What is alchemy and what does it involve?

[Akashic_Librarian]

A good freind of mine and i where talking about the Anime program "Full Metal Alchemist" and i joked it could be a coll power to have, my freind replied by saying that alchemy was REAl, i was blow naway. He couldn't tell me anything 'bout it tho, does anyone know anything?

[Akashic_Librarian]

This was PM'd to me by Athelstone:
I don't know that much I'm afraid, I can only tell you what I've read. From what I have read, though, real-life alchemy does seem very different indeed from that featured in Full Metal Alchemist (It's a great anime series by the way!)

A man called David Quigley is of the opinion that Alchemy is both a literally and metaphorically real phenomena. David Quigley is the founder of "Alchemical Hypnotherapy" and currently works with 'The Alchemy Institute', America's oldest spiritually oriented hypnotherapy training program that has trained over 2000 hypnotherapists since 1983. To quote Quigley:

Quote:
Alchemy has traditionally been associated with the transmutation of base metals into gold. The ancient Alchemists made clear in their writings that the substance of their transmutation was the human soul. Their goal was the transmutation of the base metals of human emotions and instincts within the subconscious mind into the gold of self-realization. According to Carl Jung, the first modern alchemist, the vehicles of this transformative process were the archetypes, the Inner Guides.

Thus Alchemy can be defined as the spiritual discipline of working with Inner Guides. These powerful and autonomous beings live within the subconsciousness mind and can guide us effectively to health, happiness, relationships, prosperity, and most important, the fulfillment of our spiritual purpose! These Guides can be accessed through the hypnotic state.

Alchemical Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic process designed to assist the client in working with their Inner Guides to change their lives. Alchemical Hypnotherapy synthesizes techniques from many modern schools of Transpersonal Hypnotherapy and Psychology. It includes Gestalt, Regression Therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Psychosynthesis and Shamanism with the ancient science of Alchemy as translated and channeled to the modern world by Dr. Carl Jung.

Specifically, Alchemical Hypnotherapy, as developed by David Quigley, includes all of the following processes:

The rescue of the inner child from the trauma, neglect, and emotional pain of the past.
Providing the inner child with new loving parents and the experiences of a nurturing childhood. We create with you a loving inner world in which someone is always there to hear and respond to your needs.
Strategies for contacting, testing, and working with the Inner Guides (archetypes) through trance, movement, and shamanic practices.
Contacting past-life memories within the collective unconscious to access creative abilities, resolve trauma, change karma, and alter contracts with significant others.
Integration of sub-personalities (different voices within ourselves) to resolve conflicting desires and goals. This leads to the unification of the will and the achievement of dreams.
Alchemical Hypnotherapy uses movement, psychodrama, emotional release, touch, breath, and sound to achieve integration at the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels.
Applications

The technology of Alchemical Hypnotherapy has been applied very successfully to all of these issues:

Addiction recovery--our work is especially compatible with 12-step programs
Healing survivors of childhood abuse and molestation
Weight management, including compulsive eating
Smoking cessation
Healing the underlying causes of physical illness (in conjunction with medical treatment)
Stress management
Enhancing creative potential and achieving peak performance
Solving the problems of co-dependence and relationship
Help with decision-making and development of motivation and career success


As far as traditional hypnotherapy goes, alchemy is a metaphorical reality if we're referring to the transformation of the human psyche. However, it also appears to be a literal reality aswell. That is to say, the transformation of physical matter as opposed to the transformation of the psyche.

Evidence for this so far (from what I can find) appears to be scarce, but it is there. One outstanding case I can think of in particular is that of Arthur Mason. In the 1950s he successfully cured a patient of "Ichthyosis", which is an incurable skin disease. There is no scientifically documented cure for it at this current time. Yet Mason, through the use of hypnotism, was able to have the diseased skin peel off and healthy new skin regrow. Amazingly, these dramatic changes occured within only one week of treatment. Here we have a picture comparing before and after the treatment.



Two unrelated testimonials for physical transformation can be found on the alchemy institute webpage:

http://www.alchemyinstitute.com/healleg.htm
http://www.alchemyinstitute.com/healneck.htm

Additionally, there was also a newspaper article I read about a year ago regarding a particular family of children in an African village. This is going to sound really far-fetched. Also note that this hasn't been scientifically documented like the Arthur Mason case. The newspaper article described these children being able to change the very sand they were sitting on into sugar crystals. The journalist also said something about the children "teleporting" from time to time.

Naturally I was extremely sceptical of this article simply because it sounded so far-fetched. However, my mouth fell-open slightly when a part of the article had quoted what the children had actually said to the reporter.

I can't remember the exact quote, but these children specifically described some of the processes that take place during an out of body experience. For example, these kids stated something like, "everyone does it everynight, but they're not aware of it". Now this, I thought, is exactly what OBE practioners such as Monroe/Peterson/Bruce/Buhlman have described. How did these kids know what these authors had also discovered through their own experience?

The fact that these kids knew some of these processes that occur during an OBE may lend credence to some of the other things that the article claimed they could do (ie: turning salt to sugar). However, you only have my word to go on, because I don't have the article. I wish I saved it now. If anyone finds a link of this specific African children case on the internet, post it here for the benefit of everyone else.

The only other case of alchemy that I have ever read of is that of a woman (who is now dead) called Betty Shine, in her book 'Mind to Mind'. In it she describes experimenting with alchemy: specifically, of turning water to wine. She describes how she kept the same glass of water over a long period of time, and concentrated (through the use of imagination) on turning it to wine, for a period of time every day. She relates in her book that she never followed this experiment through completely, but she did state that the water had begun to take on a definite tinge of pink. Again, this is not a documented case, so you only have her word to go on.

