Gnostic traditions often teach that only through the intercession of a messenger from the pure spiritual realms can the Soul become acquainted with God. The original Greek word 'gnosis', as noted above, meant knowledge in terms of being 'acquainted with'. The gnostic in any form is a 'friend of God'. Please note that Soul in the above paragraph refers to the spark of individualized spiritual essence that dwells within the consciousness or mind. In some systems the word 'spirit' itself is used instead of Soul.
Soul then becomes interchangeable with mind.
Pneuma' on the other hand means spirit, wind, breath, air. In some traditions the terms for soul and spirit often have the same meaning and are used interchangeably. Today, new schools of gnosis such as the Ecclesia Gnostica have emerged in the West. The ancient movement still thrives in several Sufi orders of Islam, which continue to attract many new adherents. There are also strong gnostic influences in Jewish wisdom tradition, Kabbalah, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism.