Esoterica is a great youtube channel that goes into (mostly) pre-Jungian alchemy from a historical and academic context, which I really enjoy. He breaks down a lot of alchemical source material in a way that's much more easy to digest than just reading them, and goes over some things that most people straight up don't have access to. It's pretty neat!
Their videos popped up in my recommended feed about a week ago. I haven't watched much of their stuff yet, but I subscribed because I know I am going to love their videos.
@@maxderrat i watched him from day one and am the proud owner of "Dr Sledge is actually Kenny's dad from South Park" meme my top recommendation for you as i follow a while as well is his videos on Monas Hieroglyphica Dee the maniac tried to compress all knowledge into one symbol, its violently interesting. and then Thunder Perfect Mind which is *chef kiss* omellete du fromage
@@maxderratHe approaches alchemy in a very academic sense which satisfies the skeptical part of my brain. But Jung has a better INTUITIONAL grasp on alchemy. He sees through the zeitgeist of those early alchemists and perceives the collective consciousness within them.
Here are some additional selections, if you are interested: "Fulcanelli: Master Alchemist: Le Mystere des Cathedrales", "Hermetic Recreations", "The Philosopher's Stone: An Essay on the Sacerdotal Science", "Hermes Trismegistus: Natural Path". These deal with the more "literal" creation of the Philosopher's Stone. Edit: Also, "The Secret Book of Artephius", "Fulcanelli: Dwellings of the Philosophers", "The Book of Aquarius"
@@alahmadahmadal3143 I'd say if you take all of these and cross reference them, you get an underlying recipe for it. Hermetic Recreations in particular is the closest to a cookbook style recipe you can get. Pyrite or any Iron sulfur ore in powdered form is the base material.
No brother, no metal is used here, the thing to be used is everywhere but nowhere, everyone looks at it but very few people see it, in short, it is something that is found in unexpected materials, but as far as you know, the person who has the secret should never, ever share it with other people, if this secret was given to you by God, it is a secret that you must protect with honor until death
Here they always talk about 2 materials, one is sulfur and the other is mercury, mercury is mar-kurios, the lord of the waters, and sulfur is sol-pyr, a material represented by the sun, even in the name of the prophet Solomon we see the 2 materials shining clearly, SOL-O-MON, the principle of the sun and the moon
@@alahmadahmadal3143 Cinnabar, like pyrite, is a compound of metal + sulfur, and can be used likewise as the base material, though breathing in mercury fumes is obviously dangerous. In this case, Pyrite would be the sun, and morning dew would be the moon, as it carries its essence from bathing in moonlight and condensing. Also, I never stated the recipe out-right.
This is such an excellent primer. The way you’ve brought my video game interests and led them to psychology and alchemy has been invaluable. It’s own sort of integration! Always wonderful content, Max.
A fair warning to anyone willing to embark on this journey - if you take the recommended reading lightly, you'll be "just fine", but if you dive in with the intention of understanding and putting it into practice... it will change your life. Trust me, if you approach with an open mind, Alchemy will wedge it open even further and prevent you from ever fully shutting it again. I studied Jung and Alchemy back in High School [yeah, I wasn't much fun at parties]. The reading order you listed is exactly how I would have listed them, with one exception. I'd add what I consider the Jungian primer, "Man and His Symbols", between the purely alchemical books and the absolutely existential nightmare that is "Psychology and Alchemy". In the very least, it should be skimmed before starting the Mysterium.
Good call, man. Man and His Symbols isn't strictly alchemy, but it is a nice addendum to help wrap your head around Jung's style of thinking, and help ease you into alchemical thinking.
In essence, delving into alchemy, psychology, and philosophy can be transformative. Approaching with a casual mindset might not have a significant impact, but diving in with intent can be life-changing. Alchemy, especially when studied alongside Jungian psychology, has a way of expanding one's understanding and perception, making it difficult to revert to previous perspectives. "Man and His Symbols" serves as a helpful primer before delving deeper into Jung's works on alchemy, providing context and groundwork for better comprehension.
I have always been deeply fascinated by historical alchemy. Both in terms of it as a precursor to chemistry as well as a system of philosophy and analysis. It's an absolute gold mine of historical context and inspiration for fictional stories. In my medieval art history classes, I managed to surprise my professor with some of the analysis I made with the pieces discussed because I pulled from alchemical knowledge, which would have been popular around the time the works were made. The history of alchemy as a science and as an art are incredible, and it IS kinda frustrated when I want to learn more about it, only to find primarily contemporary sources talking in a new age mysticism sense. This channel has been great for finding more historical info on the subject, and I'll absolutely be checking out the books you recommend!
Your channel has introduced the concept of alchemy being more then just a form of chemistry. I have spent years studying symbolism and yet it never made the connection. Sometimes you just has to stumble into someone who is able to point you in the right direction I guess. Thank you for that! Now I have a list of books and other sources to study! I also thank you for showing titles that can set someone up for the more complex stuff. Being one with a form of dyslexia it’s hard to stay focused on complicated texts, but I’m sure interesting enough to try my best!
I only studied a bit myself back in high school due to my love of Full Metal Alchemist. Seeing your videos brought back that fascination I had and still do. I appreciate how you make sure you always bring up the concepts easy enough to be understood. It's really cool that once you start to know the symbols and concepts, you start to notice how often they're used in media to varying effect. And while I don't take a lot of what Jung says to heart about psychology, but going through the process of alchemy with one's thoughts and feelings does make a lot of sense when you look at how therapy and other forms of treatment work.
Every time you release something related with Alchemy & Jung, I usually say "this time he's gonna repeat himself" but you keep proving me wrong by putting different perspective on the matters. Huge respect and thank you for the read list.
Something similar happened to me, except instead, I created a hoe with a cool dragon tattoo on her sternum and Freddy Kreuger claws, a fat guy with a cool dragon tattoo on his tongue and an iron stomach, a shapeshifter with a cool dragon tattoo on his thigh, a really hard gang boss with a cool dragon tattoo on the back of his hand, a king with anger issues and a cool dragon tattoo on his eye, OMORI but narcissistic and with SOMETHING as his stand, and a really buff and lazy miner with a cool dragon tattoo on his shoulder.
It has caused me to question my sanity, but I feel like I understand the deeper meaning of the Philospher's Stone and Alchemy as a model for mental health and a Spring of Creativity and Inspiration. Japanese Media and your videos have greatly helped me in my quest to find True Wealth (personal definition value), Eternal Life (living in the present moment), and Wisdom ( being closer to seeing true, objective reality, by seeing how subjective we normally see things.) I hope everyone can find these treasures too. Keep up the phenomenal work Max and my other fellow Alchemist. And remember Robert First, "Nothing Gold can Stay."
I feel the same way brother, once you realize that literally everything worth experiencing actually points you towards The Path, of personal enlightment, you wonder how to share what you've learned and seen; once you brush the edge of Eternity how do you come back? Only to realize it's something each of us must discover themselves in our own time. Until then we can only live as intended and try to help others along The Path they walk, while steadily walking our own. ❤
I'm about a quarter in and quickly skimmed your timeline to see if you mentioned tai chi and internal alchemy at all and didn't see it mentioned specifically. I believe that Jung was looking at eastern Alchemy from an western alchemist point of view and that his points of Alchemy being about psychology came from Taoist internal alchemical principals. Most internal alchemy starts with breathing, the reason why is because breathing is the non voluntary behavior that you have the most and most constant control over. This is first path of establishing your mind's grater control over the body but it also empowers the body's ability to provide meaningful information to the mind. Interestingly, breathing control is a big way one can induce or prevent conditions such as hyperventilation. Conversely, by having the mind calm the body, a calmer body helps further calm the mind. Done over and over this becomes a virtuous circle of greater and greater ability to exercise self control and to benefit from the control exercised. From this state of mind body unity, further practices are used to train this type of mind body unity to be more useful or practical in specific situations. This is where you might find the zen-like meditation of the blade, where the use of a weapon in combat itself become a meditative state. However this is also where you find some incredibly esoteric stuff, such as certain forms of yoga and many taoist practices. Chi an jing are said to be mixed internally to cast spell and to ward of trouble and disease. Chi being breath and jing being vital energy. A modern western mind might think of chi and jing as blood oxygen and blood sugar levels and they would not be too far off base doing so. According to the taoist internal alchemists, however, these substances were metaphysical and imposed direct influence on your mental as well as physical health. Their posture and martial arts training often involved trying to even hold their organs in the optimal locations for chi flow. In many ways they were literally trying to put their heart in the right place. All of these practices were plainly and frequently called alchemy in the east for thousands of years. Any how. I'm sure I'm not saying anything you don't already know. I just had some thoughts on Jung and Taoism that I felt might be worth your time. Thanks for another great video! =D
can you provide resources regarding what you said? ive been practicing meditation for a few weeks now, and know basics about hermeticism, taoism, advaita vedanta and such i found the blood sugar thing u mentioned interesting as i have diabetes type 1. any reads you would recommend? im trying to find more info on yoga but i cant avoid the pseuo scientific buddhist dogma which veils the truth
@@aaaaaaaaaaaaabbbb I'm applying a heavy leavel of personal interpretaion on the whole blood sugar oxygen levels thing. I mean, just think about it. Imagine how you would describe either of those two things if you have never heard of oxygen or insulin? It would probably sound pretty close to eastern gung fu and chi gung energy cultivation laguage that you hear. A lot of that's all chi gung. If you want a more western/medical point of view, I'd check out the youtube channel, "Better Body Chemistry." This isn't an endorsement of the channel so much as just a mention of them having covered some ways that oxygen and diabetes interact. Simply put, part of how peopel get insulin resistant is because their body does not burn enough of the sugar that's present. Extra oxygen in the blood has been shown to help ease the symptoms of diabetes becasue it helps burn off soem of the extra sugar that's causing all of the damage. The breathing stuff mostly comes from stuff I've learned from singing but also from Aikido and Tai chi.
@@beansnrice321Mate I think that this is a bold and brilliant idea, even if some of it is untrue (about the blood glucose comparison.etc), the marrying of the western scientific materialistic perspective and the eastern spiritualist systems will provide the best unification. What do you think to the similarity between tai chi and vedic traditions like yoga which eludes to a similar unification of body then mind then soul? And about tantric energy similar to tai chi.
As a romanian, you have no idea how surprised and happy I was to find out that Eliade studied the subject and that he was mentioned on your list. It's rather silly but I do find some enjoyment in seeing romanian authors being recognised outside of romania. Thank you for the great video! 😃
@@mihaiioc.3809Sincer, mă bucur că sună și bine. Când aud în videoclipuri cum oamenii pronunță "Vlad Țepeș" fără diacritice am un scurt moment de durere psihică. Parcă îmi dă cu virgulă XD
You're not the first Romanian to say this on behalf of Eliade. I'm happy that I could help in spreading knowledge of your country's national treasure and his work. He is a genius, and outside of Jung, he is largely responsible for my knowledge of world religion.
@@maxderrat he had an interesting life even if it lead him into the arms of the religious fanatics/fascist of the Iron Guard. During the communist era his works were banned and when they were allowed again most of us know him from his novels.
Hello, I’m a psychology student and I’ve had problems understanding jung books. I would enjoy a lot a continuation of this, to know what you learn from the books you mentioned
@@maxderrathi, well i read psychology and religion by jung, I expected similar content from the one I got from “the future of an illusion” by Freud, but Jung talks a lot about symbols representing different things in christian religion. And that confused mena little bit, so I would enjoy a lot to see your take on others jung books. I really liked your videos from the Aion series, it’s also kind of scary
@@elpeonbigoton8022As I’ve understood it, Jung’s “Psychology and Religion” shouldn’t be placed first in a Jung related reading order. It’s akin to reading the 10th chapter of a fiction series.
