final-audio-what-is-gnosis/FINAL%20AUDIO%20what%20is%20gnosis.mp3]

Warning: This episode contains multiple info-hazards!

Talk Gnosis explores the surprising and horrifing intersection of modern tech culture, artificial intelligence, and ancient gnostic concepts. Hosts Jason Memhel and Jonathan Stewart, and your fav TG contributer Nic Laccetti, look at how Gnosticism can help us think about the AI fad and how ideas and philosophy around AI and Large Language Models resemble Gnosticism in some strange and terrifying ways.

Discover how Silicon Valley’s tech culture has inadvertently created a new form of religious mythology – one where a hypothetical future AI could become god-like, potentially punishing those who didn’t help create it. See how deeply religious thinking patterns emerge even within staunchly atheistic communities, revealing humanity’s persistent spiritual yearnings disguised in technological language.

[https://ia600801.us.archive.org/25/items/final-basil-audio/Final%20Basil%20AUDIO.mp3]

Conclave

The Apostolic Johannite Church is proud to present the twenty-fifth annual AJC Conclave – May 8th – 13th, 2025 – Hybrid – Online and Atlanta, GA

Coming out of the pandemic, and in a first for the Apostolic Johannite Church, we’ve elected to make Conclave 2025 a hybrid event. Conclave will be both online and in-person with the Parish of St. John in Atlanta, GA, giving folks in a variety of circumstances and situations the ability to participate in whichever way is most accessible and enjoyable for them.

All Conclave speakers, talks and workshops will take place from Friday, May 9th to Sunday, May 11th, 2025 – with additional activities and in-person liturgy scheduled for those who are able to attend in-person. Our speakers will be a blend of in-person and online- with in-person speakers being broadcast to our online attendees live.

This year our theme is Divine Union, Mysticism and Theurgy

Each year the people of the AJC, friends and family gather together to socialize, learn, build our skills and deepen our community. It is an amazing opportunity for spiritual growth and insight to modern Gnostic practice. Conclave is a rich opportunity to deepen your practice, education and experience of Gnosticism and the Apostolic Johannite Church.

Conclave offers lectures, workshops and panel discussions selected to develop ministry skills, support the work of church leaders both lay and ordained and deepen and enrich the spiritual lives of attendees.

As always, we welcome you, no matter who you are or what your spiritual path, to join us for this unique weekend. You can come for all or part and participate as much or as little as you’d like. However you choose, we welcome you into our household.

[https://ia601201.us.archive.org/12/items/final-conclave-audio/final%20conclave%20AUDIO.mp3]

M.R. Osborn has a new essential book so we just had to get into it with him. Delve into the rich spiritual tradition of the “Office of the Holy Spirit” and its connection to the enigmatic 18th-century mystic Martinez de Pasqually. This interview unveils a rare treasure from medieval Christianity that nearly vanished from history but found new purpose in Pasqually’s esoteric Christian practice.

Osborn’s latest book reproduces this forgotten divine office – a structured prayer system rooted in the psalms and traditionally observed at specific hours throughout the day. The conversation explores how Pasqually, a Catholic of Portuguese-Jewish origin, incorporated these devotions into his “Élus Coëns” system, emphasizing spiritual reconciliation through prayer. This beautifully illustrated volume, featuring both original Latin texts and English translations, offers not just historical insight but a practical devotional resource for Christians of all backgrounds seeking to deepen their connection with the Holy Spirit through this ancient contemplative tradition.

[https://ia800806.us.archive.org/28/items/talk-gnosis-office-of-the-holy-spirit-martinez-de-pasqually-w-m.-r.-osborn-tube-ripper.com/%5BTalk%20Gnosis%5D%20Office%20of%20the%20Holy%20Spirit%20%2B%20Martinez%20de%20Pasqually%20w%20M.R.%20Osborn%20%5BTubeRipper.com%5D.m4a]