Gnosticism
Gnosticism describes a collection of ancient religions that taught that people should shun the material world created by the demiurge and embrace the spiritual world. Gnostic ideas influenced many ancient religions that teach that
gnosis may be reached by practicing philanthropy to the point of personal poverty, sexual abstinence and diligently searching for wisdom by helping others. However, practices varied among those who were Gnostic. In Gnosticism, the world of the demiurge is represented by the lower world, which is associated with matter, flesh, time and more particularly an imperfect, ephemeral world. The world of God is represented by the upper world, and is associated with the soul and perfection. The world of God is eternal and not part of the physical. It is impalpable, and time doesn't exist there. To rise to God, the Gnostic must reach the
knowledge, which mixes philosophy, metaphysics, curiosity, culture, knowledge, and the secrets of history and the universe. Gnosticism is primarily defined in a Christian context.