Technikatörténeti szemle 22. (1996)

Papers from the Second International Conference on the History of Chemistry and Chemical Industry (Eger, Hungary, 16–19 August, 1995) - Pérez-Bustamente, A. Juan: The Holistic Concept of Alchemy

whelming and plenty of esoteric mysticism as derived from cosmogonie and théogonie ancestral oriental mythologies. Fig.3 attempts to summarize the holistic concept of alchemy which is based on a complex syncretism of myths, crafts and philosophy to focus its attention on three different directions of human interest: metal ennoblement, body ennoblement, spiritual ennoblement. As a conclusion, no matter the Fig. 3. Synopsis of the holistic concept of ALCHEMY specific trend looked for by alchemy it has always a common trait: purification, ennoblement (material or spiritual). As pointed out before, alchemy was not an open but concealing system hidden under a ritual lithurgy (esoterism) which strove to explain the Cosmos, Nature and Man by resorting to the use of a peculiar instrument of expression (hermetic language) based on allegory, symbolism and metaphor or analogy, as summed up in fig.4. Esoterism and hermetism rely strongly on a wide number of myths, legends and symbolisms and allegories of complex astrologic-mythologlc-psy-