The Nature of Being
The path of inner alchemy beckons to those who have walked it before. By developing an interest deep enough to reach this point, you already stand on the shoulders of giants. This understanding comes from the hard work of previous existences, a truth we will explore more deeply as we progress.
Understanding Existence
Existence transcends mere physical reality – it is the subjective nature of being itself. It manifests as a semi-permanent observer and participant in both sensory and mental processes of life. This persistence of being creates our sense of continuity: what falls asleep at night awakens to a new day.
Yet this existence extends far beyond our physical form. While we can observe others sleeping and waking, our own experience of consciousness is profoundly different. As we drift into sleep, we experience a subtle withdrawal into our body as our senses dim. The moment of falling asleep remains eternally elusive – we can never quite catch it happening.
Our subjective existence encompasses dreams, fantasies, thoughts, and feelings about both physical and mental states. The same stimulus – a picture or sound – might soothe one person while terrifying another. This subjective experience, including our feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and consciousness, defies purely objective description.
The Alchemical Path
The aspiring alchemist must learn to disentangle themselves from the objective world’s delusions to discover the reality from which all experience springs. This journey typically begins only after experiencing profound disenchantment with conventional existence.
The alchemist’s method involves placing subjective experience into the retort of analysis and synthesis. Through persistent practice, they break down experience into its primitive elements and reconstruct a mental model – one that becomes subjectively real – through which to examine existence more deeply.
The Return to Innocence
The first step on this path proves most challenging – it is the pursuit of what ancient tales call the ‘white rabbit’, that elusive quality of consciousness that seems to dance just beyond our grasp. This reference, immortalized in both Alice in Wonderland and The Matrix, points to consciousness’s fleeting, reflective nature.
The Garden of Eden represents our original state of innocent perception – a time before language and symbols created separation between observer and observed. This state offers not just blissful experience but, more importantly, the detached tranquility necessary for deeper investigation of reality.
The Dark Night: Working with the Nigredo
The initial work involves transmuting the accumulated ‘dross’ of existence – not by rejecting it, but through understanding and refinement. This dross comprises our conditioned experiences: a lifetime of meanings layered with cultural programming that filters our direct experience of reality.
This phase, known as nigredo or blackness, requires courage to face one’s inner darkness. During this time, many experience what appears as depressive or psychotic illness, accompanied by states of despair and hopelessness. What distinguishes the alchemist is their fundamental curiosity about these symptoms, a curiosity often sparked by insights from previous existences.
The Path Forward
Through deepening understanding of consciousness, the alchemist finds stability in simpler forms of awareness. This eventually leads to breakthrough experiences of nirvana – glimpses of unconditioned reality. While these moments may be brief, they fundamentally alter one’s perspective of being. Through continued practice, the tendency to become entangled in conditioned existence diminishes, allowing one to dwell more consistently in unconditioned reality.
In our next exploration, we will examine the evolution of human consciousness, creating a map to guide our continued journey. This understanding will serve as our foundation for the deeper work to come.
Practical Contemplation
Before proceeding, spend time observing your own consciousness. Notice how thoughts arise and pass, how sensations come and go, and how your awareness remains constant through these changes. This simple practice begins the process of separating the observer from the observed – the first step on the alchemical path.
Further Reading
- “The History of Alchemy”
- “Carl Jung and Alchemy”
- “The Nature of Consciousness”
- “Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy”
- “Alan Watts on Consciousness”
- “Terence McKenna on Alchemy”
- “The Varieties of Religious Experience” by William James
- “Modern Man in Search of a Soul” by Carl Jung
- “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell
- “Be As You Are” by Sri Ramana Maharshi
- “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle
The article you’ve just read is based on a Chapter from “A Course in Modern Alchemy: Nigredo” by Dr. Simon Robinson, a groundbreaking work that bridges ancient alchemical wisdom with modern spiritual understanding.
This fascinating book delves deep into the first stage of the alchemical opus – the Nigredo or ‘blackening’ phase. Dr. Robinson masterfully weaves together Buddhist philosophy, Jungian psychology, and traditional Western alchemy to create a practical guidebook for inner transformation. The work explores essential concepts like the Fisher King Wound, the nature of consciousness, and the Dark Night of the Soul, making complex esoteric ideas accessible to the modern seeker.
What sets this book apart is its unique approach to personal development through alchemical principles. Rather than merely theorizing about transformation, it provides a structured path for those ready to undertake their own Great Work. The author draws from his extensive knowledge of both Eastern and Western mystical traditions to illuminate the often obscure symbolism of alchemy, making it relevant for contemporary spiritual practice.