Well done Max!!! My origins come more from Daoism and Buddhism, but alchemy has always been something I've been interested in exploring! In addition to your TH-camr recommendations, I also highly recommend checking out Sarah Elkhardy "The Alchemist" and her content. She is a practicing esoteric alchemist and agrees that Jung has successfully integrated the fundamentals of alchemy into exoteric mediums. Thank you so much for your hard work (and re-edits) and dedication to bringing us real and quality content! Look forward to witnessing your journey brother 💪🏾
I would like to also add to this list: -The Secret of the Golden Flower w/ Jung commentary( shows how one can use energetic/spiritual practices to create the philosopher's stone and a sort of spiritual immortality/possibly physical one as well) -Initiation into Hermetics by Franz Bardon ( this explains how using the 4 elements as well as the spirit can be mastered in magical practices to achieve the goal of inner alchemy) Justin B's TH-cam channel ( further breaking down inner alchemy in more step by step terms) -Secrets of Magic Revealed ( Justin's B's own system he devized further simplifying what Bardon's system sets out to do) Those books/info are good for hands on, more step by step ways inner alchemy can be done in my own experience after you have the basic philosophy of it down.
I swear I just found your channel and its already one of my favorites on TH-cam. Your approach to every topic is really unique. Please make a video about NieR RepliCant when you have the spare time!
Awesome video ^^ You're missing Wang Mu's "foundations of internal alchemy" book. For the animes, try Baccano. For the games, you might want to try Final Fantasy 8.
Incredible video as always and a list of books to read that will never cease to grow! Glad you talked about Haunting Ground, great horror game and I had to pause the game when I realised the way to create new items was by a tree of life and just realized how important alchemy was in it
Oh I just love it when a book is out of print and super expensive... I did not run into this problem with occultism, but I did start to notice it with Hermeticism... and then I looked up the first book in the description on Amazon... I much prefer physical media for these studies, for better or worse. The books I tried to start out with Alchemy were _The Rosary of the Philosophers_ , _Turba Philosophorum_ , _The Archidoxes of Magic_ , and _The Occult Sciences_ ... the first two confused me, so I pivoted over to Hermeticism with _The Way of Hermes_ (based on what I learned from Eternalised's video on Hermeticism). Some might say "Chaotic, why didn't you just do better research on what to read?" And my response is... a mix of my stubbornness, autism, and impatience. Plus how I was supposed to know 4-5 months ago that Max would be uploading this video today? Also on an ending note: Max, thank you for doing your videos on FMA:B. That got me into researching Alchemy and Hermeticism.
The Rider-Waite Tarot Deck is dense with Alchemical symbolism. I would love to see somebody deep dive into it, as well as the implications it has for Tarot itself. Tarot bombards you with randomized symbolism and asks you "what does this mean to you" through the process of reading. The cards seem to help people find insight about their circumstances in a really fascinating way, I would like to see somebody pull at that thread.
I believe the continuing untapped potential of these two arts is that a symbol cannot be translated or explained in static terms without affecting it, diminishing it, restraining it. Symbols can entertain paradoxes, something completely unheard of in the natural sciences. They have blurry edges and shifting connections and can only ever be inferred. One does not draw a symbol, they draw a depiction of a symbol. The symbol itself is something more abstract, a notion that can only be conveyed well through ubiquity, such as with the Rider-Waite deck.
Did a quick scan of the comments to make sure no one else had mentioned this, but I think I know what game you should tackle next for analysis: Lies of P. Without spoiling anything yet, alchemy is a major theme, and I'd be very curious to see how you analyze it! Great content as always, friend.
For manga, I recommend soul hunter/ houshin engi. But the catch is that its heavy chinese mythology based and I can recall a very spoiler, near the end of the story, about the union of opposites and the integration of the Shadow. To bad that both anime, barely dive into the story, first one drops it and as they animated before the plot was fully unfold. The second one, well... its for fan boys and gals as it jumps in time, cutting corners and the very things I point out are not conveyed. So, if you ate curious and have the time, go for it.
I feel like alchemy and its message shapes itself in the light of your mind, becoming utterly personal. Enternalised also have some great videos on Jung in general. Anyhow, much appreciated for sharing, Max. Take care
Thanks A LOT. I was reading the first Jung's book about alchemy you mentioned and, even though I could understand it, my brain was on fire all the time and I had to prepare myself mentally for each chapter. I'm going to take a pause on this book and begin the other ones you mentioned before I collapse. If I could make a request, make a video like this about gnosticism. Your work is an inspiration.
you know, I also had a similar beginning in alchemy. When i was 17 I presented a monography looking connections between the symbolical images in silent hill and irl religions, besides the psycological subtheme. However, i started reading jung back when I was 21 and I went down the rabbithole, starting with Jung's "Man and His Symbols", then getting into tarot and astrology real hard. it has helped me a lot ever since. This video explains it so well! I really really like your content. Loving all your recomendations, will check out most of them to further solidify concepts i learned! I recommend after all of this to read the "Corpus Hermeticum" to anyone when advanced, since after learning all the knowledge behind the symbols this book feels like being in another era being revealed the secrets of the cosmos that not only still rule, but that also mutate and grow accordingly. Cheers from a fellow autistic alchemist!
i love how contemporary alchemy aims to unify all religions and their symbols in order to give proof that it's not the blind devotion that works; it's the day to day work and belief in wanting to know better the inner shadow, and how to use the preffered code to decipher the inner self in a manner that allows the self to express itself with conviction, knowing their will is sacred if it's alligned with the cosmic love
final ps: i srsly love how you "protect the secret" in the end, since the alchemical experience is totally subjective, altho it connects to an objective reality? still figuring that out, since feeling and understanding the cosmos within and outbounds is quite chaotic lol
Jigokuraku: Hell's Paradise isvery alchemical and explores the connections between alchemical and religious concepts as well as the idea of what if those concepts were used and corrupted by bad actors
It isn't highly rated but I did personally enjoy it quite a bit, it's a movie called "As Above, So Below" It does it in a dramatic fashion, but it talks about attaining the philosopher's stone, both physically and spiritually/mentally
I take issue only with the framing here, and I think Jung would as well. It's not that Alchemy turns out to actually be about psychology - alchemy was always an extension of astrology, neo-platonic mysticism and ritual magic. Alchemy and astrology were both forms of seeing the metaphysical patterns as they become manifest in nature. It's not that alchemy is actually psychology; it's that psychology is actually alchemy. I say that Jung would agree with me bc I think it is very evident that as Jung's career progressed, he increasingly came to see that the archetypal dynamics which he identified within the human psyche were not simply projections of the human mind, but rather were present in the human mind due to being constitutive of the structures underlying reality itself. Alchemy was also an experimental and theoretical endeavor, meaning that the alchemists were not always correct in how they expected the archetypal to manifest within the material realm. Nonetheless, such manifestation is very much a real phenomena - which is evident if we look at the correlations which connect planetary archetypes with material substances such as tin, lead, copper, quicksilver, gold, etc... This indicates that there are yet more alchemical secrets to be discovered with regards to the physical makeup of the world - secrets which will remain hidden to us insofar as we continue to repeat the 19th century dogma that alchemy was "discredited" by modern chemistry.
I see what you're saying, and I have some sympathy for/agreement with it. The problem is... with the way that I approach this type of content (and how it intertwines with my personal beliefs), I try to be careful not to fully endorse mysticism and the world of the subjective, because of the heavy-handed criticism that would bring and also because it rubs up against my own agnosticism. Maybe my mind will be changed and maybe the things Jung is talking about will reveal themselves where I convert from a researcher to a believer.
@@maxderrat Very understandable. I'll spare you a full-blown lecture, but to put it very briefly - I think that the sharp demarcation which we draw between the subjective and the objective is itself an artificial barrier which has come to out-stay its usefulness in our understanding of the world. You may want to check out some of the last handful of videos on my own channel. I touch upon Jung and Alchemy a bit, but my primary focus has been teasing out the history of the bifurcations between mind/matter, subjective/objective, animacy/inanimacy, etc, and the implications of those origins.
Correlation does not infer causation. That's the great mistake of astrology, we thought the stars governed us when really we used the stars as a map of the human experience... but only our unconscious minds remembered. The conscious mind notices and thinks it's an external actor but we just fooled ourselves.
After finishing the video, I have got a few questions. Perhaps I have misinterpreted things, so I will begin by explaining what I think I understand before asking any questions. In a nutshell, alchemy, in the objective or practical sense, does not really have much value. There is no expectation that anyone can make an actual philosopher stone, for example. Instead, alchemy is useful because it is adjacent to abstract ideas in the real world (specifically psychology). For these means, its used symbolically. As an example, if I see Jung say "the philosopher stone", then I understand he is actually referencing the highest level of the individual, or is at least comparing the highest level of the individual to the philosopher stone. This poses a question, however. Is alchemy used to make up abstract ideas or to explain abstract ideas? In other words, is psychology based on alchemy, or is alchemy just used to explain psychological ideas? If it is the former, what objective truth in alchemy is there? Am I to assume that abstract ideas in psychology, which are to be taken seriously and objectively, are based on a non-objective defunct science? Its hard for me to communicate this, I apologize if I am being confusing.
Great question! So psychology is NOT based on alchemy. Jung formulated his psychological theory and then used religious imagery (all different types but especially alchemical imagery) to justify his theories after the fact (i.e. he came up with the idea of making the unconscious conscious, and then found religious imagery that SUPPOSEDLY represents this underlying reality, like with the 3-step process). Alchemical imagery, according to Jung, can be used (and in his mind WAS used) to represent underlying psychological realities and ideas (i.e. the prima materia representing the unconscious mind). This is because he believed they were trying to get more attuned with their psyches than other spiritual traditions (with the possible exception of the Christian Gnostics and maybe the Kabbalists, according to him). Now as for whether there is objective truth to alchemy (and by objective truth I assume you mean objective, material reality) then almost certainly no. Granted, you can transmute lesser metals into gold using a particle accelerator, but doing that would be very expensive and I don't think would parallel an inner spiritual journey. That said, I believe that Jung's theories are compelling enough that they shouldn't be dismissed. There are patterns between his theories regarding the operations of the unconscious mind and how those patterns show up in religious imagery. Granted, just because there's a pattern, that doesn't mean there's something there, and I always keep that in mind when I read him. However, for myself, I do find that alchemical philosophy has enhanced my life in a couple of ways if I use a Jungian perspective. So for example... one of the most famous alchemical mottos is "In Sterquilniis Invenitur". Translated from Latin, it means "in filth it will be found." What that motto essentially means is "that which you most require will be found in the place you least want to look". Psychologically speaking, that's a contention with the darkest parts of yourself so that those parts don't control you, but you control them. It's a form of positive personal development. That's the obtaining of nigredo so you can perform albedo. That's just a personal thing, though... and I am always open to having people challenge that perspective. As Marie-Louise von Franz says in her book, to be an alchemist requires a "Weltanschaung" (ethic of living) of constant openness to ideas that challenge your own. Hopefully that clears things up. If not, let me know.
A media recommendation I'd give is, if you're interested in an alchemy themed music album by the composer of the soundtracks of many of Satoshi Kon's movies, Susumu Hirasawa's "Philosopher's Propeller", or Kenja no Puropera. Hirasawa was heavily influenced by Jung's theories thanks to a jungian psychologist that worked as his counselor during a time he was in a troubled mental state. He has many songs that reference jungian concepts, but on the "Philosopher's Propeller" he based his album almost entirely on them, as well as associating them to a whole other alchemical tradition, which is Burmese Alchemy. While european alchemists would project their own christian values into their work, burmese alchemists projected buddhist ideas. Since Hirasawa's work is already very influenced by buddhism, all those themes connected perfectly in the Philosopher's Propeller
You have successfully convinced me to begin educating myself further in this study, Max. Particularly the part about negrido, albedo, and rubedo being used to represent achieving an ideal self. It's something that I'm also striving to accomplish. Gonna go pick up the first book you suggested next time I'm out at Barnes 'n Noble. Thanks for the fantastic video! 🙇♂️
I have never read any of Jung's works on mysticism but I knew that he had some. I studied Joseph Campbell when I was younger and I know that he was one of Jung's late life students/disciples. Campbell's Mythology Series heavily touches on aspects you talk about in this video, particularly Primitive Mythology and Creative Mythology. I am excited too hear more from you about this subject, your Full Metal vids are what got me to watch this channel. Keep up the great work.
most westerners refuse to acknowledge the immense debt they owe to spanish and sicilian muslims for their so called enlightenment. As if it wasnt the translation of the hundreds of thousands of works stored in the libraries of sevilla cordoba and palermo into latin 😉
Based on what you said here, the philosophers stone is basically meditation. Nigredo > Albedo > Rubedo is basically just clearing your mind, meditating (acknowledging thoughts and feelings and letting them pass) then learning and growing from it.
