The High Art of Meditation
Another pillar of Alchemy is Meditation. The practice of meditation has been common in many cultures and religions around the world for thousands of years. There are a many techniques and methods of meditation.
Meditation in Western Tradition
While meditation techniques can be practiced by anyone, regardless of age, gender or cultural background, the experience of true and conscious meditation can only be had in a vehicle (personality) trained for it. Once the four elements of the personality are in balance, the quintessence can be consciously experienced. No stage can be skipped. Spontaneous insights and intuitive intuitions may occur in the early stages. However, the alchemist seeks not only fleeting experiences of enlightenment, but a vehicle in which the light of the supreme crown, or primordial will to goodness, can be permanently experienced.
The alchemist must learn to control his mind and align himself with the subtle forces of nature. This requires a regular practice of meditation and contemplation to clear and focus the mind. Meditation is a key to alchemical work, as it helps the alchemist transform his own thoughts and emotions and connect with the higher forces of the universe. Through regular meditation, the alchemist can open his mind to the subtle energies of nature and realize the truth of alchemical wisdom.
Various techniques are usually used in Mystery Schools, such as:
- Contemplation on symbols
- Intonation of Hermetic-Kabalistic Words of Power
- Combination of imagination (color) and intonation (sound)
- Invocation, affirmation (statements about reality) or prayer
- Awareness through observation (body, behavior patterns, thoughts, feelings, observer)
Then comes the actual silent meditation. It is a way of perceiving reality. Meditation is like the uninterrupted flow of information in the infinite silence of being. Whatever the alchemist focuses on is immediately filled with knowledge, understanding, wisdom and unity. Once we have overcome the misidentification with personality, we have the basic prerequisite for the perception of the ONE meditation that always was, is and always will be. This meditation takes place in the mind of God. This ONE Meditation can give us access to the Book of the World (Liber Mundi) or the Book of the Lord (Liber Domini), if we have the appropriate maturity of soul. Then we can participate in the flow of information about the beginning, meaning and purpose of Creation. The whole history of creation is contained in this “heavenly” book. Human words are not enough to share this wisdom with the ignorant. For it is the true science of life that opens our eyes to the fact that everything in this creation is alive. We perceive life from the mineral kingdom to the plant kingdom to the animal kingdom. But that is not all: beyond the life of the suns, stars and planets, we perceive the consciousness and life of the inhabitants of the worlds above and below our material world. Thus the law of cause and effect takes on a cosmic and transpersonal meaning for us.
In the course of meditative practice, an increase in love, empathy, compassion, devotion and mercy is experienced. This is not the goal of meditation, but a pleasant side effect. Regular meditation can reduce stress, which is particularly important on the spiritual path. Contrary to the claims of ‘flower-power esotericism’, the authentic spiritual path increases stress levels. The confrontation with crises and conflicts also increases due to the acceleration of individual development. Because those who have more potential can solve more tasks and develop faster. The acceleration of evolution takes us to our limits in order to overcome them and grow beyond them. We will inevitably have to face challenges that our fellow human beings have not yet imagined. Meditation gives us inner support and strengthens our inner power. It gives us inner peace. These conscious meditative periods of rest and healing (becoming whole) are indispensable on the path of alchemy.
Awareness of the ONE Reality
Even if we do our daily meditation exercises with our eyes closed, this does not mean that this is the only way to meditate. With progressive practice, we learn more and more to consciously integrate meditation into our daily lives. We perceive life more and more as ONE meditation. We observe in the here and now e.g. an event, an object, nature, a person or ourselves and participate with open eyes in the flow of information of ONE meditation in our everyday life. All exercises prepare us for integration into everyday life. Our senses are sharpened to perceive the reality of the oneness of the brotherhood of humanity. In this moment we are simultaneously connected to the farthest and the nearest point of creation and there never was, is or ever will be any separation in this creation. Every wave of the ocean is an undivided part of the ocean and connected to all other waves. Every drop of the ocean is an undivided part of the ocean. Everything is one and undivided.
(Excerpt from the book Alchemy: Secrets of Consciousness Transformation by Elias Rubenstein)