Gnosticism (Part 3): Basilides, the Singularity, Heredity & Psychology

“The nonexistent God wished, without intelligence, without sense, without will, without choice, without passion, without desire, to make a Universe. I say that he ‘wished’ for the sake of saying something, but it was actually also without wish, without intelligence, without sense; and I say ‘universe’ in reference not to the one with breadth and divisibility which came into existence later and continued to exist, but to the seed of that universe. The seed of the universe had everything within it, just as the grain of mustard seed (Matt. 13:31-32), collecting everything in the smallest space, contains it all together—roots, stem, branches, innumerable leaves, seeds of the grains generated from the plants, and seeds of still other plants, when they are scattered. Thus the nonexistant God made a nonexistent universe out of the nonexistent, establishing and giving substance to one certain seed which had within it the whole semination of the universe. It is like the egg of some variegated and many-colored bird, such as the peacock or some other bird, an egg which though one has within it many forms of multiform, many-colored, many-constituted substances. Thus the non-existent seed, established by the nonexistent God as the semination of the universe, was at the same time polymorphous and many-substanced.”—St. Basilides

In the first part of this serious, Gnosticism (Part 1): Basilides & Atheism, I elaborated on the crypto-atheistic and quasi-Epicurean aspects of Basilides' teachings (which are in line with gnostic teachings in general). Now I want to talk more specifically about the aspects of Basilides' thought that overlap with modern scientific theory. I do not wish to say that his ideas were scientific, but merely to point out places where he seems to have been on to something.

The Initial Singularity vs. Basilides' "Panspermia"

Basilides spoke of a panspermia or "all-seed" which was implanted in this universe from outside of this universe. He held that this "all-seed" contained all matter compressed into an infinitesimally small space, "without breadth." This panspermia of Basilides is basically equivalent to the singularity spoken of by modern astronomers. Some theoretical physicists and astronomers postulate that there was an "initial singularity" in which all of the matter, energy, and space-time in the whole universe was contained within the gravitational singularity of an infinitely dense point. This singularity exploded with the big bang and threw out all the matter, energy, and space-time that was originally contained within it. Like these modern scientists, Basilides held that everything in our universe was once contained under extreme pressure within a single dense point or singularity.

Heredity vs. "Metempsychosis"

It is also interesting to me that Basilides and Valentinius seem to have had a doctrine of metempsychosis that bordered on a theory of heredity. The animalistic passions, according to these gnostics, are actually "appendages" that we more or less inherited. However, the inheritance is not a biological inheritance but a spiritual inheritance. The gnostics taught a doctrine of metempsychosis or the "transmigration of souls" (e.g. reincarnation). The human soul, having passed through many animal incarnations, was said to have picked up "appendages" along the way, thereby inheriting animalistic passions and characteristics. These animalistic instincts and passions were regarded as "spirits" or "demons" that attached themselves to the soul along its journey.

"The adherents of Basilides are in the habit of calling the passions 'appendages': saying that these are in essence certain spirits attached to the rational soul, through some original perturbation and confusion; and that, again, other bastard and heterogeneous natures of spirits grow on to them, like that of the wolf, the ape, the lion, the goat, whose properties showing themselves around the soul, they say, assimilate the lusts of the soul to the likeness of the animals. For they imitate the actions of those whose properties they bear. And not only are they associated with the impulses and perceptions of the irrational animals, but they affect the motions and the beauties of plants, on account of their bearing also the properties of plants attached to them. They have also the properties of a particular state, as the hardness of steel. But against this dogma we shall argue subsequently, when we treat of the soul. At present this only needs to be pointed out, that man, according to Basilides, preserves the appearance of a wooden horse, according to the poetic myth, embracing as he does in one body a host of such different spirits. Accordingly, Basilides' son himself, Isidorus, in his book, About the Soul attached to us, while agreeing in the dogma, as if condemning himself, writes in these words: 'For if I persuade any one that the soul is undivided, and that the passions of the wicked are occasioned by the violence of the appendages, the worthless among men will have no slight pretence for saying, 'I was compelled, I was carried away, I did it against my will, I acted unwillingly;' though he himself led the desire of evil things, and did not fight against the assaults of the appendages. But we must, by acquiring superiority in the rational part, show ourselves masters of the inferior creation in us.' For he too lays down the hypothesis of two souls in us, like the Pythagoreans, at whom we shall glance afterwards.
Valentinus too, in a letter to certain people, writes in these very words respecting the appendages: There is one good, by whose presence is the manifestation, which is by the Son, and by Him alone can the heart become pure, by the expulsion of every evil spirit from the heart: for the multitude of spirits dwelling in it do not suffer it to be pure; but each of them performs his own deeds, insulting it oft with unseemly lusts. And the heart seems to be treated somewhat like a caravanserai. For the latter has holes and ruts made in it, and is often filled with dung; men living filthily in it, and taking no care for the place as belonging to others. So fares it with the heart as long as there is no thought taken for it, being unclean, and the abode of many demons. But when the only good Father visits it, it is sanctified, and gleams with light. And he who possesses such a heart is so blessed, that 'he shall see God.'"―Clement of Alexandria (Stromata, Book 2, Ch. 20)

This gnostic idea of the soul inheriting appendages from previous incarnations in animal form reminds me of the Eastern Orthodox doctrine of ancestral sin. Both doctrines explain sin in terms of inheritance. The gnostics said sin was inherited from animals via metempsychosis. The Orthodox said sin was inherited from our ancestors biologically. According to the Orthodox notion of ancestral sin, we inherited the fear of death and the survival instinct from our ancestors. The desire for self-preservation and survival, driven by the fear of death, is the root cause of our sinfulness. The Roman Catholics, on the other hand, said that the guilt of Adam's sin was inherited. Thus, the Roman Catholic doctrine differs from the Orthodox, insofar as the Catholic doctrine entails the notion of "inherited guilt."

It's also interesting to note that Basilides and Valentinius were correct in asserting that the human body contains multiple “spirits” or psyches. Modern neuroscientists are quite aware of this. The fact that there are multiple centers of consciousness in a single brain can be demonstrated by the case of split-brain patients who have undergone a callosotomy as treatment for epilepsy. The severity of seizures in a person with severe epilepsy can be greatly reduced by severing the corpus callosum which connects the two sides of the brain. After the surgery, each side of the brain becomes a separate center of consciousness and the two sides of the brain can no longer communicate directly. The illusion of a unified center of consciousness is created by the unifying neural connections between different parts of the brain. If those neural connections are severed, the unity of the mind is lost. Just as the corpus callosum connects the two sides of the brain and unites two centers of consciousness into one, it would be possible to connect two separate brains together and create a unified consciousness out of two individuals. Then there is dissociative identity disorder or multiple personality disorder, in which a person experiences multiple personalities or conscious individuals within their own head. Additionally, there are the phenomena of diamons in ancient Greece, yidams (mentally constructed meditational deities) in Buddhism, “spirit guides” in theosophy, and tulpas in chaos magick. All of these mystical entities seem to be manifestations of separate centers of consciousness within the human mind. Mystics and psychonauts may even experience “ego death,” in which the illusion of unified consciousness fades away. So, from the perspective of psychology, the gnostics were on to something.