Alchemical and New Scientific Approaches to the Concept of Transmutation

This is one of the first articles that I have written on the matter of transmutation and its concepts. It's been published at the Alchemy Journal, vol 6, n 3.

Alchemical and new Scientific Approaches to the Concept of Transmutation
By Daniela Stefani Hansson

Foreword

One of the most fascinating concepts to alchemists of all times is the Power of Transmutation. Many of us think of it as a natural outcome of a well-succeeded alchemical operation and it is also named as the "power" acquired by the adept who develops the tools to perform this operation. But as Paracelsus tells us, we are used to being satisfied knowing the name given to something instead of understanding its meaning. Therefore as alchemists, we must go forward. What is the real meaning of the so praised operation or alchemical power "Transmutation?" What's the signature hidden behind the concept?

The intention of this article is to approach the issue with an open mind, analyzing the case from two different prisms: from the eyes of an academic scientist facing the concept through a new emerging theory called Topological Geometrodynamics (TGD) and from the eyes of an alchemist used to incorporating the concept into his/her daily operations. You will perceive that truth comes from the eyes of the observer although the concept will always remain the same at a point where both sciences meet harmoniously at the present time.

This merging point is where the true adept shall focus his attention, perceiving that Reality, Life and all Universes are part of one single structure that once "discovered," indeed, is capable of performing wonders and has infinite possibilities.

"Haec est totius Fortitudinis Fortitudo fortis, quia vincet Omnem rem subtilem, Omnemque Solidam penetrabit." ("This is the greatest Force of all powers, because it overcomes every Subtle thing and penetrates every Solid thing.") - Tabula Smaragdina (The Emerald Tablet)

What Definitions Make the Concept of Transmutation Possible?

According to the new scientific approach that is emerging, the Universe is seen as a system of fully organized and systematic layers all interacting and merging with each other, and incorporated into the following basic concepts:

• Many-sheeted space-time defines a hierarchy of space-time sheets.
• There is a hierarchy of matter: ordinary matter, dark matter, and even more refined forms of matter becoming more and more quantal.
• There is also a hierarchy in which matter is at the lowest level and higher levels define mind as cognitive representations about matter, cognitive representations about these, and so on - an entire hierarchy of consciousness about being conscious about being.
• Therefore, the theory about a physical system and a theorizing mind becomes a theory that both are parts of a physical system rather than the system being built by some strange mind outside of the physical world.

Physicists incorporating the concepts of this new order affirm that it is possible to define these hierarchies in a rather precise manner physically and mathematically. This is a fantastic approach towards an alchemical acceptance of such controversial academic topics. In the alchemical world, this classification represents the different levels of development (from Lead to Gold) in a general sense. It affirms ancient concepts, translating them from knowledge of the past to present science. The hierarchy of various kinds of matter contains in principle an endless number of levels that can be regarded as increasingly refined forms of material existence. Let's take a look at this hierarchy with a new scientific definition.

At the lowest level is ordinary matter. According to the prevailing materialistic dogma, this is the only level that is accepted to exist in the academic universe today. At the next level is dark matter whose particles differ in a subtle manner from those of ordinary matter so that dark matter can appear only in what is called Bose-Einstein condensates consisting of many particles (this is essential!) behaving as quantum coherent wholes and effectively defining particles of dark matter. One can also imagine that these Bose Einstein condensates of dark matter form further Bose-Einstein condensates - a kind of "dark, dark matter" - for which the Planck constant would be 2000*2000 (4 million) times larger and so on. We would have a hierarchy of more and more quantal, and at the same time mental, physical existences.

Within our current academic knowledge, super conductors and laser beams are basic examples of Bose-Einstein condensates. It is, however, not yet clear whether they can be regarded as "partially dark matter." Also, atoms can transform into dark atoms and form Bose-Einstein condensates consisting of large number of dark atoms; a super atom could be an appropriate name for this zoomed out or scaled up atom.

It is quintessential to have blobs of matter with quantal properties; only this allows an understanding of the non-predictable and coherent behavior of living matter using quantum physics. The essential point is that the Planck constant is much larger for dark matter than for ordinary matter (by a factor about 2000 or power of this). This means that length and time scales for coherent quantal behavior are much longer and quantity does not reduce to randomness.

