A Brief Look at the History of Alchemy
Originally, alchemy was divided into two main branches, both tracing back to Egypt. The term “Chem” is linked to the ancient name of Egypt in both “chemistry” and “alchemy.” The prefix “Al” signifies the sacred or the divine, implying al-chemy as a sacred and hidden spiritual science. It was primarily rooted in Hermetic tradition during the early Christian era, and it is very likely that schools of alchemy existed in Alexandria. Early references to alchemy also emerged in China and India, shaping two distinct notions of chemistry: physical chemistry, which is now seen as scientific, and spiritual chemistry, regarded as a sacred spiritual art. Paracelsus distinguished the two when he emphasized that alchemical transmutation required inner transformation while conventional chemistry focused on the material.
Today, chemistry pursues mainly material wealth through scientific experiments, completely detached from spiritual influence. Chemists don’t need to possess faith or engage in metaphysical practices because they operate within the realm of physical tests and texts. In contrast, alchemists, historically, were deeply spiritual and considered their work a contribution to society’s well-being, prioritizing inner growth and transformation over material gain. Many European alchemists faced persecution as ancient rulers sought to reserve the secrets of gold-making only for the elite or themselves. When alchemists shared their beliefs, they exposed themselves to persecution.
The pursuit of turning base metals into gold led to the downfall of many alchemists. Also, many in power feared that uncontrolled production of gold or precious substances could lead to global economic collapse, making the ancients very cautious and often needing to become mystics in disguise. Now, the question is: Can gold truly be synthesized? The answer, according to the ancients, is yes. Based on various experiments, it’s apparent that this is possible through chemistry and scientific advancements. However, this wasn’t the true aim of alchemy. It became a double-edged sword because when chemists sought personal power through economic gain, science took a different, desperate path, deviating from its original purpose.
The Purpose of Alchemy
Alchemy’s primary purpose lay in gradually elevating the undeveloped mind, providing insights into paradoxical truths found in spiritual teachings, even like early Christianity or other religions. These paradoxes, such as the concept of one equaling three or a mother being a virgin, are inherent in religious assertions, containing logical contradictions and principles seemingly obviously impossible. At the same time, paradoxes enrich spiritual comprehension and approach the fullness of life with its concealed meanings. The risk arises when undeveloped minds fail to explore these paradoxes, accepting them at face value without considering the possibility of deeper interpretations or even other paradoxes being true.
The absence of contradictions falls short of expressing the incomprehensible in life. As our understanding of dogmatic paradoxes becomes more externally focused, their irrationality becomes even more apparent, leading to their desuetude and ridicule in modern societies. Archetypal and alchemical images align with dogmatic images but require conscious examination and recognition. This journey toward enlightenment is deeply personal and influenced by our beliefs, spiritual growth, education, and background. While seeking guidance in life is acceptable, the ultimate decisions should always remain ours, as any form of coercion, suggestion, or persuasion proves futile and hinders the ultimate experience of the fullness of life and being alone with the self or however we define the objectivity of the psyche.
So, the main purpose of alchemy was to break through all the layers of illusion, confusion, and inner obstacles to obtain a direct connection and understanding of the essence of life, the incomprehensible, the divine, through the essence of the soul. Now, this doesn’t mean that the divine is not one with us, but it is harder to access that aspect of reality when we are all subject to different fears, unresolved traumas, unconscious predispositions, insecurities, and various obstacles in life. All of us struggle with demons, real or imagined, as we still put the body and its physical needs before the needs of our inner self or the soul. This is where we can differentiate between physical impulses and inner needs. We all have impulses, but it doesn’t mean that we should always act on those impulses because short-term gratification can never lead to true and meaningful connections, genuine happiness, and fulfilling our purpose and our highest good on all levels of the body and the mind. There are no shortcuts to true and long-lasting fulfillment in alignment with our authentic selves. Alchemy teaches us that inner transformation and change are certainly required.
The Different Levels of Experiencing Reality
The world is made up of many different objects or components, both physical and subtle. The air we breathe is not visible to the eye, but it is still there, filling our lungs with oxygen and helping the heart pump blood into various organs of the body. All these components in the outer and physical world are made up of the elements we know, which in turn are made up of molecules comprised of atoms, subatomic particles, and so on. Our expression through this physical vehicle is the same, and as we travel inwards, we go into the molecular level, atomic level, subatomic level, etc. Many people who are spiritually inclined or on a spiritual journey have already mastered this ability to go inward, whether through prayer, meditation, yoga, etc. It’s a journey into those deeper levels of experiencing reality, deeper dimensions of being, or states of consciousness.
So, to begin and gain some clarity around these different layers of reality, we can start by asking ourselves what it means to be alive. Any scientist or biologist will tell you that as long as you’re breathing and your primary organs are functioning, then you are alive. Now, this obviously doesn’t define the quality of your life. It only defines that you are physically alive. You can be a vegetable or in a coma in a hospital and still be alive. So, this is a state of biological life, a living organism. Then there’s the next level. You’re not just a living organism; you have an emotional life. You have feelings, and you feel things.
The next level is having an intellectual life, which means your mind is working, stimulated, and active. So, these three levels of life define the three conscious expressions in all human beings. Now, beyond these three conscious levels, there are other transcendental levels that come into play. For example, when we ask what the meaning of life is. When we feel most connected to our core essence and when we are at peace with ourselves and in communion with the divine source. We may not always be able to experience it in a conscious way, but it is still there. Accessing that layer of reality is obviously far more difficult than accessing the other dimension expressed earlier.
For instance, we can hear the same brilliant piece of music played by two different musicians. One can sound unbelievable, while the other is not bad. It’s the same piece of music, but it can be played with different levels of soul or intention. The same goes for life. We can all play the same game of life, but we all play it differently. So, the purpose of alchemy in all this was to access those transcendental dimensions of being where it is not so much a tangible physical reality but rather an experiential reality where a deeper consciousness and a higher mind or intellect come into play and where our understanding of life and connection to it and the divine or the incomprehensible becomes more evident. And perhaps even more tangible through the higher senses, such as claircognizance, clairaudience, clairvoyance, clairsentience, etc.