There lies a paradoxical thought with alchemy (well, several, but here's one I was thinking on today). How can one possibly filter/purify ALL aspects of the unconscious mind to become rubedo, when the unconscious mind contains infinite concepts/aspects? There will always be more that we do NOT know, than we do know. We don't know how much we don't know, therefore the unknowable is potentially infinite, as new concepts spawn from the seat of Chaos constantly. Resolving this paradox of infinite concepts being hosted within a finite being is yet another step on the Path. Knowledge is not to know anything, but to merely re-arrange the boundaries of one's personal ignorance.
Logic cannot entertain a paradox. Symbol can. You need a whole new set of rules to work with symbols. Cue alchemy. Generally though I think you just rephrased the paradox of perfection. It has an answer though, continual improvement can be called perfection. Oroborous. You don't get to keep the philosopher's stone, it's an ongoing journey.
As far as I studied Jung, you want to study your unconscious because it’s easier solve unconscious problematic behavior when you acknowledge them, which means turning them conscious and treating them. This is also valid for your unconscious potentials and talents.
Also one of the main functions of the ego is deciding what images and memories goes from the unconscious to the conscious, since it’s impossible to deal with all the information we keep in our unconscious. In that way, it’s important to maintain most of our memories and thoughts unconsciously.
Im happy to see you doing a video i requested thank you 😊 and I think Sir Isaac Newton was an alchemist as well. Yes i will stay citrinitas as always yellow is a wonderful color an energy an i like the Simpsons as well 😊
Hi Max, loved the video and hope you’re doing well. I’m just wondering: would you say studying alchemy has enriched your life? I’m just asking because personally, I’m very interested in alchemy and symbolism because it tickles my intellectual brain and it sounds and looks cool. But even when I watch alchemy videos and think about it, I’m not sure I would be able to derive practical value out of it besides being aware of and assigning a complex system to psychological processes that happen naturally. That being said, I’m not sure how much value there is to the study of alchemy besides pure intellectual entertainment. I’m just a newbie when it comes to the study of alchemy, so it might be the case that I just haven’t looked deep enough to find the answers, but I am very curious to hear your opinion on this. Is alchemy just an intellectual distraction for you? Or do you think it enriches your life, your relationships, and give you a sense of direction on how to act upon the world.
Thanks so much for this awesome guide, Max! Your videos (and Fullmetal Alchemist, it being my favorite Anime lol) have made me deeply fascinated with the subject of Alchemy and I can't wait to dive in to learn more about it, and in doing so blowing my mind indeed! :)
8:53 Actually, when you started explaining what is alchemy as the concept of displaying psychological states through physical reality in the beginning of the video, the first thing that come to my mind was the Bible and the concept of Jesus being the Word that comes alive in a physical form. Looks like I am not the only one.
This is why learning about alchemy and reading the Hermetica and other Alchemy books brought me back to Christ. He is the way because he the true unity of physical world heaven.
Hello Max, one of the most important scriptures within Alchemy is the hermeticist text "Emerald Tablet" as you know (I'm assuming). Regardless there's an album called "A Tabua De Esmeralda" which is a Brazillian album about the scripture (as is indicated by the name). I myself can not speak the language used in the album so I used online translations to understand the lyrics. I would recommend you do to. Also the movie "The Holy Mountain" is a very powerful film and surrounds alchemy (to a great extent). Great video as always.
I'd add Julius Evola's The Hermetic Tradition: Symbols and Teachings of the Royal Art and his trilogy on magic. But we warned - his political and spiritual thoughts are so far from what's acceptable in mainstream discourse that you may have difficulty even placing him in a wider context, but his understanding of alchemy and related topics is top-notch.
I know I'm late to your channel, but, considering how much alchemy is in Masonry... I'm curious about your thoughts on Freemasonry. Especially the symbolism within.
Maybe I am late , or just didn't notice. But there is very heavy alchemical messages in Alejandro Jadorawsky's Holy Mountain. Its Tarot and Alchemy heavy movie. I was quite surprised not to see a mention of it in this video since Alejandro Jadorawsky produces alot of Alchemy based media like alot of his comic books like the Meta Barons.
Have you watched the Castlevania series on Netflix??? They have one of the most famous Alchemists, Saint Germain, as one of the characters in the last 2 seasons and shows how hes not good or evil and shows him on separate sides depending on his goal at the time. Its really dope, shows him creating a rebis and the animation and graphics are NOT NOTCH! A really underrated series IMO.
Ever since I started studying Jung, I continuously run into his name/ideas. Also, I keep running into alchemy. Synchronicity maybe? Haha. I plan on doing a deep dive into Jungian alchemy here soon. I have a handful of his books and his followers like Marie Louise Von Franz.
I'm actually quite the alchemist myself, you see. The other day I mixed milk powder with carbonated mineral water. The reactions due to the acid within the water essentially created a potion of spoiled milk. Now, I might be the shittiest alchemist around but I am one nonetheless!
I have some questions: * Is it necessary to be religious to be an alchemist? * If so, does that religion need to be theist in nature? I personally struggle with organised religion and dogmatic practice/thinking (no judgement to those who do not feel that struggle) and I am worried this would block me from fully appreciating alchemy.
You should check out "the origin of the animal-symbols in ancient mythologies and sculptures" by marius schneider, if you can find it in english. Analyzes all of these connections through music.
the name comes from kmt (khemet) alkhemet, which is the ancient name for Egypt. it means the black land(nigredo), the sphinx was originally red in color. those people knew much about it, i would even say perhaps their entire culture or mythos was based around that knowledge. the red stone can be acquired. through various methods. typically the alchemist will follow the wet or the dry path. although i would say there are more than one stone and form in this world. there is also another lifeform, actually more than one which is able to create such a thing. it can be created both externally as well as internally. there are two side to this coin and they are married. aasb
I'm currently writing a book with massive alchemical influences! I researched so much about alchemy, but I'd still love to have a fellow enthusiast read over it. thing is, it's in german so if you know someone.. hit me up ahahaha
Philosopher's stone is not the ultimate goal. It is there from the beginning, it is used to create the "secret fire" and is an essential part in the blackening and whitening processes
The "Secret Fire" is life force, or any such concept similar to it from various cultures. In order to make the philosopher's stone you need a high density of this force. Blood carries life force in our bodies. Iron and Sulfur are the main components. Pyrite is the prime material, wetted and dried with water condensed with life force, specifically energy from the moon. The end goal is to take the material philosopher's stone and make from it the panacea (just dissolve it in water), and then imbibe it to overflow your body with the life force, taking you to the next stage of evolution.
I have a Question, what is the difference between an alchemist and an individual who studies alchemy? They seems to be the same and if there is an difference, which one do you consider yourself??
The way I see it, practice and study are much like the difference between studying philosophy and BEING a philosopher. On the one hand, you're doing more book-work in regards to studying it's history and the historiography of that history, but you probably don't engage with it on a personal level as a spiritual/material art; just as a student of philosophy does not necessarily forward thought themselves. On the other hand, practicing alchemy means engaging with it on a level that forwards the thought. You might practice it through chemical experimentation, applying internal symbols and meanings to inspire and explore yourself and the material world, or from a more psychological perspective it would be the analysis of both media symbolisms and self symbolisms; just as a philosopher applies new thoughts to their own lives as a means of furthering a particular idea.
The difference, as far as I can tell, is a matter of belief. With science (which evolved out of alchemy), the world of the subjective and the world of value has no relevance to the pursuit of objective fact. In simpler terms, science isn't about morals. It's about objective, material reality. Alchemy is an attempt to reintegrate morality and the world of the subjective/values into the pursuit of science. It's not either/or. It's both. An individual who studies alchemy may or may not believe in that world beyond objective, material reality, while an alchemist does believe. As for myself, that's a very difficult question to answer. I do think of myself as a philosophical alchemist, but I'm agnostic on the spiritual side. That's the best answer I can give without going into a confusing, 5000-word long essay that won't make sense. :P
@@maxderrat but if you study it and continue to study it, it's because you find a meaning into in and that meaning could be your belief! That's why I say they are both the same 😅 but I do understand the idea of just knowing something in a objective way, reading it to understand other topics is fair and all but I would still say that if you read too much into it, you find a meaning and it will be your understanding on the topic and that understanding is what I would say, you believe in it! You did answer my question and the above is a comment or a reply.. I just wanted to give more light into my way of seeing it :P
To quote Jamis from Dune, "The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience. A process that cannot be understood by stopping it. We must move with the flow of the process. We must join it. We must flow with it." An alchemist does not study alchemy. They ARE alchemy.
Psych grad here. Jung's work is often hand waved by neurobiologists and pharmacologists as hokey bs, but there is something terribly important to be discovered in the pursuit of this stuff. Stuff that i think is sadly absent from the current practice to it's, in my opinion, serious detriment. I can't tell you how many times I've thought of Jung's work during case study analysis. Personally, I see a lot of conflict in what people wish to outwardly want to (or want to be seen to) believe, and what they unconsciously believe. Jung did a lot of work in referance to alchemy specifically to this point.
what about xanthosis/citrinitas (yellowing)? i have always found symbolism and art analysis very interesting but sometimes i get very disappointed that symbolism is usually a retrospect tightened up for convenience.
To expand on the bias part at the end of the video, each alchemist's journey is their own. Knowledge can be given to help an alchemist or any ordinary person on their path, but nobody can walk the path but the person themself.
Awesome could you tackle Eastern Alchemy next, please :) Him: Whelp, I wonder how this will go... Us: We want more alchemy content. Him: *FMA: Brotherhood Theme Plays*
Yo Max I think you'd really like a book called "The Island of Knowledge: the limits of science and the search for meaning". It's from a fellow brazilian astrophysicist, Marcelo Gleiser, and it touches themes as quantum mechanics, philosophy, alchemy and Gödel's incompletude theorem. It even cites, although indirectly, the Jungian concept of sincronicity, viewed through the lens of Bohr's intepretation of quantum mechanics. I would really like to someday have your thoughts on the book, and I think you'd really benefit from reading it. For me, at least, it was nothing short of life changing.