Perhaps the best example of alchemy I can give you that is widely documented is that of "Sri Hira Manek Ratan Ji". So widely documented, in fact, that this specific phenomena has come to be known as "HRM phenomena" (After the initials in this man's name). HRM, it has been proven, can survive only on sunlight. He does not need to consume any food to survive. HRM states that he is able to survive from solar energy. That is, absorbing his energy from the sun. HRM even describes how to do this yourself. But please be cautioned: it requires approximately a years worth of dedicated conditioning. Forcing oneself to go without food prematurely is extremely foolhardy. If one wishes to seriously pursue - what some now call - "sungazing" please take it one step at a time. To find out more, visit the following websites:

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/food-03d.html
http://www.solarhealing.com/
http://www.lightworks.com/monthlyaspect ... essman.htm (http://www.lightworks.com/monthlyaspectarian/2002/august/pressman.htm)
http://www.sungazing.com/ (For info how to condition oneself).

In my opinion, if we're talking about physical transcendence, alchemy is very real. Given the example of Arthur Mason, I personally believe hypnosis may be a key to the way forward, which is partly the reason why I shall be training to become a hypnotist (and hopefully an alchemical hypnotherapist) after I leave university this June. I believe the subconscious mind holds the answers to these questions, and many more. To understand why I think this, it will help to read Michael Newton's 'Journey of Souls'. The following may also be somewhat interesting:

http://www.robertpeterson.org/chap10.html

[Matthew]

Akashic Librarian,
I have been studying alchemy for year with several groups.
Alchemy as an historical phenomenon covers many areas of interest. In fact, what I have learned is that alchemy is "natural philosophy." What I mean is that throughout history philosophers have been trying to discover the processes behind manifestation. The distillation of their wisdom is the alchemical process. All created things go through the alchemical process. It is a metaphorical framework that you can apply to any aspect of your life. It is a univeral philosophical framework of symbols and metaphors.
My main focus throughout the years has been spagyrics, or "plant alchemy." It is an amazing discipline where the alchemist uses plants to raise his or her energy level (throughout the energy body or in individual chakras) through elixirs and plant stones.
I have known many metallic alchemists and have a high regard for their endeavors. I have sat-in on many of their experiments and been highly impressed. However, this is a path that has more risk through the use of toxic chemicals.

I would recommend Manfred Junius's "The Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy" for the aspiring spagyrist.

"The Emerald Tablet: Alchemy of personal transformation" by Dennis Hauch is a good primer on many aspects of alchemy.

"The Tower of Alchemy: An advanced guide to the great work" by David Goddard combines much of the Western Tradition together to show you how to perform the Great Work in your energy body.

Truely, there are so many fascinating aspects to alchemy that I could give a list of at least 30 excellent books (although many are out-of-print).

I hope that you start on the long journey of alchemical discovery.

Take care,
Matthew

Hi Akashic,
I think that's great that you are looking into hypnotherapy as a way of helping others. I would add a word of caution in choosing schools. For example your quote:

"David Quigley is the founder of "Alchemical Hypnotherapy" and currently works with 'The Alchemy Institute', America's oldest spiritually oriented hypnotherapy training program that has trained over 2000 hypnotherapists since 1983."

Here's a quote directly from the website of the school that I went to:

"HCH was founded as The Hypnosis Clearing House by Dr. Freda Morris. Holly Holmes-Meredith, a licensed Marriage Family Therapist, became the owner and Clinical Director of the school in 1986."
My comment: HCH under Dr. Morris was open and training therapists from a spiritual standpoint long before 1983.
Directly from HCH's website:
"An Institute for Hypnotherapy and Psycho-Spiritual Trainings"

The quote by David Quigley:
"Alhemical Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic process designed to assist the client in working with their Inner Guides to change their lives. Alchemical Hypnotherapy synthesizes techniques from many modern schools of Transpersonal Hypnotherapy and Psychology. It includes Gestalt, Regression Therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Psychosynthesis and Shamanism with the ancient science of Alchemy as translated and channeled to the modern world by Dr. Carl Jung."

Again, a quote directly off of HCH's website:
"The training at HCH is comprehensive and multi-dimensional. It's designed to insure systematic integration of Ericksonian Hypnotherapy, Neuro-linguistic Programming and many transpersonal modalities of healing through altered states of consciousness."
My comment: It also includes basic training in the modalities that D. Quigley mentioned above.

My point here is that you need to be aware of the claims that people are making regarding their school and their training. When someone claims to be the "oldest" in anything, it makes my radar turn on. There are many schools teaching what D. Quigley is teaching. He has just put a different name to it. Some school owners are highly connected throughout the country (including mine) and frown on claims such as being the "oldest" and a new technique. "Everything old is new again." I'm not saying that his training is not good, it probably is good. It is wise to check out the claims that schools make, because there are some really bad schools out there. Some will even train and certify students in 50 hours, which in my opinion is way too small an amount of time to become competent.

The training he is offering sounds wonderful, but is hardly original. Just a little heads up FYI. You are more than welcome to ignore or refute anything I have said.

I wish you the best...and by the way, Michael Newton's books are some of my favorites!

[darkrealmz]

Yeah I've seen it all, I love that show, and the manga, just great. The end is sad, and yes it's self-sacrifice. Nothing can be gained without sacrificing something of equivalent value. I like that philosophy, and i know there's a form of alchemy used to turn lead into gold, if used correctly. It's not currently known by western technology, but i doubt it'd appear within the transmutation circle. Maybe you could just sacrifice lead, and in time you would find gold. Oh, plus what about those 'Homonculus' ? I wonder what's the deal with them. No soul, and are made from a failed human ressurection through alchemy, and they are from 'The gate'