Introduction to Kimetikos: The Gnostic View of the Body

One of the most intriguing creation myths in ancient literature appears in the long version of the Gnostic Secret Book of John, a Sethian text found in the Nag Hammadi Library Codices II, 1 and IV, 1. This myth, found in Sections 4-17, details, in great specificity, the process of creation from the most abstract and divine– the Unnamable Monad– all the way through to the most concrete and immediate– the human body itself. The process is described as a series of emanations proceeding from the Monad which, as they become further and further removed from the source, become more and more involved with the World of Forms and subject to the forces of destiny which preside therein.

The process includes the names of ruling powers of each different level of creation: the Aeons who dwell in the Pleromic realms, the Archons who rule the World of Forms, and the angels or Powers who rule over each individual part of the body. Additional names are given for souls which comprise the body, elemental forces, various daemons of passions and phenomenological qualities of the human, etc. The names given, for the most part, come sans translation, and their derivations are far from obvious to the casual reader.

As modern readers and students of Gnosticism, we may find ourselves scratching our heads at such a “Bestiary.” The fact is, we will likely never know the actual reason this list was included in The Secret Book of John. However, philosophically, we can absolutely make certain educated guesses based on some premises which may very well have been shared by the authors of the text:

• Knowing something’s name gives one control over that thing;
• The Macrocosm and Microcosm are fundamentally self-similar (As Above, So Below).

As the Bestiary in the text provides the reader with a map of the creation of the Macrocosm, so the names also provide the reader with a map of the creation of the Microcosm. Knowing the names of the Ruling aspects of the different “parts” that make up the body allows one, in turn, to control those parts for healing or religious purposes. Knowing the names and functions of the Powers which rule the Planetary Spheres allow one to escape their influence– and thereby “destiny”– and return to the Pleroma from the World of Forms.

How did the ancient Gnostics utilize the Bestiary in their process? We may never know. Nonetheless, we contemporary Gnostics can certainly recognize the Bestiary as a roadmap, which may be as useful to us and our own spiritual practice as a Fifteenth Century map of the tradewinds might be to a modern sailor. We refer to the process of navigating this roadmap as “Kimetikos.”

The practice of Kimetikos was not ‘divinely inspired,’ channeled or otherwise contrived. It was developed as a contemporary practice via a modern interpretation of the Bestiary in the Secret Book of John. Its inspirations include Classical Gnosticism, Greco-Roman Theurgical practice, Tai Chi and Reiki. It is, however, a thoroughly Gnostic system, and presumes a familiarity with the Classical Gnosticism of the Nag Hammadi Library and Hermetic Scriptures on the part of the practitioner. The primary texts associated with these philosophies can be found online at http://www.gnosis.org/library.html.

In Basic Kimetikos, the practitioner, or “kimetikon,” first becomes acquainted with the practice for him or herself, and may then apply the practice as a therapeutic treatment for others. Advanced Kimetikos deals with further application of the practice for psychological and spiritual development. This site will provide the interested student with an overview of Basic Kimetikos, including all instructional material needed to begin the practice.

To begin this free introductory course, start with Kimetikos I: Theory. After you have studied the material in each course, you may contact the Site Administrator who will send review questions for completion. Upon satisfactory completion of each review, you will be sent the password for the next section.

If you’re ready to begin, please proceed to Course I.