Gnosis: An Esoteric Tradition of Mystical Visions and Unions

by Dan Merkur

Traces the use of powerful gnostic visionary techniques from Hellenistic Gnosticism and Jewish merkabah mysticism, through Muhammad, the Ismaeilis, and theosophical Sufism to medieval neoplatonism, and renaissance alchemy.

Genres: Religion

387 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1993

Reviews

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're interested in the gnosticism of early Christianity, you'd probably be better served with Elaine Pagels' more accessible work. Merkur tends to be tangential and probably a little more intensively detail-driven for the lay reader.
I say tangential because Merkur strays unnecessarily into weird cul-de-sacs, like alchemy and gold magic, as well as odd detours into discussions of heaven numerology and the Ogdoad. If he'd stuck to his guns and fleshed out the historical bits a bit more than the strictly "philosophical" bits, it would've been a stronger work.
He does make excellent connections with Islam and especially Sufism while tending to be more cautious in linking these traditions with their Christian counterparts. He is somewhat dismissive of scholars like Corbin and Eliade, while also neglecting recent neuropsychological work that shows connections between feelings of all-is-one universalism and things like epilepsy and funniness in the brain's limbic system.

[Lorenzo · Rating 2 out of 5]

As far as i can see, Merkur follows a reductionist storyline. Mystical experiences are intrapsychic events without correspondent outer realities. However, his systematization of visionary techniques is worth reading.

[Chim · Rating 4 out of 5]

有啲资料堆砌之嫌，作者指出诺斯替嘅内在体验同人类嘅迷幻体验进而发展到宗教体验系有好大关系，基于噉样嘅关系，作者揾资料揾出好多神秘流派关于内在幻觉嘅体验，从荣格到炼金术，从基督教到伊斯兰，从古代到中世纪……