Also, the physicists in the scientific establishment are now perfectly aware that the "dark matter" exists simply because it creates gravitational fields. They do not have, however, any consensus about what it really is, how it interacts with ordinary matter, and how to detect it. This is where the merging point with alchemy takes place. My dear colleagues in the Alchemical Path know that "dark matter" corresponds to the Prima Materia of alchemists. At the quantum level, dark matter controls the behavior of visible matter and serves as the intentional agent.

How Are Dark Matter and Visible Matter Related?

Dark matter controls the visible matter in living systems. Here an Arcanum is revealed in its simplest form. There are rather detailed models of how this interaction happens being developed by scientists of the so called "New Age Sphere" in conjunction with alchemists. A model for the simplest life forms is plasmoids that consist of simple rotating magnetic field configurations containing negatively charged plasma. This model explains all the basic aspects of bio-molecular systems and living cells and, therefore, is very difficult to understand in the framework of ordinary chemistry.

Let's look at the case from an alchemical point of view. Beneath all the diversity we may encounter among the treatises of our ancient Masters, there is one obscure identity. In order to perform the Magnus Opus, they all start by taking the substance named "Prima Materia" and subjecting it to a series of operations to obtain the final Product which we know as the Stone. This Stone, however named or described, is always a substance that represents the perfection of the original first matter and its qualities invariably are such as those that pertain to a living being, not an inanimate mass. In a word, the interaction can only be possible by Transmutation; that is, taking a "dead substance" - impure, powerless, valueless - and transmuting it into a live, active and invaluable being. Here, the First Meaning of the concept comes forth: "Transmutation does not change the nature of its subject but brings it to its utmost state of manifestation." Literally, alchemy is the Science of Perfection.

The First Arcanum of Transmutation: Operations

(Geometric Time; Experienced Time, and the Alchemists' Time)

Time is the key of evolution. Evolution is the sphere where perfection can be conceived. Therefore, the detailed mechanism of intentional action (our "secret fire") involves essentially the new view about time that can be summarized by saying in the scientific view that there are two times.

There is the geometric time of physicists that is like a fourth space coordinate. We are essentially 4-dimensional beings. Our conscious experience and our cherished beliefs create the illusion that we correspond to a single time, a constant snapshot (aboriginals who have not learned Newtonian physics however live in dream time without any clear borderline between past, future, and now). For instance, when I remember something, I experience my geometric past; I "see" into the geometric past which is part of me. Actually, the mechanism of this seeing is the same as in the case of ordinary seeing in which light is reflected from a material body; now, it is time reflected from the brain of the geometric past. I can also directly re-experience past events. I am speaking about episodic or sensory memories. The case of the phantom limb, in which a person experiences pain in limb he has lost years ago, is a good example of this. I can also "see" into the geometric future since I can predict roughly what will happen tomorrow and this is seeing into the direction of future in a 4-dimensional landscape.

The second time is experienced time consisting of a sequence of quantum jumps, moments of consciousness, serving as "elementary particles of consciousness." Usually these two times are identified, or seen as the same, but this is wrong. For experienced time, there is no future, only the past and now whereas, for geometric time, all three exist. Geometric time is reversible; the laws of physics with respect to geometric time would allow running the film backwards. This cannot occur with respect to subjective or experienced time. In our conscious experience, these two times are closely related and this explains why physicists have been led to the wrong identification of these times.

From the perspective of alchemists, adepts and possessors of another line of concepts, I would like to seek for some hints in what is possibly the earliest surviving alchemical manuscript, "Isis the Prophetess to Her Son Horus," found in the Codex Marcianus, a medieval (11th century) collection of Greek fragments. We are now prepared to see the nature of the transmutation at the core of alchemy. Transmutation is not a single tool or consequence involving a personal or local effect to our environment. It is a three-fold operation, involving the nature of time, and "the times" in a completely unique way.

As the secret was passed down through the various forms, the information fragmented. In this way, some initiates received only the internal and transformational processes without the full understanding of how the parts related to the whole of the ancient science. The most guarded secret was that of time itself, and the secret of all secrets, according to the Builder texts at Edfu, involved the beginning and end of "time."

This has to be revealed to each one of us. But Ancient Masters have given us hints about it. Law of the Universe Number 1: You Exist! Pay attention to the revelation herein. This leads us to ONE time sheet where all transmutation is possible in literally infinite ways. The alchemist must "move" to this sphere in order to accomplish the Great Work. Only within this time can the Prima Materia be manipulated at Will.

[ continue at part 2]