The Mystery of Cicada 3301
Constructing Gnosis in Cyberspace
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21249425 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Filip Andjelkovic (0009-0009-7149-3918, University of Toronto, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 79-103 |
| Publication date | 2021-02-16 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Gnosis (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2451-859X • E-ISSN: 2451-8581 |
| Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1163/2451859x-12340103 |
| OpenAlex | W3131504200 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 1 |
This article examines the ways in which gnostic ideas of spiritual growth, enlightenment, and transcendence resonate with the “cyber-gnostic” ideology presented through the viral “Cicada 3301” internet mystery. The content of the mystery situates traditionally spiritual enlightenment in the libertarian concerns of freedom of information and privacy, and in the tiered cosmology of the “surface/deep/dark” web. Additionally, this article evaluates the potential for classifying the Cicada 3301 mystery and its surrounding community as an online form of religious expression. Ultimately, it is argued that the mystery offers an insight into how philosophical notions of identity and communication interface with spiritual notions of enlightenment and transcendence through the experience of cybertechnology
Aesthetics · Cyberspace · Enlightenment · Epistemology · Ideology · Politics · Sociology · The Internet · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Law · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Philosophy · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |