James Lindsay is an author and founder of "New Discourses," and he's studied the influence of Gnostic ideas on Western politics and culture.

In this conversation, he explains how ancient mystical traditions transformed during the Enlightenment into social and political movements that promise to elevate humanity to higher levels of consciousness.

Lindsay argues that both woke leftism and emerging radical right-wing movements share the same underlying Gnostic patterns of claiming special knowledge and dividing the world into enlightened elites versus the masses. The discussion reveals how these ideas have parasitized both religious faith and secular reason, the two pillars that built Western civilization.

1. Three religions of the West: Faith, reason, and a secret third - Gnosticism - that parasitizes both legitimate traditions.
2. Modern Gnosticism transformed: During the Enlightenment, spiritual mysticism became social mysticism, replacing spirit world with sociological forces.
3. Gnostic parasite operates through: Fear, desperation, and resentment, attaching to good impulses in faith and reason systems.
4. Wizard circle creates hyper-reality: Distorts logical and moral perception, making people believe they have secret knowledge others lack.
5. Woke right mirrors woke left: Same Gnostic patterns of critical consciousness, us-versus-them thinking, and elite knowledge claims.
6. Faith and reason must shake hands: America's founding principles require both biblical faith and rational inquiry working together against mysticism.

• Ep. 1 - The Negation of the Real
• Ep. 2 - The Gnostic Parasite
• Ep. 3 - As Below, So Above
• "Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition" by Magee

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The Will Spencer Podcast is a weekly interview show featuring extended discussions with authors, leaders, and influencers who help us make sense of our changing world today. I release new episodes every week on Friday.

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