Phobognosis is a term coined to introduce the concept of an illogical fear of knowledge, both physical and spiritual. Phobognosis afflicts the person who does not possess agape in suffient quality and quantity to overcome the irrational fear that paralyzes the senses and denies the truth of knowledge gained by insight, allegory, direct evidence, or revealed truth. Phobognosis also stems from an irrational fear of being deceived at the junction of receiving actual revealed truth. Perhaps an angelic encounter would cause phobognosis in a devout person because they fail to inspect the fruit of the angel.
Spiritual knowledge is a double edged sword. While God reveals truths, Satan and his minions, the demons, spread deceptions; these deceptions are either subtle or not - depending on our twisted hunger to receive them. Pride, evil passions, false knowledge (untruths), evil desires, sin, and spiritual death all conspire to do the work of speeding us along to perdition.
Will we obtain enlightenment by gazing at the Supernal Light which reveals all unholiness, or will we continue in the darkness and deception offered by Satan and his demons? The pious pilgrims of Orthodox Christianity will choose the former. Enlightenment comes through a sober view of God's Holiness and Will that we be cleansed from all unrighteousness and that our sins will actually go into remission. All the while, we are all saved by Grace, not by works. The fact that Grace is the axiomatic prerequisite to the process of salvation is enough to frustrate all prideful pilgrims who think that achievement of works and holiness set themselves above the others who are saved - they become isolationists in the land of pride (pride of knowledge, pride of position, pride of false teachings, pride of deception, pride of rationalized evil passions, pride of works, pride of "holiness").
Will we obtain deception by off-loading our responsibilities of agape upon other "Higher Civilizations", or "Higher Intelligences" other than God Himself? Will we obtain deception by fearing knowledge that stems from the Holy Wisdom of God? Will we obtain deception by fearing God's Holy Angels when they visit us? Will we obtain deception by cohorting with demons and demonic forces? Will we obtain deception by fearing the knowledge of using Godly forces for the purposes of agape? These are questions we must answer when we look up into the Heavens where a spiritual battle is raging between God's Angels and Satan and his demons. The weapons used are forces that we do not understand and never will understand. God has given us the discernment through prayer, fasting, and genuine meditation to reveal which forces are good and which forces are evil.
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.