Gnostic cosmology

Gnostic cosmology is a belief system that describes the universe as a complex hierarchy of spiritual realms and beings. At the top is a distant, supreme God, often referred to as the True God. Below this divine source are various emanations, or divine beings, known as Aeons. The material world is seen as flawed or evil, created by a lesser deity called the Demiurge, who mistakenly believes he is the supreme entity. Gnosticism emphasizes personal spiritual knowledge (gnosis) and the quest to transcend the material world, returning to the divine source.