Ah, our first foray into the weird, wonderful world of John Lamb Lash. For those of you unfamiliar with Lash, he is a modern Gnostic. No, I’m not going to pick on Gnosticism. I am going to pick on Lash’s Gnostic nonsense at a specific point.
In his quest to argue the superiority of Gnosticism as a worldview, Lash has written that the Gnostic texts from Nag Hammadi (alone, since they are so wonderful) correctly tell us the story of an ancient alien intrusion into earth’s history. They do nothing of the sort. Now, don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t deny that there are striking similarities between Gnostic cosmology and teachings and the messages that you’d read about (ad nauseum) from people who believe they have been contacted by aliens. That’s true–but not for the reason Lash argues. Lash wants you to believe that the similarities are due to the faithful recording in the Gnostic texts of real aliens who came to earth and kickstarted human civilization (and helped create humanity to boot). I’d say the opposite: that the similarities are what they are because the ideas and worldview spoonfed to contactees and abductees is nothing more than Gnosticism rehashed for a 20th-21st century technological audience (with a dash of theosophy and a few other occult spices). That’s the kind of thing I’m discussing on another blog, so I won’t park on that here. On PaleoBabble, I have another issue in view.
Lash makes the following claim in his online article, “Alien Instrusion”:
Physical descriptions of Archons occur in several Gnostic codices. Two types are clearly identified: a neonate or embryonic type, and a draconic or reptilian type. Obviously, these descriptions fit the Greys and Reptilians of contemporary reports to a T. Or I should say, to an ET.
Delving into the Gnostic materials, it is quite a shock to discover that ancient seers detected and investigated the problem of alien intrusion during the first century CE, and certainly well before. (The Mysteries date from many centuries before the Christian Era.) What is amazing about the Gnostic theory of the Archons is not only the cosmological background (explaining the origin of these entities and the reason for their enmeshment with humanity), but the specificity of information on the alien m.o., describing how they operate and what they want from us. For one thing, Gnostics taught that these entities envy us and feed on our fear. Above all, they attempt to keep us from claiming and evolving our “inner light,” the gift of divine intelligence within. While I would not claim that Gnostic teachings on the Archons, or what remains of such teachings, have all the answers to the ET/UFO enigma, one thing is clear: they present a coherent and comprehensive analysis of alien intrusion, as well as specific practices for resisting it. They are far more complete and sophisticated than any theory in discussion today.
How can we test this claim? Easy–in future posts I’ll revisit my electronic corpus of the Nag Hammadi texts and search for such descriptions. You don’t have to take Lash’s word for it (or mine)–I’ll show you. Stay tuned.
I wish Mike could be called up on Coast to Coast A.M. after all guests who refer to ‘aliens’ and bible texts. I know Mr Noorey seems open minded but he just doesn’t question anyone who holds to Stichinite ideas, why not? In fact he really still seems to want Stitchin to be relevant even After MR Heiser’s works.
Having only recently found his deconstruction of John Lash’s ‘theory’ of Gnostic Alien intrusion I was somewhat taken aback and ‘in’ when I first encountered it. Becoming interested in Gnostic ideas at the time, I emailed a Gnostic bishop with Lash’s site and a big question mark.
Well, the bishop didn’t reply but an ocolyte did! and he said he had no idea where Lash had gained this theory for it was somthing not within the texts or Gnostic practice, past or present (I.E. It was typical of modern day ‘reductionist thinking’)
I searched and searched and couldn’t see Lash’s ideas in the texts and as for the dead sea scroll versus the qumran communities, I felt it was a very odd notion he had!!
I would truly value A discussion by Mike on Gnostic theology, a series of MP3 lectures would be great. (and I would pay for them) on Each Idea of gnostic thought.
Perhaps it’s a small market for the time it would take?
So Too I wonder If the good Doctor has any thoughts on DMT and Rick Strassman’s book ‘The Spirit molecule’ and in detail, the beings encountered within it. In interviews Strassman states that since undertaking this research he has spent his time researching Biblical texts. ??!!!
