Alchemy: The Philosopher's Stone

Alchemy (Arabic:al-kimi) (Hebrew:אלכימיה al-khimia) is both a philosophy and a practice with an aim of achieving ultimate wisdom as well as immortality, involving the improvement of the alchemist as well as the making of several substances described as possessing unusual properties. The practical aspect of alchemy generated the basics of modern inorganic chemistry, namely concerning procedures, equipment and the identification and use of many current substances.

The fundamental ideas of alchemy are said to have arisen in the ancient Persian Empire.[1] Alchemy has been practiced in Mesopotamia (comprising much of today's Iraq), Egypt, Persia (today's Iran), India, China, Japan, Korea and in Classical Greece and Rome, in the Muslim civilizations, and then in Europe up to the 20th century, in a complex network of schools and philosophical systems spanning at least 2500 years.


The philosopher's stone (Latin: lapis philosophorum) is a legendary alchemical substance, supposedly capable of turning base metals, especially lead, into gold (chrysopoeia); it was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality.


While dabbling in this subject I stumbled upon some interesting claims. There are many alchemy forums out there but I seem to rather like this one:

www.lost-academy.com...

The guy who runs that site goes by the name of Nick D. Collette

alchemy-illuminated.com...

Is there anyone who is familiar with alchemical processes? If so what is your take on this?

I am very interested in this subject. If any of my research is partially true, in the right hands, this can turn out to be a beautiful thing.

This should be good....

I remember reading somewhere about Rosicrucian's involvement with alchemy, the romance version of king arthur, the philsopher's stone, were all alegory for spiritual enlightenment.

Manly Palmer Hall wrote some interesting stuff.

I'll get more info to you in a moment.

reply to post by EarthWanderer


I think someones been reading too much Harry Potter.

I'm sorry I couldn't resist.

[edit on 15-12-2009 by Nosred]

No i'm talking about a physical and actual stone. If your not going to actually look into type your criticism and leave.

Transmutation:
www.dailymotion.com...

Its in french.

reply to post by Nosred


And looks like someone did not read ATS' ToS.

One liners are a no no. And at least add something to the thread other than lame jokes.

Sir Issac Newton was an alchemist. Great video on him on you tube in several parts called Newton: The Heretic.

He was also called the last wizard.

Ever made President's Pie? You take a bunch of U.S Presidents current and former, and put them in a blender...

My little brother watches this cartoon every Saturday on adult swim around 2 a.m called "Fullmetal Alchemist" look it up, its a pretty good cartoon. here is a little info.

Edward and Alphonse Elric are two alchemist brothers searching for the legendary Philosopher's Stone, a powerful object which would allow them to recover their bodies (which were lost in an attempt to bring their mother back to life through alchemy). Born in the village of Resembool from the country of Amestris , the two brothers live there with their parents. Their father, Hohenheim, leaves home for unknown reasons and years later, their mother, Trisha Elric, dies of a terminal illness leaving the Elric brothers alone. After their mother's death, Edward becomes determined to bring her back through the use of alchemy, an advanced science in which objects can be created from raw materials. They research Human Transmutation, a forbidden art in which one attempts to create or modify a human being. However, this attempt fails, ultimately resulting in the loss of Edward's left leg and Alphonse's entire body. In a desperate effort to save his brother, Edward sacrifices his right arm to affix Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor. Some days later, an alchemist named Roy Mustang visits the Elric brothers, and he tells Edward to become a member of the State Military of the country to find a way to recover their bodies. After that, Edward's left leg and right arm are replaced with automail, a type of advanced prosthetic limb, created for him by his close family friends Winry Rockbell and her grandmother Pinako.

Before I got interested in alchemy i actually used to watch that. Not a bad anime.

Alright, I'll get more to you about the whole Rosicrucian thing and the philosopher's stone. That's where you want to start if you wish to know anything about the stone, which IMO wasn't an actual stone.

One researcher even thinks Cannabis was the philosopher's stone. Remember, when you get high, your stoned.

EDIT: I said philosopher's stones, which would be totally inappropriate.

[edit on 15-12-2009 by PontiacWarrior]

Your right its not a stone. Its red and stone-like but PHYSICAL. I am aware of the fake rosicrucian order based in california and the real invisible order. Don't attempt to do any ones thinking for them by saying it's metaphorical or a state of mind or state of 'high'.

While medieval alchemists often get a bad rap it is usually due to people's ignorance on the subject. Alchemy was the science of the middle ages but it differed from our understanding of science in that it did not differentiate between factual science and religion. The greatest goal of Alchemy was "the Philosopher's Stone" which was said to turn base metals into gold. However, the steps to obtain the stone were also meant as an allegory for spiritual enlightenment and the perfection of one's soul. It would be fair to say that, to an alchemist, this process of spiritual perfection was the true purpose of Alchemy.

