Gnosis and the Afterlife — What the Gnostic Faces at Death
Gnostic knowledge of the afterlife is practical as well as theoretical — the Gnostic practitioner prepares for death by learning the cosmic geography of the soul's ascent.
For the Gnostic, preparation for death is an essential spiritual practice — because the quality of the soul's post-mortem experience depends entirely on the degree of Gnosis achieved during life. The Gnostic who has recognized their divine origin and learned the names and pass-words of the Archons will be able to navigate the post-mortem realm without being recaptured and forced to reincarnate. The Gnostic who has not achieved this recognition will be drawn back into material existence by the Archons' power. The first Apocalypse of James, Gospel of Mary, and Pistis Sophia all contain elements of this 'psycho-navigation' teaching — describing the challenges the soul will face and providing the knowledge needed to meet them. This practical eschatology distinguishes Gnosticism from purely theological traditions: it produces not only a worldview but a survival kit for the most important journey the soul will undertake.
The one who has attained Gnosis will not fear death, for they know whence they came and whither they are going.
The Gnostic teaching holds that genuine knowledge of death's nature transforms the experience of dying: one who meets death as the soul's release from material bondage faces it differently than one who sees only annihilation.
Nag Hammadi Library
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Gnostic eschatology is practical rather than theological: Pistis Sophia, the Gospel of Mary and the First Apocalypse of James all teach what the soul will meet and what it should say. Dying is treated as a skill with content that can be learned in advance. Nothing is left to be worked out on the day.