Monad (from Greek μονάς monas, "singularity" in turn from μόνος monos, "alone") refers, in cosmogony, to the Supreme Being, divinity or the totality of all things. The concept was reportedly conceived by the Pythagoreans and may refer variously to a single source acting alone, or to an indivisible origin, or to both. The concept was later adopted by other philosophers, such as Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who referred to the Monad as an *elementary particle.* It had a *geometric counterpart,* which was debated and discussed contemporaneously by the same groups of people. [In this speculative scenario, let's consider Leibniz's *Monad* (first emanation of God), from the philosophical work "The Monadology", as an abstract representation of *the zero-dimensional space that binds quarks together* using the strong nuclear force]: 1) Indivisibility and Unity: Monads, as indivisible entities, mirror the nature of quarks, which are deemed elementary and indivisible particles in our theoretical context. Just as monads possess unity and indivisibility, quarks are unified in their interactions through the strong force. 2) Interconnectedness: Leibniz's monads are interconnected, each reflecting the entire universe from its own perspective. In a parallel manner, the interconnectedness of quarks through the strong force could be metaphorically represented by the interplay of monads, forming a web that holds particles together. 3) Inherent Properties: Just as monads possess inherent perceptions and appetitions, quarks could be thought of as having intrinsic properties like color charge, reflecting the inherent qualities of monads and influencing their interactions. 4) Harmony: The concept of monads contributing to universal harmony resonates with the idea that the strong nuclear force maintains harmony within atomic nuclei by counteracting the electromagnetic repulsion between protons, allowing for the stability of matter. 5) Pre-established Harmony: Monads' pre-established harmony aligns with the idea that the strong force was pre-designed to ensure stable interactions among quarks, orchestrating their behavior in a way that parallels the harmony envisaged by Leibniz. 6) Non-Mechanical Interaction: Monads interact non-mechanically, mirroring the non-mechanical interactions of quarks through gluon exchange. This connection might be seen as a metaphorical reflection of the intricacies of quark-gluon dynamics. 7) Holism: The holistic perspective of monads could symbolize how quarks, like the monads' interconnections, contribute holistically to the structure and behavior of particles through the strong force interactions. em·a·na·tion noun an abstract but perceptible thing that issues or originates from a source.
Metaphysics Context The monad, the word and the idea, belongs to the Western philosophical tradition and has been used by various authors. Leibniz, who was exceptionally well-read, could not have ignored this, but he did not use it himself until mid-1696 when he was sending for print his New System. Apparently he found with it a convenient way to expound his own philosophy as it was elaborated in this period. What he proposed can be seen as a modification of occasionalism developed by latter-day Cartesians. Leibniz surmised that there are indefinitely many substances individually 'programmed' to act in a predetermined way, each substance being coordinated with all the others. This is the pre-established harmony which solved the mind-body problem, but at the cost of declaring any interaction between substances a mere appearance. Summary The rhetorical strategy adopted by Leibniz in The Monadology is fairly obvious as the text begins with a description of monads (proceeding from simple to complicated instances), then it turns to their principle or creator and finishes by using both to explain the world. (I) As far as Leibniz allows just one type of element in the building of the universe his system is monistic. The unique element has been 'given the general name monad or entelechy' and described as 'a simple substance' (§§1, 19). When Leibniz says that monads are 'simple,' he means that "which is one, has no parts and is therefore indivisible". Relying on the Greek etymology of the word entelechie (§18), Leibniz posits quantitative differences in perfection between monads which leads to a hierarchical ordering. The basic order is three-tiered: (1) entelechies or created monads (§48), (2) souls or entelechies with perception and memory (§19), and (3) spirits or rational souls (§82). Whatever is said about the lower ones (entelechies) is valid for the higher (souls and spirits) but not vice versa. As none of them is without a body (§72), there is a corresponding hierarchy of (1) living beings and animals (2), the latter being either non-reasonable or reasonable. The degree of perfection in each case corresponds to cognitive abilities and only spirits or reasonable animals are able to grasp the ideas of both the world and its creator. Some monads have power over others because they can perceive with greater clarity, but primarily, one monad is said to dominate another if it contains the reasons for the actions of other(s). Leibniz believed that any body, such as the body of an animal or man, has one dominant monad which controls the others within it. This dominant monad is often referred to as the soul. (II) God is also said to be a simple substance (§47) but it is the only one necessary (§§38-9) and without a body attached (§72). Monads perceive others "with varying degrees of clarity, except for God, who perceives all monads with utter clarity". God could take any and all perspectives, knowing of both potentiality and actuality. As well as that God in all his power would know the universe from each of the infinite perspectives at the same time, and so his perspectives-his thoughts-"simply are monads". Creation is a permanent state, thus "[monads] are generated, so to speak, by continual fulgurations of the Divinity" (§47). Any perfection comes from being created while imperfection is a limitation of nature (§42). The monads are unaffected by each other, but each have a unique way of expressing themselves in the universe, in accordance with God's infinite will. (III) Composite substances or matter are "actually sub-divided without end" and have the properties of their infinitesimal parts (§65). A notorious passage (§67) explains that "each portion of matter can be conceived as like a garden full of plants, or like a pond full of fish. But each branch of a plant, each organ of an animal, each drop of its bodily fluids is also a similar garden or a similar pond". There are no interactions between different monads nor between entelechies and their bodies but everything is regulated by the pre-established harmony (§§78-9). Much like how one clock may be in synchronicity with another, but the first clock is not caused by the second (or vice versa), rather they are only keeping the same time because the last person to wind them set them to the same time. So it is with monads; they may seem to cause each other, but rather they are, in a sense, "wound" by God's pre-established harmony, and thus appear to be in synchronicity. Leibniz concludes that "if we could understand the order of the universe well enough, we would find that it surpasses all the wishes of the wisest people, and that it is impossible to make it better than it is-not merely in respect of the whole in general, but also in respect of ourselves in particular" (§90). In his day, atoms were proposed to be the smallest division of matter. Within Leibniz's theory, however, substances are not technically real, so monads are not the smallest part of matter, rather they are the only things which are, in fact, real. To Leibniz, space and time were an illusion, and likewise substance itself. The only things that could be called real were utterly simple beings of psychic activity "endowed with perception and appetite." The other objects, which we call matter, are merely phenomena of these simple perceivers. "Leibniz says, 'I don't really eliminate body, but reduce [revoco] it to what it is. For I show that corporeal mass [massa], which is thought to have something over and above simple substances, is not a substance, but a phenomenon resulting from simple substances, which alone have unity and absolute reality.' (G II 275/AG 181)" Leibniz's philosophy is sometimes called "'panpsychic idealism' because these substances are psychic rather than material". That is to say, they are mind-like substances, not possessing spatial reality. "In other words, in the Leibnizian monadology, simple substances are mind-like entities that do not, strictly speaking, exist in space but that represent the universe from a unique perspective." It is the harmony between the perceptions of the monads which creates what we call substances, but that does not mean the substances are real in and of themselves. (IV) Leibniz uses his theory of Monads to support his argument that we live in the best of all possible worlds. He uses his basis of perception but not interaction among monads to explain that all monads must draw their essence from one ultimate monad. He then claims that this ultimate monad would be God because a monad is a “simple substance” and God is simplest of all substances, He cannot be broken down any further. This means that all monads perceive “with varying degrees of perception, except for God, who perceives all monads with utter clarity”. This superior perception of God then would apply in much the same way that he says a dominant monad controls our soul, all other monads associated with it would, essentially, shade themselves towards Him. With all monads being created by the ultimate monad and shading themselves in the image of this ultimate monad, Leibniz argues that it would be impossible to conceive of a more perfect world because all things in the world are created by and imitating the best possible monad.
[2D is not the center of the universe, 0D is the center of the mirror universe]: The mirror universe theory is based on the concept of parity violation, which was discovered in the 1950s. Parity violation refers to the observation that certain processes in particle physics don't behave the same way when their coordinates are reversed. This discovery led to the idea that there might be a mirror image of our universe where particles and their properties are flipped. In this mirror universe, the fundamental particles that make up matter, such as electrons, protons, and neutrinos, would have their charges reversed. For example, in our universe, electrons have a negative charge, but in the mirror universe, they might have a positive charge. Furthermore, another aspect of the mirror universe theory involves chirality, which refers to the property of particles behaving differently from their mirror images. In our universe, particles have a certain handedness or chirality, but in the mirror universe, this chirality could be reversed. Leibniz or Newton: Quantum mechanics is more compatible with Leibniz's relational view of the universe than Newton's absolute view of the universe. In Newton's absolute view, space and time are absolute and independent entities that exist on their own, independent of the objects and events that take place within them. This view implies that there is a privileged observer who can observe the universe from a neutral and objective perspective. On the other hand, Leibniz's relational view holds that space and time are not absolute, but are instead relational concepts that are defined by the relationships between objects and events in the universe. This view implies that there is no privileged observer and that observations are always made from a particular point of view. Quantum mechanics is more compatible with the relational view because it emphasizes the role of observers and the context of measurement in determining the properties of particles. In quantum mechanics, the properties of particles are not absolute, but are instead defined by their relationships with other particles and the measuring apparatus. This means that observations are always made from a particular point of view and that there is no neutral and objective perspective. Overall, quantum mechanics suggests that the universe is fundamentally relational rather than absolute, and is therefore more compatible with Leibniz's relational view than Newton's absolute view. What are the two kinds of truth according to Leibniz? There are two kinds of truths, those of reasoning and those of fact. Truths of fact are contingent and their opposite is possible. Truths of reasoning are necessary and their opposite is impossible. What is the difference between Newton and Leibniz calculus? Newton's calculus is about functions. Leibniz's calculus is about relations defined by constraints. In Newton's calculus, there is (what would now be called) a limit built into every operation. In Leibniz's calculus, the limit is a separate operation. What are the arguments against Leibniz? Critics of Leibniz argue that the world contains an amount of suffering too great to permit belief in philosophical optimism. The claim that we live in the best of all possible worlds drew scorn most notably from Voltaire, who lampooned it in his comic novella Candide.
Esoterica is a great youtube channel that goes into (mostly) pre-Jungian alchemy from a historical and academic context, which I really enjoy. He breaks down a lot of alchemical source material in a way that's much more easy to digest than just reading them, and goes over some things that most people straight up don't have access to. It's pretty neat!
Their videos popped up in my recommended feed about a week ago. I haven't watched much of their stuff yet, but I subscribed because I know I am going to love their videos.
@@maxderrat i watched him from day one and am the proud owner of "Dr Sledge is actually Kenny's dad from South Park" meme
my top recommendation for you as i follow a while as well is his videos on Monas Hieroglyphica
Dee the maniac tried to compress all knowledge into one symbol, its violently interesting.
and then Thunder Perfect Mind which is *chef kiss* omellete du fromage
@@maxderratHe approaches alchemy in a very academic sense which satisfies the skeptical part of my brain. But Jung has a better INTUITIONAL grasp on alchemy. He sees through the zeitgeist of those early alchemists and perceives the collective consciousness within them.
Shout out my niqqa esoterica! 😂
Here are some additional selections, if you are interested: "Fulcanelli: Master Alchemist: Le Mystere des Cathedrales", "Hermetic Recreations", "The Philosopher's Stone: An Essay on the Sacerdotal Science", "Hermes Trismegistus: Natural Path". These deal with the more "literal" creation of the Philosopher's Stone.
Edit: Also, "The Secret Book of Artephius", "Fulcanelli: Dwellings of the Philosophers", "The Book of Aquarius"
Brother, if you have read and fully understood these books like me, you really know how to make the philosopher's stone, don't you?
@@alahmadahmadal3143 I'd say if you take all of these and cross reference them, you get an underlying recipe for it. Hermetic Recreations in particular is the closest to a cookbook style recipe you can get. Pyrite or any Iron sulfur ore in powdered form is the base material.
No brother, no metal is used here, the thing to be used is everywhere but nowhere, everyone looks at it but very few people see it, in short, it is something that is found in unexpected materials, but as far as you know, the person who has the secret should never, ever share it with other people, if this secret was given to you by God, it is a secret that you must protect with honor until death
Here they always talk about 2 materials, one is sulfur and the other is mercury, mercury is mar-kurios, the lord of the waters, and sulfur is sol-pyr, a material represented by the sun, even in the name of the prophet Solomon we see the 2 materials shining clearly, SOL-O-MON, the principle of the sun and the moon
@@alahmadahmadal3143 Cinnabar, like pyrite, is a compound of metal + sulfur, and can be used likewise as the base material, though breathing in mercury fumes is obviously dangerous. In this case, Pyrite would be the sun, and morning dew would be the moon, as it carries its essence from bathing in moonlight and condensing. Also, I never stated the recipe out-right.
