May 17, 2026 Arthur Versluis is Professor of Religious Studies at Michigan State University. Among his many books are Platonic Mysticism, American Gurus, Magic and Mysticism: An Introduction to Western Esotericism, The New Inquisitions: Heretic-Hunting and the Intellectual Origins of Modern Totalitarianism, Wisdom’s Children: A Christian Esoteric Tradition, American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions, and Alchemical Lightwork: A Guide to Creating Cultures of Light and Spiritual Awakening. He is the editor of JSR: Journal for the Study of Radicalism. He is also the founding president of Hieros, a nonprofit focused on spirituality and cultural renewal. This conversation is based on his book American Gnosis: Political Religion and Transcendence. Arthur explores the two very different meanings of Gnosticism: one rooted in direct spiritual transcendence and inner awakening, and the other tied to political ideology, power structures, and cultural critique. He discusses figures such as Charles Musès, Philip K. Dick, Herman Melville, Eric Voegelin, and Miguel Serrano while examining how Gnostic themes appear in contemporary films, digital culture, virtual reality, AI systems, and modern political movements. Along the way, Versluis reflects on mysticism, nihilism, nondual awareness, and the enduring human search for truth beyond materialism. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:31 Charles Musès and cosmological gnosis 00:13:13 Hypernumbers, harmonics, and the lion path 00:21:19 Eric Voegelin and political Gnosticism 00:27:02 Demiurges, virtual reality, and the digital age 00:34:30 Philip K. Dick, Melville, and neo-Gnostic fiction 00:41:23 Awakening, power, and spiritual freedom 00:50:57 Miguel Serrano and esoteric Hitlerism 00:57:04 Trump charisma and political symbolism 01:03:52 Conclusion New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in “parapsychology” ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). He is also the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. He is Co-Director of Parapsychology Education at the California Institute for Human Science. (Recorded on April 28, 2026)