"What the Greeks and Gnostics called the “Demiurge” is a universal intelligence that fashions our world. It is said that the Demiurge converts abstract metaphysical archetypes (higher thoughts/ideas) into physically manifest forms, akin to your browser turning source code into a displayed web page. Just as a browser obediently displays what it’s given, the Demiurge projects, shapes, and perpetuates physicality in accordance with the archetypal thoughts fed into it by the Creator. Archetypes are the building blocks of meaning, the fundamental alphabet of existence, the abstract thoughts of the divine, of which all things are but particular expressions. Why is the concept of Demiurge even necessary? Well, we know from the “reality creation” phenomenon that our own minds can shape reality by directly altering the probability of events. Due to the dependence of reality on mind, it would seem that reality is being projected by our minds. And yet, reality continues to exist even in our absence. When we stop paying attention to something physical, it does not wink out of existence. Obviously there must be something other than our own consciousness at work, something that is always there, that functions as the default generator and perpetuator of physicality. This would be the Demiurge. Why not attribute this function to the Infinite Creator and dispense with the extra concept of Demiurge? Because as you will see, the characteristics of the Demiurge indicate more of a blind artificial intelligence than an infinite sentient being. Therefore its function is uncharacteristic of the Creator and unique unto itself. Demiurge, Logos, and Nous Depending on the source, the terms “Nous” and “Logos” are used independently or interchangeably with the term “Demiurge.” Sometimes Nous is equated with Logos, sometimes Logos with Demiurge, sometimes Logos is used instead of Demiurge, and sometimes these are treated as independent concepts with some specified relation between them. Plato saw the Demiurge as inherently good, while the Gnostics saw it as intrinsically evil. Meanwhile, John the Apostle equated Logos with Christ1. It’s quite a confusing mess. The traditional views are not all in agreement, neither in definition nor in terminology. Confusion abounds, so this is my attempt to clear things up. In studying what has been said about these terms, it’s evident that each term has a unique cluster of meanings recurrently associated with it. “Demiurge” is typically associated with concepts like implementing, manifesting, building, translating, projecting, shaping, and perpetuating. The term implies a demigod with a blind urge to bring the unmanifest into manifestation. “Logos” is associated with thinking, reasoning, imagining, reconciling, balancing, planning, engineering, and informing. The term implies mind or intellect, especially divine mind or higher intellect. It sees, knows, plans, lays down the blueprint, balances the equation. “Nous” is associated with spirit. On the universal scale it represents the infinite Creator. On a personal scale it represents the central core of individualized consciousness, the bedrock of sentience, the seed of infinite potential, the divine spark, that which engenders self-transcendence, the portion of us that is immortal and retains continuity through incarnations. These concepts have their universal and personal expressions. On the universal scale: Nous is the spirit of Creation Logos the mind of Creation Demiurge the soul of Creation Universe the body of Creation. On the personal scale: Nous is our spirit Logos our mind (higher mind to be exact) Demiurge our soul In accordance with the Hermetic axiom, we are mirrors of Creation: “As above, so below.” In this article I will focus primarily on the Demiurge since it underlies, permeates, generates, fashions, and ultimately controls physical reality. It is therefore the nearest presiding power over our visible world; it is the central mainframe of this matrix reality, so to speak. Its origin, nature, and fate are inextricably bound with our own. Therefore we should become familiar with it and thereby learn much about our history, world, and future." montalk.net/gnosis/171/corruption-of-the-demiurge
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 01:07:39 +0000
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