This is such an excellent primer. The way you’ve brought my video game interests and led them to psychology and alchemy has been invaluable. It’s own sort of integration! Always wonderful content, Max.
A fair warning to anyone willing to embark on this journey - if you take the recommended reading lightly, you'll be "just fine", but if you dive in with the intention of understanding and putting it into practice... it will change your life. Trust me, if you approach with an open mind, Alchemy will wedge it open even further and prevent you from ever fully shutting it again.
I studied Jung and Alchemy back in High School [yeah, I wasn't much fun at parties]. The reading order you listed is exactly how I would have listed them, with one exception. I'd add what I consider the Jungian primer, "Man and His Symbols", between the purely alchemical books and the absolutely existential nightmare that is "Psychology and Alchemy". In the very least, it should be skimmed before starting the Mysterium.
Good call, man. Man and His Symbols isn't strictly alchemy, but it is a nice addendum to help wrap your head around Jung's style of thinking, and help ease you into alchemical thinking.
Elaborate for me please
In essence, delving into alchemy, psychology, and philosophy can be transformative. Approaching with a casual mindset might not have a significant impact, but diving in with intent can be life-changing. Alchemy, especially when studied alongside Jungian psychology, has a way of expanding one's understanding and perception, making it difficult to revert to previous perspectives. "Man and His Symbols" serves as a helpful primer before delving deeper into Jung's works on alchemy, providing context and groundwork for better comprehension.
I have always been deeply fascinated by historical alchemy. Both in terms of it as a precursor to chemistry as well as a system of philosophy and analysis. It's an absolute gold mine of historical context and inspiration for fictional stories. In my medieval art history classes, I managed to surprise my professor with some of the analysis I made with the pieces discussed because I pulled from alchemical knowledge, which would have been popular around the time the works were made. The history of alchemy as a science and as an art are incredible, and it IS kinda frustrated when I want to learn more about it, only to find primarily contemporary sources talking in a new age mysticism sense. This channel has been great for finding more historical info on the subject, and I'll absolutely be checking out the books you recommend!
"gold mine"
hehehehe
Your channel has introduced the concept of alchemy being more then just a form of chemistry. I have spent years studying symbolism and yet it never made the connection. Sometimes you just has to stumble into someone who is able to point you in the right direction I guess. Thank you for that! Now I have a list of books and other sources to study! I also thank you for showing titles that can set someone up for the more complex stuff. Being one with a form of dyslexia it’s hard to stay focused on complicated texts, but I’m sure interesting enough to try my best!
I only studied a bit myself back in high school due to my love of Full Metal Alchemist. Seeing your videos brought back that fascination I had and still do. I appreciate how you make sure you always bring up the concepts easy enough to be understood. It's really cool that once you start to know the symbols and concepts, you start to notice how often they're used in media to varying effect.
And while I don't take a lot of what Jung says to heart about psychology, but going through the process of alchemy with one's thoughts and feelings does make a lot of sense when you look at how therapy and other forms of treatment work.
Every time you release something related with Alchemy & Jung, I usually say "this time he's gonna repeat himself" but you keep proving me wrong by putting different perspective on the matters. Huge respect and thank you for the read list.
Thanks for saying that, dude. I do try to introduce something new with each video I put out, so that way my content doesn't become too stale.
Instructions unclear. I've lost my arm and leg and my brother no longer has a corporeal form, also don't go in the shed...
Well maybe don't try to perform human transmutation next time, homie.
Skill issue, worked for me just fine
Something similar happened to me, except instead, I created a hoe with a cool dragon tattoo on her sternum and Freddy Kreuger claws, a fat guy with a cool dragon tattoo on his tongue and an iron stomach, a shapeshifter with a cool dragon tattoo on his thigh, a really hard gang boss with a cool dragon tattoo on the back of his hand, a king with anger issues and a cool dragon tattoo on his eye, OMORI but narcissistic and with SOMETHING as his stand, and a really buff and lazy miner with a cool dragon tattoo on his shoulder.
It has caused me to question my sanity, but I feel like I understand the deeper meaning of the Philospher's Stone and Alchemy as a model for mental health and a Spring of Creativity and Inspiration.
Japanese Media and your videos have greatly helped me in my quest to find True Wealth (personal definition value), Eternal Life (living in the present moment), and Wisdom ( being closer to seeing true, objective reality, by seeing how subjective we normally see things.)
I hope everyone can find these treasures too.
Keep up the phenomenal work Max and my other fellow Alchemist. And remember Robert First, "Nothing Gold can Stay."
I feel the same way brother, once you realize that literally everything worth experiencing actually points you towards The Path, of personal enlightment, you wonder how to share what you've learned and seen; once you brush the edge of Eternity how do you come back? Only to realize it's something each of us must discover themselves in our own time. Until then we can only live as intended and try to help others along The Path they walk, while steadily walking our own. ❤
I'm about a quarter in and quickly skimmed your timeline to see if you mentioned tai chi and internal alchemy at all and didn't see it mentioned specifically.
I believe that Jung was looking at eastern Alchemy from an western alchemist point of view and that his points of Alchemy being about psychology came from Taoist internal alchemical principals.
Most internal alchemy starts with breathing, the reason why is because breathing is the non voluntary behavior that you have the most and most constant control over. This is first path of establishing your mind's grater control over the body but it also empowers the body's ability to provide meaningful information to the mind.
Interestingly, breathing control is a big way one can induce or prevent conditions such as hyperventilation.
Conversely, by having the mind calm the body, a calmer body helps further calm the mind. Done over and over this becomes a virtuous circle of greater and greater ability to exercise self control and to benefit from the control exercised.
From this state of mind body unity, further practices are used to train this type of mind body unity to be more useful or practical in specific situations.
This is where you might find the zen-like meditation of the blade, where the use of a weapon in combat itself become a meditative state. However this is also where you find some incredibly esoteric stuff, such as certain forms of yoga and many taoist practices.
Chi an jing are said to be mixed internally to cast spell and to ward of trouble and disease.
Chi being breath and jing being vital energy.
A modern western mind might think of chi and jing as blood oxygen and blood sugar levels and they would not be too far off base doing so.
According to the taoist internal alchemists, however, these substances were metaphysical and imposed direct influence on your mental as well as physical health.
Their posture and martial arts training often involved trying to even hold their organs in the optimal locations for chi flow. In many ways they were literally trying to put their heart in the right place.
All of these practices were plainly and frequently called alchemy in the east for thousands of years.
Any how. I'm sure I'm not saying anything you don't already know. I just had some thoughts on Jung and Taoism that I felt might be worth your time.
Thanks for another great video! =D
can you provide resources regarding what you said? ive been practicing meditation for a few weeks now, and know basics about hermeticism, taoism, advaita vedanta and such
i found the blood sugar thing u mentioned interesting as i have diabetes type 1.
any reads you would recommend? im trying to find more info on yoga but i cant avoid the pseuo scientific buddhist dogma which veils the truth
Ok dude whatever you say 😂
Can you elaborate? 🤣
@@aaaaaaaaaaaaabbbb I'm applying a heavy leavel of personal interpretaion on the whole blood sugar oxygen levels thing. I mean, just think about it. Imagine how you would describe either of those two things if you have never heard of oxygen or insulin? It would probably sound pretty close to eastern gung fu and chi gung energy cultivation laguage that you hear.
A lot of that's all chi gung.
If you want a more western/medical point of view, I'd check out the youtube channel, "Better Body Chemistry." This isn't an endorsement of the channel so much as just a mention of them having covered some ways that oxygen and diabetes interact. Simply put, part of how peopel get insulin resistant is because their body does not burn enough of the sugar that's present. Extra oxygen in the blood has been shown to help ease the symptoms of diabetes becasue it helps burn off soem of the extra sugar that's causing all of the damage.
The breathing stuff mostly comes from stuff I've learned from singing but also from Aikido and Tai chi.
@@beansnrice321Mate I think that this is a bold and brilliant idea, even if some of it is untrue (about the blood glucose comparison.etc), the marrying of the western scientific materialistic perspective and the eastern spiritualist systems will provide the best unification. What do you think to the similarity between tai chi and vedic traditions like yoga which eludes to a similar unification of body then mind then soul? And about tantric energy similar to tai chi.
FINALY A NEW CARL JUNG VIDEO THIS IS A BLESSED DAY!
As a romanian, you have no idea how surprised and happy I was to find out that Eliade studied the subject and that he was mentioned on your list.
It's rather silly but I do find some enjoyment in seeing romanian authors being recognised outside of romania. Thank you for the great video! 😃
E ciudat sa-i aud numele cu accent strain.
@@mihaiioc.3809Sincer, mă bucur că sună și bine. Când aud în videoclipuri cum oamenii pronunță "Vlad Țepeș" fără diacritice am un scurt moment de durere psihică. Parcă îmi dă cu virgulă XD
You're not the first Romanian to say this on behalf of Eliade. I'm happy that I could help in spreading knowledge of your country's national treasure and his work. He is a genius, and outside of Jung, he is largely responsible for my knowledge of world religion.
Eliade is a genius. He is widely known. You can be proud of him.
@@maxderrat he had an interesting life even if it lead him into the arms of the religious fanatics/fascist of the Iron Guard. During the communist era his works were banned and when they were allowed again most of us know him from his novels.
Hello, I’m a psychology student and I’ve had problems understanding jung books. I would enjoy a lot a continuation of this, to know what you learn from the books you mentioned
Hey! Which books of his have you been reading and what troubles have you had understanding? I could maybe help you onto the right path?
@@maxderrathi, well i read psychology and religion by jung, I expected similar content from the one I got from “the future of an illusion” by Freud, but Jung talks a lot about symbols representing different things in christian religion. And that confused mena little bit, so I would enjoy a lot to see your take on others jung books. I really liked your videos from the Aion series, it’s also kind of scary
@@elpeonbigoton8022As I’ve understood it, Jung’s “Psychology and Religion” shouldn’t be placed first in a Jung related reading order. It’s akin to reading the 10th chapter of a fiction series.
@@maxderrat Is this skyrim or oblivion?
Mod list?
@maxderrat We don't have to stay yellow anymore? 🤔
Well done Max!!!
My origins come more from Daoism and Buddhism, but alchemy has always been something I've been interested in exploring!
In addition to your TH-camr recommendations, I also highly recommend checking out Sarah Elkhardy "The Alchemist" and her content.
She is a practicing esoteric alchemist and agrees that Jung has successfully integrated the fundamentals of alchemy into exoteric mediums.
Thank you so much for your hard work (and re-edits) and dedication to bringing us real and quality content!
Look forward to witnessing your journey brother 💪🏾
im writing a book were one of the main forms of magic is alchemy. i learned a lot from you. ill always be thankful for that 🥰
Holy crap, I have legitimately been so excited for this particular release. Watching now!
Never stop making videos. They've been crucial in my journey of studying alchemy and Jungian theories!!!!
Thanks for doing this video Max! Please I'd be interested to see you delving into the topic deeper.
I think I might do a video in the future on the pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone and its deeper symbolic significance.
@@maxderratthat would be awesome 👍
Yesss! was waiting for this video!!!!
I would like to also add to this list:
-The Secret of the Golden Flower w/ Jung commentary( shows how one can use energetic/spiritual practices to create the philosopher's stone and a sort of spiritual immortality/possibly physical one as well)
-Initiation into Hermetics by Franz Bardon ( this explains how using the 4 elements as well as the spirit can be mastered in magical practices to achieve the goal of inner alchemy)
Justin B's TH-cam channel ( further breaking down inner alchemy in more step by step terms)
-Secrets of Magic Revealed ( Justin's B's own system he devized further simplifying what Bardon's system sets out to do)
Those books/info are good for hands on, more step by step ways inner alchemy can be done in my own experience after you have the basic philosophy of it down.
