Page "Gnosis" Paragraph 11

Among the gnostics, gnosis was first and foremost a matter of self-knowledge, which was considered the path leading to the goal of enlightenment as the hidden knowledge of the various pre-Judeo-Christian pagan Mystery-Religions.

Knowledge that first relieved the individual of their cultural religious indoctrination and then reconciled them to their personal deity.

Through such self-knowledge and personal purification ( virtuous living ) the adept is led to direct knowledge of God via themselves as inner reflection or will.

Later, Valentinius ( Valentinus ), taught that gnosis was the privileged Gnosis kardias " knowledge of the heart " or " insight " about the spiritual nature of the cosmos, that brought about salvation to the pneumatics — the name given to those believed to have reached the final goal of sanctity.