• Came out of the desert
• Down from the mountain
• Out of the woods

I bring you good news! The kingdom of God is at hand
(meaning, it is here and now)

They did not get it. They looked around and saw what they had seen before.

He shrugged. He would not teach those who didn't get it.
Instead, he taught them the rules that would help them live in peace with their fellow men.

Thomas got it, and so did Mary Magdalene. The secret teachings, as Jesus taught them, are written in the Gospel of Thomas:

Jesus said:
If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.

Jesus said:
I am not your master. Because you have drunk, you have become drunk from the bubbling stream which I have measured out. . . . He who will drink from my mouth will become as I am: I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him.

They believed that there was a spark of divinity within each human, and - through reaching that spark, one would achieve gnosis -- a sense of wholeness and the knowledge of his or her place in the world. They believed that the world was illusion. Creativity was one evidence of gnosis. The teaching was transmitted one on one, initiated to beginner.

They were egalitarian, and among the initiates, women were as highly regarded as men. Before each gathering, lots were cast, and thus were the officers for that meeting chosen. The office lasted for that meeting only.

This in contrast with the proto-orthodox, who were hierarchical, patriarchic, who demanded their congregations be followers rather than thinkers, who put the clergy between the people and God.

Dr. Richard Davidson, Director of the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin, has been studying the effect of meditation on the brain, using functional MRI and advanced EEG analysis. He fit a cap of 32 electrodes on the heads of volunteers, and mapped the brain activity during meditation. The Dalai Lama heard of his study, and sent 8 experienced meditators to be a part of it. Of the 175 test subjects, the Tibetan lamas registered the quickest and most extreme change in brain waves. It was found that their brain activity centered n the left frontal cortex, the area associated with positive, optimistic feelings, while the amygdala - seat of negative emotions - became quiet. This study was reported in the Washington Post

Another study was undertaken at Laurentian University in Ontario by Dr. Michael Persinger. Instead of measuring the brain's output, he introduced energy - in the form of highly focussed magnetic waves into the brains of his subjects. When the left frontal area was so stimulated, 4 out of 5 of his subjects reported a "god-like experience". You can read about it at in WIRED magazine.

Can it be that this "god experience" is the same in which ancient prophets reported the voice of God speaking to them and formed the basis of much religious thought? Can it be that this "god experience" is hard-wired into the human brain and is accessable to all? And how do you and I access it? What is the secret teaching of the Gnostics?
I believe that it is, and you can, and that there are many "keys". Meditation is the best, but also prayer, chanting, whirling, or doing a rote activity. (I know of one person who had one of these experiences while working in a factory and of another, while cutting wood).