I swear I just found your channel and its already one of my favorites on TH-cam. Your approach to every topic is really unique. Please make a video about NieR RepliCant when you have the spare time!
Yes that is a great idea
Awesome video ^^
You're missing Wang Mu's "foundations of internal alchemy" book.
For the animes, try Baccano.
For the games, you might want to try Final Fantasy 8.
Incredible video as always and a list of books to read that will never cease to grow!
Glad you talked about Haunting Ground, great horror game and I had to pause the game when I realised the way to create new items was by a tree of life and just realized how important alchemy was in it
Stay tuned for October regarding Haunting Ground. ;)
@@maxderrat OH YEAH! My birthday month nice gift
Oh I just love it when a book is out of print and super expensive... I did not run into this problem with occultism, but I did start to notice it with Hermeticism... and then I looked up the first book in the description on Amazon... I much prefer physical media for these studies, for better or worse.
The books I tried to start out with Alchemy were _The Rosary of the Philosophers_ , _Turba Philosophorum_ , _The Archidoxes of Magic_ , and _The Occult Sciences_ ... the first two confused me, so I pivoted over to Hermeticism with _The Way of Hermes_ (based on what I learned from Eternalised's video on Hermeticism).
Some might say "Chaotic, why didn't you just do better research on what to read?" And my response is... a mix of my stubbornness, autism, and impatience. Plus how I was supposed to know 4-5 months ago that Max would be uploading this video today?
Also on an ending note: Max, thank you for doing your videos on FMA:B. That got me into researching Alchemy and Hermeticism.
The Rider-Waite Tarot Deck is dense with Alchemical symbolism. I would love to see somebody deep dive into it, as well as the implications it has for Tarot itself. Tarot bombards you with randomized symbolism and asks you "what does this mean to you" through the process of reading. The cards seem to help people find insight about their circumstances in a really fascinating way, I would like to see somebody pull at that thread.
I believe the continuing untapped potential of these two arts is that a symbol cannot be translated or explained in static terms without affecting it, diminishing it, restraining it. Symbols can entertain paradoxes, something completely unheard of in the natural sciences. They have blurry edges and shifting connections and can only ever be inferred. One does not draw a symbol, they draw a depiction of a symbol. The symbol itself is something more abstract, a notion that can only be conveyed well through ubiquity, such as with the Rider-Waite deck.
Did a quick scan of the comments to make sure no one else had mentioned this, but I think I know what game you should tackle next for analysis: Lies of P. Without spoiling anything yet, alchemy is a major theme, and I'd be very curious to see how you analyze it! Great content as always, friend.
Stay tuned for later this week, my friend. ;)
I NEED A SERIES ON THIS... Please continue... PLEASE
Thanks for the plug, my friend. Looking forward to rapping with you today 🙏.
This video feels like the beginning of a new passion for me.
Thank you Max ♥
Thanks for the video and especially the reading list.
11:11 yey! The author who i had to study in romanian literature class!
For manga, I recommend soul hunter/ houshin engi. But the catch is that its heavy chinese mythology based and I can recall a very spoiler, near the end of the story, about the union of opposites and the integration of the Shadow.
To bad that both anime, barely dive into the story, first one drops it and as they animated before the plot was fully unfold. The second one, well... its for fan boys and gals as it jumps in time, cutting corners and the very things I point out are not conveyed. So, if you ate curious and have the time, go for it.
I feel like alchemy and its message shapes itself in the light of your mind, becoming utterly personal.
Enternalised also have some great videos on Jung in general.
Anyhow, much appreciated for sharing, Max. Take care
This was fantastic! Love the media and book lists! Will def try to read them all! 🎉
Thank you so much for this content. This is absolutely jaw-dropping an amazing I can’t, thank you enough. I really appreciate it.
Thanks A LOT. I was reading the first Jung's book about alchemy you mentioned and, even though I could understand it, my brain was on fire all the time and I had to prepare myself mentally for each chapter. I'm going to take a pause on this book and begin the other ones you mentioned before I collapse. If I could make a request, make a video like this about gnosticism. Your work is an inspiration.
you know, I also had a similar beginning in alchemy. When i was 17 I presented a monography looking connections between the symbolical images in silent hill and irl religions, besides the psycological subtheme. However, i started reading jung back when I was 21 and I went down the rabbithole, starting with Jung's "Man and His Symbols", then getting into tarot and astrology real hard. it has helped me a lot ever since.
This video explains it so well! I really really like your content.
Loving all your recomendations, will check out most of them to further solidify concepts i learned! I recommend after all of this to read the "Corpus Hermeticum" to anyone when advanced, since after learning all the knowledge behind the symbols this book feels like being in another era being revealed the secrets of the cosmos that not only still rule, but that also mutate and grow accordingly.
Cheers from a fellow autistic alchemist!
i love how contemporary alchemy aims to unify all religions and their symbols in order to give proof that it's not the blind devotion that works; it's the day to day work and belief in wanting to know better the inner shadow, and how to use the preffered code to decipher the inner self in a manner that allows the self to express itself with conviction, knowing their will is sacred if it's alligned with the cosmic love
final ps: i srsly love how you "protect the secret" in the end, since the alchemical experience is totally subjective, altho it connects to an objective reality? still figuring that out, since feeling and understanding the cosmos within and outbounds is quite chaotic lol
Jigokuraku: Hell's Paradise isvery alchemical and explores the connections between alchemical and religious concepts as well as the idea of what if those concepts were used and corrupted by bad actors
Can't wait
It isn't highly rated but I did personally enjoy it quite a bit, it's a movie called "As Above, So Below"
It does it in a dramatic fashion, but it talks about attaining the philosopher's stone, both physically and spiritually/mentally
Was that the one where they went into the catacombs in France? If so, highly recommend it. Great movie.
I take issue only with the framing here, and I think Jung would as well. It's not that Alchemy turns out to actually be about psychology - alchemy was always an extension of astrology, neo-platonic mysticism and ritual magic. Alchemy and astrology were both forms of seeing the metaphysical patterns as they become manifest in nature. It's not that alchemy is actually psychology; it's that psychology is actually alchemy.
I say that Jung would agree with me bc I think it is very evident that as Jung's career progressed, he increasingly came to see that the archetypal dynamics which he identified within the human psyche were not simply projections of the human mind, but rather were present in the human mind due to being constitutive of the structures underlying reality itself.
Alchemy was also an experimental and theoretical endeavor, meaning that the alchemists were not always correct in how they expected the archetypal to manifest within the material realm. Nonetheless, such manifestation is very much a real phenomena - which is evident if we look at the correlations which connect planetary archetypes with material substances such as tin, lead, copper, quicksilver, gold, etc...
This indicates that there are yet more alchemical secrets to be discovered with regards to the physical makeup of the world - secrets which will remain hidden to us insofar as we continue to repeat the 19th century dogma that alchemy was "discredited" by modern chemistry.
I see what you're saying, and I have some sympathy for/agreement with it. The problem is... with the way that I approach this type of content (and how it intertwines with my personal beliefs), I try to be careful not to fully endorse mysticism and the world of the subjective, because of the heavy-handed criticism that would bring and also because it rubs up against my own agnosticism. Maybe my mind will be changed and maybe the things Jung is talking about will reveal themselves where I convert from a researcher to a believer.
@@maxderrat Very understandable. I'll spare you a full-blown lecture, but to put it very briefly - I think that the sharp demarcation which we draw between the subjective and the objective is itself an artificial barrier which has come to out-stay its usefulness in our understanding of the world.
You may want to check out some of the last handful of videos on my own channel. I touch upon Jung and Alchemy a bit, but my primary focus has been teasing out the history of the bifurcations between mind/matter, subjective/objective, animacy/inanimacy, etc, and the implications of those origins.
Correlation does not infer causation. That's the great mistake of astrology, we thought the stars governed us when really we used the stars as a map of the human experience... but only our unconscious minds remembered. The conscious mind notices and thinks it's an external actor but we just fooled ourselves.
After finishing the video, I have got a few questions. Perhaps I have misinterpreted things, so I will begin by explaining what I think I understand before asking any questions.
In a nutshell, alchemy, in the objective or practical sense, does not really have much value. There is no expectation that anyone can make an actual philosopher stone, for example. Instead, alchemy is useful because it is adjacent to abstract ideas in the real world (specifically psychology). For these means, its used symbolically. As an example, if I see Jung say "the philosopher stone", then I understand he is actually referencing the highest level of the individual, or is at least comparing the highest level of the individual to the philosopher stone. This poses a question, however. Is alchemy used to make up abstract ideas or to explain abstract ideas? In other words, is psychology based on alchemy, or is alchemy just used to explain psychological ideas? If it is the former, what objective truth in alchemy is there? Am I to assume that abstract ideas in psychology, which are to be taken seriously and objectively, are based on a non-objective defunct science?
Its hard for me to communicate this, I apologize if I am being confusing.
Also, consider checking out book of hours or cultist simulator lol. :p
Great question! So psychology is NOT based on alchemy. Jung formulated his psychological theory and then used religious imagery (all different types but especially alchemical imagery) to justify his theories after the fact (i.e. he came up with the idea of making the unconscious conscious, and then found religious imagery that SUPPOSEDLY represents this underlying reality, like with the 3-step process).
Alchemical imagery, according to Jung, can be used (and in his mind WAS used) to represent underlying psychological realities and ideas (i.e. the prima materia representing the unconscious mind). This is because he believed they were trying to get more attuned with their psyches than other spiritual traditions (with the possible exception of the Christian Gnostics and maybe the Kabbalists, according to him).
Now as for whether there is objective truth to alchemy (and by objective truth I assume you mean objective, material reality) then almost certainly no. Granted, you can transmute lesser metals into gold using a particle accelerator, but doing that would be very expensive and I don't think would parallel an inner spiritual journey.
That said, I believe that Jung's theories are compelling enough that they shouldn't be dismissed. There are patterns between his theories regarding the operations of the unconscious mind and how those patterns show up in religious imagery. Granted, just because there's a pattern, that doesn't mean there's something there, and I always keep that in mind when I read him. However, for myself, I do find that alchemical philosophy has enhanced my life in a couple of ways if I use a Jungian perspective.
So for example... one of the most famous alchemical mottos is "In Sterquilniis Invenitur". Translated from Latin, it means "in filth it will be found." What that motto essentially means is "that which you most require will be found in the place you least want to look". Psychologically speaking, that's a contention with the darkest parts of yourself so that those parts don't control you, but you control them. It's a form of positive personal development. That's the obtaining of nigredo so you can perform albedo.
That's just a personal thing, though... and I am always open to having people challenge that perspective. As Marie-Louise von Franz says in her book, to be an alchemist requires a "Weltanschaung" (ethic of living) of constant openness to ideas that challenge your own.
Hopefully that clears things up. If not, let me know.
Alchemy it seems means whatever the hell you want it to mean.
A media recommendation I'd give is, if you're interested in an alchemy themed music album by the composer of the soundtracks of many of Satoshi Kon's movies, Susumu Hirasawa's "Philosopher's Propeller", or Kenja no Puropera. Hirasawa was heavily influenced by Jung's theories thanks to a jungian psychologist that worked as his counselor during a time he was in a troubled mental state. He has many songs that reference jungian concepts, but on the "Philosopher's Propeller" he based his album almost entirely on them, as well as associating them to a whole other alchemical tradition, which is Burmese Alchemy. While european alchemists would project their own christian values into their work, burmese alchemists projected buddhist ideas. Since Hirasawa's work is already very influenced by buddhism, all those themes connected perfectly in the Philosopher's Propeller
I definitely will like this faster than I even finished watching and listening to it.
Trying to find a copy of Titus Burckhardt's Alchemy book in Ireland for a reasonable price... Impossible! I'll keep searching.. Great video Max!!
Just use the PDF linked in the description if you can't find one, dude. Best of luck though if you're set on a hard copy!
Yay, now i just have to take one arm and one leg off.