@stevefairc: Thanks for this Steve. As you probably know, I’ve been on C2C many times, but the only time an appearance was related to Gnosticism was when I talked about the DaVinci Code, and one appearance I made with Darrell Bock. Never been on about Lash’s nuttiness, but I have suggested it to Ian Punnett, one of the co-hosts. Ian never got back to me on that one. Maybe some time in the future, as Ian would be a good host for it. George just likes to let people say what they have to say and doesn’t really pass judgment.
Only three comments,and one of them is yours.
@Wow: Not sure what the point is. Only 16,000 new visitors a month, and only one of them is you.
It is interesting that in Gnosticism the true God is referred to as the Alien God, not to defend this guys nonsense.
understood
I should add that the Gnostic’s meant that the true God is alien to our understanding and beyond our comprehension, not that it is an extraterrestrial being, although many of the God’s in various religions could be considered aliens since they are not a part of the material world, so in that sense they are extraterrestrials………..
Ah, where are the Mysteries when we really need them. T
I thought the CORE belief was to find answers “within” and to stop telling others what is actually right and wrong? I mean forgive me please but isn’t this the same principal used by all modern religions which we should all agree is not productive. As I peruse around over the years I constantly see this childish egoistic finger pointing with posts so eager to prove the authors “brilliant” point while the most important point is always missing: we all have the right to believe what we want and the responsibility to seek truth internally AND THAT SHOULD BE THE MESSAGE. Where is the love? That is usually the first indicator of the attainment of the author and the source of the proposed “TRUTH” they are pushing. No offense but to me this is just more corruption instead of the perpetuation of healing through positive example of acceptance and unity.
not sure exactly what this pertains to.
And, for the record, love doesn’t content itself with knowingly allowing people to be deceived. It is loving to speak up and prevent people from being misled.
why couldn’t the archons be aliens. you don’t have to hold on to anything but an open mind. john lash. maybe right.
The issue is Lash’s use of the Gnostic texts.
“Lash wants you to believe that the similarities are due to the faithful recording in the Gnostic texts of real aliens who came to earth and kickstarted human civilization (and helped create humanity to boot).”
Nowhere does Lash claim that aliens “kickstarted human civilization.” You must’ve been reviewing Sitchin and forgot mid-essay. Great “scholarship”!
The Gnostic archons play the role of assisting the Demiurge. If they are ETs, then you have kickstarting humans (which of course by extension leads to human civilization).
This passage – from the Gnostic Nag Hammadi Text “Tripartite Tractate” is *precisely* what Sitchin teaches about his ET Anunnaki. And Lash, as someone who knows these texts, is well aware of this:
11. The Creation of Material Humanity
The matter which flows through its form 5 (is) a cause by which the invisibility which exists through the powers […] for them all, for […], as they beget before them and [destroy.]
The thought which is set 10 between those of the right [and] those of the left is a power of [begetting]. All those which the [first ones] will wish to make, so to speak, a projection of theirs, 15 like a shadow cast from and following a body, those things which [are] the roots of the visible creations, namely, the entire preparation of the adornment of the images and representations 20 and likenesses, have come into being because of those who need education and teaching and formation, so that the smallness might grow, little 25 by little, as through a mirror image. For it was for this reason that he created mankind at the end, having first prepared and provided for him the things which he had created 30 for his sake.
Like that of all else is the creation of mankind as well. The spiritual Logos moved him invisibly, as he perfected 35 him through the 105 Demiurge and his angelic servants, who shared in the act of fashioning in [multitudes, when he] took counsel with his archons. Like a shadow is earthly man, 5 so that he might be like [those] who are cut off from the Totalities. Also he is something prepared by all of them, those of the right and those of the left, since each one in [the] orders gives a form to the […], 10 in which it exists.
James McConkey Robinson et al., The Nag Hammadi Library in English (4th rev. ed.; Leiden; New York: E.J. Brill, 1996), 87.
In short, you’re wrong.