Spiritual Alchemy thelema Psychospiritual Alchemy (The following is a partial chapter from my forthcoming book The Inner Light: Self-Realization via the Western Esoteric Tradition (Axis Mundi Books, March 2014), and available now on Amazon. Introduction to Psycho-Spiritual Alchemy Aurum nostrum non est aurum vulgi (our gold is not ordinary gold). —Gerhard Dorn The key to alchemy is found in the word transmutation, a word that in its original Latin meaning refers to total change. Spiritual alchemy is concerned with the transmutation of the personality and its structures, so as to allow for the light of unobstructed consciousness and pure Being to be directly known. The main difference between spiritual alchemy and alchemy as merely a primitive proto-science—the supposed precursor of modern chemistry—is that the former involves an interdependent relationship between the subject (self) and the object (all that is not-self). Background The Inner Science of Alchemy: the Philosopher’s Stone and Gold The Materia Prima and Solve et Coagula 1. 2. 3.
stars among the stars Psychic and Spiritual Alchemy There have always been two conceptions of alchemy: As a materialistic transformation of baser metals into gold or silver The spiritual transformation of the human person into a higher state of being Some alchemists claimed that alchemy was the inner teaching within Christianity; that the manufacture of the philosopher's stone (lapis) was equivalent to the Christ-experience, the new birth. Likely, some of these were actual teachers within the Perennial Tradition, using the symbolism of alchemy to explain--or cover--their activities. The church issued several encyclicals and papal bulls against alchemy, but a number of church leaders as well as scientists and philosophers defended the art. This essay presents exercises 1 in realizing 2 the Higher Consciousness and overcoming our bewitchment by the bodily senses. Ontologically, the Higher Consciousness is our essence--what we were before incarnation into the body on the terrestrial plane.
Welcome to Master Therion Domain Seven Stages of Spiritual Alchemy « Ya Allahoo! First Stage – Calcination CALCINATION is the first of seven major operations in the alchemy of transformation. Chemically, the Calcination process involves heating a substance in a crucible or over an open flame until it is reduced to ashes. Psychologically, this is the destruction of ego and our attachments to material possessions. Physiologically, the Fire of Calcination can be experienced as the metabolic discipline or aerobic activity that tunes the body, burning off excesses from overindulgence and producing a lean, mean, fighting machine. In Society, the Calcination is expressed in the lives of revolutionaries, conquerors, and other warriors who try to overthrow the status quo. Second Stage – Dissolution DISSOLUTION is the second major operation in the alchemy of transformation. Chemically, it is the dissolving the ashes from Calcination in water. Third Stage – Separation SEPARATION is the third of the operations of transformation in alchemy. Fourth Stage – Conjunction Like this:
2012 Brain Corporation Prize in Computational Neuroscience The Winners The award ceremony of Brain Corporation Prize in Computational Neuroscience is at the Computational Neuroscience (CNS'13) meeting in Paris on July 16, 16:10. First Place (426 G+1): Alex H Williams et al. (2013) Homeostatic Regulation of Neuronal Excitability. Scholarpedia, 8(1):1656. The Prize Current and aspiring computational neuroscientists: you are invited to participate in a global experiment in scholarship and collaboration. To this end, Brain Corporation is offering $10,000 (US) in prizes for writing and publishing the most popular reviews on topics in this field. Once the article is published, it will be made publicly available at Scholarpedia under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. How it works Join the Google Group. The article team that receives the most +1 votes by June 30, 2013 will receive a $5,000 prize. Official contest rules Start: The contest begins October 1, 2012. Article guidelines Furthermore, See also
Alchemy - Seven Stages of Alchemical Transformation The alchemists believed that the univeral formula contained in the Emerald Tablet was the basis for a spiritual technology first introduced on the planet in ancient Egypt more than 10,000 years ago. This formula consists of seven consecutive operations performed on the "matter" - whether it be of a physical, psychological, or spiritual nature. To guide us through this process, we are going to make use of a tool actually used by the alchemists - a meditative mandala first published in 1759 as an illustration for the book "Azoth of the Philosophers" by the legendary German alchemist Basil Valentine. The word "Azoth" in the title is one of the more arcane names for the One thing described in the tablet. The "A" and "Z" in the word related to the Greek alpha and omega, the beginning and end of all things. The word is meant to embrace the full meaning of the One Thing, which is both the chaotic First Matter at the beginning of the Work and the perfected Stone at its conclusion.
Metaplasticity Metaplasticity refers to activity-dependent changes in neural functions that modulate subsequent synaptic plasticity such as long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). Simply put, it is the “plasticity of synaptic plasticity” (Abraham and Bear, 1996). Metaplasticity can be distinguished from conventional neuromodulation of plasticity, in which molecules such as other neurotransmitters (e.g., GABA or monoamines), cytokines, or hormones that are present at the time of plasticity induction regulate the degree of LTP or LTD elicited (Fig. 1). Metaplasticity, in contrast, refers to neuronal changes that are elicited at one point in time, by what is commonly called “priming” activity. By virtue of their persistence, these neuronal changes are able to regulate synaptic plasticity processes minutes, hours, or days later. Functionally, metaplasticity endows synapses with the capacity to integrate plasticity-relevant signals across time. Environmental enrichment Stress References
Stages of Alchemy The alchemists believed there was a formula to alchemical transmutation and that transmutation could be experienced if these seven operations or stages were followed. Illustrations throughout alchemical manuscripts give visual keys to the seven sequential steps, and show a pathway to union with the Divine self or higher consciousness. The seven stages of alchemy are: Calcination This is the first stage of the alchemical practice and essentially represents the process of burning. Dissolution Dissolution is the process of adding the element of water to the ashes of what has been burned by the fires of calcination. Separation In this stage of the alchemical process the individual is able to see himself in two parts or the opposites within. Conjunction Conjunction gives us our first look at the higher realms of existence such as spiritual connection, concept of God, or something greater than ourselves that is outside of and connected to our self. Fermentation Distillation Coagulation