Inner Alchemy: The Path Of Mastery revised edition
When the first edition of this book, Mastery: The Path of Inner Alchemy, came out in 1989, it was a mere curiosity. In 2020, amidst a global pandemic, economic instability, and worldwide anti-racism demonstrations, among other things, it has become necessary for survival. Understanding ourselves, one another, and what is happening in the world is difficult, as too many elements influence and greatly distort our perception. The mixture of personal, physical, and spiritual priorities adds to the general confusion. Updating the book has become a matter of urgency. With this edition, now renamed Inner Alchemy: The Path of Mastery, I seek to provide something which is lacking in the world today: an inner anchor that enables conscious management of the self and understanding of what you are, what your role is, and what the world is actually made of.
Inner Alchemy offers much more than personal training; it lays bare the dynamics involved in the management of self and world, opening the door to an ‘alchemical’ and global transformation of and through the individual.
The terms ‘to think out of the box’ and ‘think tank’ have become very popular. The Inner Alchemy system does not teach you to think ‘out of the box’ because it recognises that there is no box. This illusory box is a construction that has lasted as long as human interest remains at the personal level. It is dissolvable, and when this happens, perception expands to gigantic proportions.
Higher laws which have been encrypted in complex and ancient treaties are for the first time explained and applied concretely. The focus of perception developed alters the entire body-mind network. Based in ancient practices of energy management, this system increases the proportion of Light-consciousness in a human being, opening transcendental awareness in ways that are useful. The ensuing shift restructures old patterns and beliefs to reveal new tangible possibilities. To view the world differently implies finding solutions that escape the ordinary mind-set. Here you learn to see the world differently, not just from another angle or because it is suggested, but because inner reality demands it.
Inner Alchemy is first and foremost training in the correct and immediate use of the higher, non-linear Mind. Combined with dynamic energy altering practices involving body circuitry and circulation, and the development of special sensibilities, it produces a flexibility that allows you to tap unlimitedly into universal Mind and substance.
Inner Alchemy addresses those who want to see change happen and know that this begins with themselves. It appeals to those eager for total transformation without violence or imposition – emerging from within – leading to the rebuilding of a more humane society.
The first and most obvious application is to human health, both physical and mental, restructuring relationships of all sorts, and contributing significantly to the gradual effacing of self-importance and world illusion. Inner Alchemy is a path to inner peace, meaning, purpose, joy, and wisdom.
A wholly new way of ‘seeing’ shifts attention from quantity to quality, from the particular to the global, without losing perspective of particular needs and dynamics. The implications of this system in business and commerce open options capable of benefitting everyone in the present and in the future by revealing real priorities. It calls for a re-evaluation of elements that separate rather than unite, bringing a tangible sense of justice to the foreground.
The application of this system to economy calls for a revision of values, privilege, leadership, and control, issues which are no longer appropriate. It does this through understanding and the application of higher intelligence and sensibility. In this light, money stands revealed for what it is: energy employed as power. Those who manage money may do so knowing the correct use of both personal and global energy, which implies tremendous awareness and responsibilities rather than superiority and privilege.
Perhaps the most important and most difficult application of the Inner Alchemy system is in government, calling forth a redefinition of humanistic priorities and always based on personal example by world leaders. Under this category are included concerns which affect the entire planet, such as ecology and human resources, education, and all forms of creative expression, namely art and music.
How much better the world would be if leaders could understand and apply the dynamics behind appearances that move and shape our world!
The reader should bear in mind that the sequential presentation of this book is different to the practice we follow in our School of Consciousness. In our School, energy dynamics and theory are taught through multifaceted, multi-levelled experiences that gradually grow in complexity, making the material practical and personal. It is hoped you will be able to digest this text with innermost intimacy, making it as personal as it needs to be, and to find your own way of understanding and implementing its content.
This edition contains issues, concepts and definitions that did not seem to me to be relevant in the past. The careful revision of the text and the addition of new chapters provide more clarity concerning our innermost needs and queries.
Furthermore, to reflect how both the school of Inner Alchemy and the book, Inner Alchemy have blossomed out of what was once my own, personal labour of love into truly collective endeavours, I often refer to the group of teachings as ‘our’ School. For the same reason, you, the reader, may see the voice of this edition alternate between the first person singular ‘I’ and the plural (collective) ‘we’.
A suggestion on the manner of reading this book: mostly, its concepts deal with mystery and revelation, rather than dwelling on literal comprehension. Read without worrying too much about the exact sense of the words; allow yourself to sink into the text and be taken over. Once you have read the book in this way, set it aside. When you feel ready, go back to it again and you will find that it makes sense in a wholly different way. Over time, phrases might re-surface in your consciousness with a clarity that is in coherence with your own inner voice.
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