The Alchemist Within

-Devlyn Steele

Imagine if you could transform one object to another object of greater value. The idea is what dreams can be built on, magically creating wealth in our lives. As children, our story books are filled with the idea that there was a way to create wealth out of something that appeared to have no value. Jack and the beanstalk traded items of value for worthless seeds that would grow to a beanstalk that would lead to riches. The goose that laid golden eggs, and endless stories of genie's granting wishes.

If only we could truly change what appears to be worthless to that of greater value. Back in the middle ages and during the Renaissance a philosophy was developed that believed that there was a way to develop a method to transmute base metals into gold. They further believed that had to be a universal cure for all diseases and a way to prolong life itself. If only we could have magical powers such as this to transform something common into something special, the ability to mysteriously transmute one thing to another ...WOW!

Although the physical process of alchemy has never materialized the concept of this type of change, the idea was later revisited in the twentieth century as a metaphor of human psychology. Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, although some might consider him more of a philosopher, explored and combined alchemy, astrology, sociology, literature and the arts into his works. Jung saw alchemy as a representation of the psychological process of transformation.

What intrigued Jung was what the ancient alchemists were searching for, what they called the prima materia. The alchemist considered the prima materia the formless base of all matter. In essence, the core to all forms that are. Jung considered this to be the nature of the mind itself. He felt that without realizing it, the alchemist were developing a process of psychological wholeness. Jung thought of the prima materia as the collective unconscious. That the process of alchemy represented the internal developmental process of "wholeness" and the development of the human psyche which he called individuation.

Today, the idea of alchemy is greatly studied and written about to represent the concept of transformation.  The modern alchemist refers to alchemy as the process of spiritual transformation. According to Grubber, "The modern day alchemist does not change anything into gold, but rather, sees the gold which is contained in all things."

If we can step away from the idea of alchemy as a process of taking base material to transform it into gold, or a psychological process of wholeness, or a spiritual journey of transformation and apply the core idea of alchemy as a process of transmitting, the simple definition of transmutation is to change or alter in form, appearance, or nature and especially to a higher form.

Consider that within each of us we have the ability to be a alchemist. That within our minds we have the base material that creates what transpires in our life. That it is within in our thoughts and our projections that we create our realities. Truly, one of the unique characteristics of man kind that separates us from all other living creatures is that we can transform our thoughts into reality. Regardless of how intelligent another creature on this planet is, such as a dolphin, they cannot transmute their thoughts into reality ...we can!

The search for the prima materia is over. In essence, our thoughts are the prima materia and we each have an alchemist within us that transmutes our thoughts. Our thoughts are the formless base to all that we create. We need to realize that that thoughts are things.  If you take a look at everything in our lives other than nature, it all started from a thought. Your clothes, your furniture, your computer, where you live, all started by a thought. No thought, no thing.  All the things we have are transmuted thoughts that become reality. However, it goes beyond material objects, and is not only what we have, but how we experience life itself. We are creating our reality from the prima materia, our thoughts, and that is how we perceive life.

The question is, is the alchemist within you transmuting your thoughts into gold, or are you not focusing on what you are creating with your thoughts? Since we all want to have the power to create riches from objects of lesser value we need to focus on what we are experiencing in our lives by what we are thinking about. The alchemist within you has the ability to create a golden life by changing thoughts. Then you will be able to transform one reality to another reality of greater personal value.