What is Mental Alchemy?

Apr 04, 2022

We usually think of “alchemy” in terms of transforming lead into gold -- a process that happens on the physical plane. What many people don’t realize is there is a process of transformation that occurs on the mental and spiritual planes. We can refer to this as Mental Alchemy. With this information, we can master our minds, and therefore our lives. Through Mental Alchemy, we can transform our inner state from undesirable to desirable. 

Society has conditioned us to place a great deal of importance on our external world, yet we often overlook what’s going on inside. We feel like victims of circumstance; everything just happens to us and around us. This common misperception is what Mental Alchemy aims to transform. 

When we take responsibility for our thoughts, words and actions, we unlock the door to mastery and stop blindly repressing our thoughts and emotions. We dig deep into our very nature, and through this introspection we can gain control over our mind, and reclaim our power, our happiness and peace of mind. 

Mental Alchemy is especially useful during life transitions and in moments where we are in liminal space. Liminal space is the tension that exists where a choice must be made between two opposites:

Blue Pill: Continue to hold on to the OLD (thoughts, behaviors, beliefs) and return to what you know to be true and real

Red Pill: Lean into the discomfort of uncertainty and choose the NEW (thoughts, beliefs, behaviors)

The byproduct of the Blue Pill can be seen in the wisdom of the words, “To do the same thing over and over and expect different results is the definition of insanity.”

The byproduct of the Red Pill, I believe C.G. Jung encapsulated it well.  “Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”  - C.G. Jung in a Letter to Fanny Bowdich (October 22, 1916)

Mental Alchemy is a form of accepting the Red Pill.  It is to transmute, transform, and transcend moments of crisis or periods of stuckness where extreme emotional tension exists. In this liminal space, one can experience extended periods of emotional purgatory, where a person is not truly living, but merely existing.  

The process of introspection allows us to re-member or reintegrate back to wholeness where we dance with life again.  When we realize that we are truly the creators of our own reality, anything and everything becomes possible for us. 

If you are ready to explore your inner world, download our Shadow Work Guide. With the help of this free resource, you'll learn how to release the trapped emotions that can hinder your happiness and negatively impact your life. Click here to get started today.