The process of the stone, and much of the alchemical philosophy, is deeply tied to old and obscure occult practices and is seen to have a strong correlation to the paths of the Tarot and the Qaballa as well.

That being said, Alchemy was also concerned with observable scientific study and was the guardian of scientific thought through those dark years known as the Medieval Period. Alchemists possessed a much greater wealth of knowledge than most people are willing to attribute to them. For example, Alchemists understood and recorded the fact that the Earth was indeed round, they had observed and recorded that white light contained lights of other colors and they were, in many cases, responsible for medicine at a time when most scholastic study was dedicated to religious topics.

The obscurity of most alchemical texts is understandable when you consider the power that the established religious organizations had at the time. However, we must also take into account that, as are scientists today, alchemists were concerned with keeping their discoveries their own. For both these reasons alchemists felt it important to cloud their words in allegory and fantastical writing.

I feel that modern science could possibly learn a lot from the concept of combining scientific and metaphysical study as there is much heart ache that derives from the vigorous separation of religion and science, neither of which, alone, can offer a complete personal understanding of our own existence.

reply to post by EarthWanderer


I'm not doing anyone's thinking for them. I am giving some thoughts out there. Would you mind expanded on your post? EarthWanderer.

reply to post by EarthWanderer

Alchemy
what is your take on this?

I personally gained one single insight from alchemy. No more, no less. The amount of fluff that was removed in order to gain that one insight was substantial. It is possible that some of the "fluff" that I chose to ignore contained genuine substance that I have missed out on. However, I will share with you the one "alchemical" insight I have to share:

Alchemy is a mapping of the process of "change" into three components.

Alchemy is "Sex" in three portions, three "genders."

Those components are given the names mercury, sulphur and salt.

"Sex" is simply a way of conceptualizing change. You see this in yin/yang. Masculine/feminine. For example, a masculine seed is given to the feminine earth, who grows it into a tree according to the design given by the masculine seed. Another example, I push upon your hand with my hand, my hand is the masculine, giving an intent that your hand be moved, and your hand is the feminine, receiving the intent to be moved and acting upon it.

Alchemy, once again, is simply a "more precise" way of perceiving the process of change. A perception that involves three components, mercury, sulphur and salt, instead of two: masculine and feminine.

Mercury is a liquid. Force may be applied to it to give it shape, but as soon as that force is no longer applied, mercury reverts to formlessness.

Sulphur is the active force which may act upon mercury in order to give it shapre.

Salt is the preservative force. Salt is inertia. Salt acts to maintain any given state of mercury, thus acting both as "resistence" to the intent of sulphur to act upon mercury to give it a new form, as well as "maintenance" of sulphur's intent by preserving the shape already given.


------------

That is what I get from alchemy.

The trick, I think, is to apply it not to lead external to your Self, but rather to your Self, itself. You are the philosopher's stone.


[edit on 15-12-2009 by LordBucket]

I will say this. The stone is supposed to transmute lead to gold. There is a medicinal use also that transmutes your brain from 'lead' to 'gold'.

Very good Lordbucket. Are you really convinced the stone doesn't exist?

I don't know any more about alchemy in the classical sense, but I can point you to some interesting modern research on the subject.

Do a google search for combinations of the following:

David Hudson
Hal Puthoff
ORME (orbitally rearranged monatomic elements)
White Powder of Gold

Even if you don't find the philosopher's stone, it makes for very interesting reading.

ORMEs is BS. and Hudson is a fake.

reply to post by EarthWanderer

Are you really convinced the stone doesn't exist?

Not at all. But if one were truly able to perform alchemy...what possible use would one have for physical gold?

reply to post by EarthWanderer


Mmm...very well thought out reply.

I am awed by the authority of your knowledge and the thoroughness and scope of your statement.

I merely said it is interesting reading and it is, and until you can convince me and the larger world that it is not what I claimed it to be (interesting reading) then I will continue to sally forth in my hopeless and willful ignorance.

reply to post by belowcommonknowledge

I will continue to sally forth in my hopeless and willful ignorance.

You are welcome to do so.

However, for the benefit of others reading the thread, mono-atomic metals are essentially metals that for reasons unknown, do not share electrons. These particles tend to bind to DNA.

If you happen to be of the opinion that DNA can grow, adapt, and evolve itself, that you are growing extra stands, etc...then perhaps filling in the growing holes with sticky gold atoms isn't the healthiest choice?