You have successfully convinced me to begin educating myself further in this study, Max. Particularly the part about negrido, albedo, and rubedo being used to represent achieving an ideal self. It's something that I'm also striving to accomplish.
Gonna go pick up the first book you suggested next time I'm out at Barnes 'n Noble.
Thanks for the fantastic video! 🙇♂️
I want to read all of these titles you've recommended now. I guess I have work to do.
Have you seen the series "Devs"? The amount of alchemical themes is overwhelming
I have never read any of Jung's works on mysticism but I knew that he had some. I studied Joseph Campbell when I was younger and I know that he was one of Jung's late life students/disciples. Campbell's Mythology Series heavily touches on aspects you talk about in this video, particularly Primitive Mythology and Creative Mythology. I am excited too hear more from you about this subject, your Full Metal vids are what got me to watch this channel. Keep up the great work.
I love this I really hope this series continues ❤❤
for any one who interest in alchemy just read the arabic scientist (Jabir ibn Hayyan) works , most of western alchemy books quotes from him
most westerners refuse to acknowledge the immense debt they owe to spanish and sicilian muslims for their so called enlightenment. As if it wasnt the translation of the hundreds of thousands of works stored in the libraries of sevilla cordoba and palermo into latin 😉
Based on what you said here, the philosophers stone is basically meditation.
Nigredo > Albedo > Rubedo is basically just clearing your mind, meditating (acknowledging thoughts and feelings and letting them pass) then learning and growing from it.
There are many parallels to eastern mysticism
Also for Jungian alchemy, check out the book- Anatomy of the Psyche by Edinger and Transformation of the Psyche by Joseph L. Henderson
Love the emphasis on how you frequently reference Reinstall Paul lol.
There lies a paradoxical thought with alchemy (well, several, but here's one I was thinking on today). How can one possibly filter/purify ALL aspects of the unconscious mind to become rubedo, when the unconscious mind contains infinite concepts/aspects? There will always be more that we do NOT know, than we do know. We don't know how much we don't know, therefore the unknowable is potentially infinite, as new concepts spawn from the seat of Chaos constantly. Resolving this paradox of infinite concepts being hosted within a finite being is yet another step on the Path.
Knowledge is not to know anything, but to merely re-arrange the boundaries of one's personal ignorance.
I agree, it does appear unattainable but I still feel like that doesn't make it not useful.
Logic cannot entertain a paradox.
Symbol can.
You need a whole new set of rules to work with symbols. Cue alchemy.
Generally though I think you just rephrased the paradox of perfection. It has an answer though, continual improvement can be called perfection. Oroborous. You don't get to keep the philosopher's stone, it's an ongoing journey.
As far as I studied Jung, you want to study your unconscious because it’s easier solve unconscious problematic behavior when you acknowledge them, which means turning them conscious and treating them. This is also valid for your unconscious potentials and talents.
Also one of the main functions of the ego is deciding what images and memories goes from the unconscious to the conscious, since it’s impossible to deal with all the information we keep in our unconscious. In that way, it’s important to maintain most of our memories and thoughts unconsciously.
@@PedroKojiroIt's like being the archivist of a museum, curating what should be on display.
I will always be an alchemist.
Im happy to see you doing a video i requested thank you 😊 and I think Sir Isaac Newton was an alchemist as well. Yes i will stay citrinitas as always yellow is a wonderful color an energy an i like the Simpsons as well 😊
Hi Max, loved the video and hope you’re doing well. I’m just wondering: would you say studying alchemy has enriched your life?
I’m just asking because personally, I’m very interested in alchemy and symbolism because it tickles my intellectual brain and it sounds and looks cool. But even when I watch alchemy videos and think about it, I’m not sure I would be able to derive practical value out of it besides being aware of and assigning a complex system to psychological processes that happen naturally. That being said, I’m not sure how much value there is to the study of alchemy besides pure intellectual entertainment.
I’m just a newbie when it comes to the study of alchemy, so it might be the case that I just haven’t looked deep enough to find the answers, but I am very curious to hear your opinion on this. Is alchemy just an intellectual distraction for you? Or do you think it enriches your life, your relationships, and give you a sense of direction on how to act upon the world.
Thanks so much for this awesome guide, Max! Your videos (and Fullmetal Alchemist, it being my favorite Anime lol) have made me deeply fascinated with the subject of Alchemy and I can't wait to dive in to learn more about it, and in doing so blowing my mind indeed! :)
Brilliant work max as always you make things so easy to understand and organize them in a concise and flowing manner
max, thank you for sharing so much knowledge on the occult, i learned so much from you and paul, who i discovered because of you
8:53 Actually, when you started explaining what is alchemy as the concept of displaying psychological states through physical reality in the beginning of the video, the first thing that come to my mind was the Bible and the concept of Jesus being the Word that comes alive in a physical form. Looks like I am not the only one.
This is why learning about alchemy and reading the Hermetica and other Alchemy books brought me back to Christ. He is the way because he the true unity of physical world heaven.
"Secret Of Evermore" on the SNES used Alchemy as the magic system.
I love Alchemy, thank you for inspiring me to look up more
Hello Max, one of the most important scriptures within Alchemy is the hermeticist text "Emerald Tablet" as you know (I'm assuming). Regardless there's an album called "A Tabua De Esmeralda" which is a Brazillian album about the scripture (as is indicated by the name). I myself can not speak the language used in the album so I used online translations to understand the lyrics. I would recommend you do to. Also the movie "The Holy Mountain" is a very powerful film and surrounds alchemy (to a great extent). Great video as always.
I'd add Julius Evola's The Hermetic Tradition: Symbols and Teachings of the Royal Art and his trilogy on magic. But we warned - his political and spiritual thoughts are so far from what's acceptable in mainstream discourse that you may have difficulty even placing him in a wider context, but his understanding of alchemy and related topics is top-notch.
I know I'm late to your channel, but, considering how much alchemy is in Masonry... I'm curious about your thoughts on Freemasonry. Especially the symbolism within.
That would be pretty cool to dig in as well.
You could have used that clip from the Venture Bros explaining the Philosopher stone is more like a metaphor than something actually tangible
Another video game that has some Alchemic ideas that can come from left field is Castlevania: Lament of Innocence.
Maybe I am late , or just didn't notice. But there is very heavy alchemical messages in Alejandro Jadorawsky's Holy Mountain. Its Tarot and Alchemy heavy movie. I was quite surprised not to see a mention of it in this video since Alejandro Jadorawsky produces alot of Alchemy based media like alot of his comic books like the Meta Barons.
Have you watched the Castlevania series on Netflix??? They have one of the most famous Alchemists, Saint Germain, as one of the characters in the last 2 seasons and shows how hes not good or evil and shows him on separate sides depending on his goal at the time. Its really dope, shows him creating a rebis and the animation and graphics are NOT NOTCH! A really underrated series IMO.
Ever since I started studying Jung, I continuously run into his name/ideas. Also, I keep running into alchemy. Synchronicity maybe? Haha. I plan on doing a deep dive into Jungian alchemy here soon. I have a handful of his books and his followers like Marie Louise Von Franz.
I already have an overwhelming list of books on audible i want to listen to, I guess throwing a handful of alchemy books on the pile won't hurt.
The max derrat channel has officially jumped the shark
Thanks a lot! This was really helpful.
Max, PLEASE do a video breakong down the symbolism and meanings in Lies of P.
Alchemy, Hermeticism, Gnosticism, Freemasonry... its all there.
I'm actually quite the alchemist myself, you see. The other day I mixed milk powder with carbonated mineral water. The reactions due to the acid within the water essentially created a potion of spoiled milk. Now, I might be the shittiest alchemist around but I am one nonetheless!
Nice potion xD try mixing grenadine with vodka for an amnesia potion owo
I have some questions:
* Is it necessary to be religious to be an alchemist?
* If so, does that religion need to be theist in nature?
I personally struggle with organised religion and dogmatic practice/thinking (no judgement to those who do not feel that struggle) and I am worried this would block me from fully appreciating alchemy.
1. No
2. No
No, but it is necessary to destroy those beliefs if you have them.
Morrowind soundtrack from the first second? A man of culture.
You should check out "the origin of the animal-symbols in ancient mythologies and sculptures" by marius schneider, if you can find it in english. Analyzes all of these connections through music.
Thanks bro, with my new philosopher's stone and imnortality I can finally finish my entire Steam library
the name comes from kmt (khemet) alkhemet, which is the ancient name for Egypt. it means the black land(nigredo), the sphinx was originally red in color. those people knew much about it, i would even say perhaps their entire culture or mythos was based around that knowledge. the red stone can be acquired. through various methods. typically the alchemist will follow the wet or the dry path. although i would say there are more than one stone and form in this world. there is also another lifeform, actually more than one which is able to create such a thing. it can be created both externally as well as internally. there are two side to this coin and they are married. aasb
I'm currently writing a book with massive alchemical influences! I researched so much about alchemy, but I'd still love to have a fellow enthusiast read over it. thing is, it's in german so if you know someone.. hit me up ahahaha
Philosopher's stone is not the ultimate goal. It is there from the beginning, it is used to create the "secret fire" and is an essential part in the blackening and whitening processes
There but not attainable.
The "Secret Fire" is life force, or any such concept similar to it from various cultures. In order to make the philosopher's stone you need a high density of this force. Blood carries life force in our bodies. Iron and Sulfur are the main components. Pyrite is the prime material, wetted and dried with water condensed with life force, specifically energy from the moon. The end goal is to take the material philosopher's stone and make from it the panacea (just dissolve it in water), and then imbibe it to overflow your body with the life force, taking you to the next stage of evolution.
I have a Question, what is the difference between an alchemist and an individual who studies alchemy? They seems to be the same and if there is an difference, which one do you consider yourself??
The way I see it, practice and study are much like the difference between studying philosophy and BEING a philosopher. On the one hand, you're doing more book-work in regards to studying it's history and the historiography of that history, but you probably don't engage with it on a personal level as a spiritual/material art; just as a student of philosophy does not necessarily forward thought themselves. On the other hand, practicing alchemy means engaging with it on a level that forwards the thought. You might practice it through chemical experimentation, applying internal symbols and meanings to inspire and explore yourself and the material world, or from a more psychological perspective it would be the analysis of both media symbolisms and self symbolisms; just as a philosopher applies new thoughts to their own lives as a means of furthering a particular idea.
The difference, as far as I can tell, is a matter of belief. With science (which evolved out of alchemy), the world of the subjective and the world of value has no relevance to the pursuit of objective fact. In simpler terms, science isn't about morals. It's about objective, material reality. Alchemy is an attempt to reintegrate morality and the world of the subjective/values into the pursuit of science. It's not either/or. It's both.
An individual who studies alchemy may or may not believe in that world beyond objective, material reality, while an alchemist does believe.
As for myself, that's a very difficult question to answer. I do think of myself as a philosophical alchemist, but I'm agnostic on the spiritual side. That's the best answer I can give without going into a confusing, 5000-word long essay that won't make sense. :P
@@maxderrat but if you study it and continue to study it, it's because you find a meaning into in and that meaning could be your belief! That's why I say they are both the same 😅 but I do understand the idea of just knowing something in a objective way, reading it to understand other topics is fair and all but I would still say that if you read too much into it, you find a meaning and it will be your understanding on the topic and that understanding is what I would say, you believe in it!
You did answer my question and the above is a comment or a reply.. I just wanted to give more light into my way of seeing it :P
@@TheCrazyrubberducky okay you got the point more across hahaha, I do understand now, thanks for the reply :3
To quote Jamis from Dune, "The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience. A process that cannot be understood by stopping it. We must move with the flow of the process. We must join it. We must flow with it." An alchemist does not study alchemy. They ARE alchemy.
Fifth element, I think that movie first sparked my interest in the esoteric, it also a banger of a movie
Psych grad here.
Jung's work is often hand waved by neurobiologists and pharmacologists as hokey bs, but there is something terribly important to be discovered in the pursuit of this stuff. Stuff that i think is sadly absent from the current practice to it's, in my opinion, serious detriment.
I can't tell you how many times I've thought of Jung's work during case study analysis.
Personally, I see a lot of conflict in what people wish to outwardly want to (or want to be seen to) believe, and what they unconsciously believe. Jung did a lot of work in referance to alchemy specifically to this point.
what about xanthosis/citrinitas (yellowing)?
i have always found symbolism and art analysis very interesting but sometimes i get very disappointed that symbolism is usually a retrospect tightened up for convenience.
The ultimate goal for all alchemist is Skooma.
True.
Thanks for this
To expand on the bias part at the end of the video, each alchemist's journey is their own. Knowledge can be given to help an alchemist or any ordinary person on their path, but nobody can walk the path but the person themself.
Great video, thanks
Awesome could you tackle Eastern Alchemy next, please :)
Him: Whelp, I wonder how this will go...
Us: We want more alchemy content.
Him: *FMA: Brotherhood Theme Plays*
Great video!
Yo Max I think you'd really like a book called "The Island of Knowledge: the limits of science and the search for meaning". It's from a fellow brazilian astrophysicist, Marcelo Gleiser, and it touches themes as quantum mechanics, philosophy, alchemy and Gödel's incompletude theorem. It even cites, although indirectly, the Jungian concept of sincronicity, viewed through the lens of Bohr's intepretation of quantum mechanics. I would really like to someday have your thoughts on the book, and I think you'd really benefit from reading it. For me, at least, it was nothing short of life changing.
Monad (from Greek μονάς monas, "singularity" in turn from μόνος monos, "alone") refers, in cosmogony, to the Supreme Being, divinity or the totality of all things.
The concept was reportedly conceived by the Pythagoreans and may refer variously to a single source acting alone, or to an indivisible origin, or to both.
The concept was later adopted by other philosophers, such as Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who referred to the Monad as an *elementary particle.*
It had a *geometric counterpart,* which was debated and discussed contemporaneously by the same groups of people.
[In this speculative scenario, let's consider Leibniz's *Monad* (first emanation of God), from the philosophical work "The Monadology", as an abstract representation of *the zero-dimensional space that binds quarks together* using the strong nuclear force]:
1) Indivisibility and Unity: Monads, as indivisible entities, mirror the nature of quarks, which are deemed elementary and indivisible particles in our theoretical context. Just as monads possess unity and indivisibility, quarks are unified in their interactions through the strong force.
2) Interconnectedness: Leibniz's monads are interconnected, each reflecting the entire universe from its own perspective. In a parallel manner, the interconnectedness of quarks through the strong force could be metaphorically represented by the interplay of monads, forming a web that holds particles together.
3) Inherent Properties: Just as monads possess inherent perceptions and appetitions, quarks could be thought of as having intrinsic properties like color charge, reflecting the inherent qualities of monads and influencing their interactions.
4) Harmony: The concept of monads contributing to universal harmony resonates with the idea that the strong nuclear force maintains harmony within atomic nuclei by counteracting the electromagnetic repulsion between protons, allowing for the stability of matter.
5) Pre-established Harmony: Monads' pre-established harmony aligns with the idea that the strong force was pre-designed to ensure stable interactions among quarks, orchestrating their behavior in a way that parallels the harmony envisaged by Leibniz.
6) Non-Mechanical Interaction: Monads interact non-mechanically, mirroring the non-mechanical interactions of quarks through gluon exchange. This connection might be seen as a metaphorical reflection of the intricacies of quark-gluon dynamics.
7) Holism: The holistic perspective of monads could symbolize how quarks, like the monads' interconnections, contribute holistically to the structure and behavior of particles through the strong force interactions.
em·a·na·tion
noun
an abstract but perceptible thing that issues or originates from a source.
Metaphysics
Context
The monad, the word and the idea, belongs to the Western philosophical tradition and has been used by various authors. Leibniz, who was exceptionally well-read, could not have ignored this, but he did not use it himself until mid-1696 when he was sending for print his New System.
Apparently he found with it a convenient way to expound his own philosophy as it was elaborated in this period. What he proposed can be seen as a modification of occasionalism developed by latter-day Cartesians. Leibniz surmised that there are indefinitely many substances individually 'programmed' to act in a predetermined way, each substance being coordinated with all the others.
This is the pre-established harmony which solved the mind-body problem, but at the cost of declaring any interaction between substances a mere appearance.
Summary
The rhetorical strategy adopted by Leibniz in The Monadology is fairly obvious as the text begins with a description of monads (proceeding from simple to complicated instances),
then it turns to their principle or creator and
finishes by using both to explain the world.
(I) As far as Leibniz allows just one type of element in the building of the universe his system is monistic. The unique element has been 'given the general name monad or entelechy' and described as 'a simple substance' (§§1, 19). When Leibniz says that monads are 'simple,' he means that "which is one, has no parts and is therefore indivisible".
Relying on the Greek etymology of the word entelechie (§18), Leibniz posits quantitative differences in perfection between monads which leads to a hierarchical ordering. The basic order is three-tiered:
(1) entelechies or created monads (§48),
(2) souls or entelechies with perception and memory (§19), and
(3) spirits or rational souls (§82).
Whatever is said about the lower ones (entelechies) is valid for the higher (souls and spirits) but not vice versa. As none of them is without a body (§72), there is a corresponding hierarchy of
(1) living beings and animals
(2), the latter being either non-reasonable or reasonable.
The degree of perfection in each case corresponds to cognitive abilities and only spirits or reasonable animals are able to grasp the ideas of both the world and its creator. Some monads have power over others because they can perceive with greater clarity, but primarily, one monad is said to dominate another if it contains the reasons for the actions of other(s). Leibniz believed that any body, such as the body of an animal or man, has one dominant monad which controls the others within it. This dominant monad is often referred to as the soul.
(II) God is also said to be a simple substance (§47) but it is the only one necessary (§§38-9) and without a body attached (§72). Monads perceive others "with varying degrees of clarity, except for God, who perceives all monads with utter clarity". God could take any and all perspectives, knowing of both potentiality and actuality. As well as that God in all his power would know the universe from each of the infinite perspectives at the same time, and so his perspectives-his thoughts-"simply are monads". Creation is a permanent state, thus "[monads] are generated, so to speak, by continual fulgurations of the Divinity" (§47). Any perfection comes from being created while imperfection is a limitation of nature (§42). The monads are unaffected by each other, but each have a unique way of expressing themselves in the universe, in accordance with God's infinite will.
(III) Composite substances or matter are "actually sub-divided without end" and have the properties of their infinitesimal parts (§65). A notorious passage (§67) explains that "each portion of matter can be conceived as like a garden full of plants, or like a pond full of fish. But each branch of a plant, each organ of an animal, each drop of its bodily fluids is also a similar garden or a similar pond". There are no interactions between different monads nor between entelechies and their bodies but everything is regulated by the pre-established harmony (§§78-9). Much like how one clock may be in synchronicity with another, but the first clock is not caused by the second (or vice versa), rather they are only keeping the same time because the last person to wind them set them to the same time. So it is with monads; they may seem to cause each other, but rather they are, in a sense, "wound" by God's pre-established harmony, and thus appear to be in synchronicity. Leibniz concludes that "if we could understand the order of the universe well enough, we would find that it surpasses all the wishes of the wisest people, and that it is impossible to make it better than it is-not merely in respect of the whole in general, but also in respect of ourselves in particular" (§90).
In his day, atoms were proposed to be the smallest division of matter. Within Leibniz's theory, however, substances are not technically real, so monads are not the smallest part of matter, rather they are the only things which are, in fact, real. To Leibniz, space and time were an illusion, and likewise substance itself. The only things that could be called real were utterly simple beings of psychic activity "endowed with perception and appetite."
The other objects, which we call matter, are merely phenomena of these simple perceivers. "Leibniz says, 'I don't really eliminate body, but reduce [revoco] it to what it is. For I show that corporeal mass [massa], which is thought to have something over and above simple substances, is not a substance, but a phenomenon resulting from simple substances, which alone have unity and absolute reality.' (G II 275/AG 181)" Leibniz's philosophy is sometimes called "'panpsychic idealism' because these substances are psychic rather than material". That is to say, they are mind-like substances, not possessing spatial reality. "In other words, in the Leibnizian monadology, simple substances are mind-like entities that do not, strictly speaking, exist in space but that represent the universe from a unique perspective." It is the harmony between the perceptions of the monads which creates what we call substances, but that does not mean the substances are real in and of themselves.
(IV) Leibniz uses his theory of Monads to support his argument that we live in the best of all possible worlds. He uses his basis of perception but not interaction among monads to explain that all monads must draw their essence from one ultimate monad. He then claims that this ultimate monad would be God because a monad is a “simple substance” and God is simplest of all substances, He cannot be broken down any further. This means that all monads perceive “with varying degrees of perception, except for God, who perceives all monads with utter clarity”.
This superior perception of God then would apply in much the same way that he says a dominant monad controls our soul, all other monads associated with it would, essentially, shade themselves towards Him. With all monads being created by the ultimate monad and shading themselves in the image of this ultimate monad, Leibniz argues that it would be impossible to conceive of a more perfect world because all things in the world are created by and imitating the best possible monad.
[2D is not the center of the universe,
0D is the center of the mirror universe]:
The mirror universe theory is based on the concept of parity violation, which was discovered in the 1950s. Parity violation refers to the observation that certain processes in particle physics don't behave the same way when their coordinates are reversed. This discovery led to the idea that there might be a mirror image of our universe where particles and their properties are flipped.
In this mirror universe, the fundamental particles that make up matter, such as electrons, protons, and neutrinos, would have their charges reversed. For example, in our universe, electrons have a negative charge, but in the mirror universe, they might have a positive charge.
Furthermore, another aspect of the mirror universe theory involves chirality, which refers to the property of particles behaving differently from their mirror images. In our universe, particles have a certain handedness or chirality, but in the mirror universe, this chirality could be reversed.
Leibniz or Newton:
Quantum mechanics is more compatible with Leibniz's relational view of the universe than Newton's absolute view of the universe.
In Newton's absolute view, space and time are absolute and independent entities that exist on their own, independent of the objects and events that take place within them. This view implies that there is a privileged observer who can observe the universe from a neutral and objective perspective.
On the other hand, Leibniz's relational view holds that space and time are not absolute, but are instead relational concepts that are defined by the relationships between objects and events in the universe. This view implies that there is no privileged observer and that observations are always made from a particular point of view.
Quantum mechanics is more compatible with the relational view because it emphasizes the role of observers and the context of measurement in determining the properties of particles. In quantum mechanics, the properties of particles are not absolute, but are instead defined by their relationships with other particles and the measuring apparatus. This means that observations are always made from a particular point of view and that there is no neutral and objective perspective.
Overall, quantum mechanics suggests that the universe is fundamentally relational rather than absolute, and is therefore more compatible with Leibniz's relational view than Newton's absolute view.
What are the two kinds of truth according to Leibniz?
There are two kinds of truths, those of reasoning and those of fact. Truths of fact are contingent and their opposite is possible. Truths of reasoning are necessary and their opposite is impossible.
What is the difference between Newton and Leibniz calculus?
Newton's calculus is about functions.
Leibniz's calculus is about relations defined by constraints.
In Newton's calculus, there is (what would now be called) a limit built into every operation.
In Leibniz's calculus, the limit is a separate operation.
What are the arguments against Leibniz?
Critics of Leibniz argue that the world contains an amount of suffering too great to permit belief in philosophical optimism. The claim that we live in the best of all possible worlds drew scorn most notably from Voltaire, who lampooned it in his comic novella Candide.
Hello, I appreciated your video. Do you have information on how transmutation circles work?
Ah Yes! New additions to my collection (books)