Internal alchemy, also called spiritual alchemy, is a term used for different esoteric disciplines focused on balancing internal and spiritual energies. It is considered to be a central mystical practise of Rosicrucianism and Hermeticism.^[1]. Historically, it has borrowed the symbolism and terminology of classical alchemy, employing them in process and metaphor to spiritual development.^[2] Etymology Esoteric is an adjective originating during Hellenic Greece under the domain of the Roman Empire; it comes from the Greek esôterikos, from esôtero, the comparative form of esô: within. It is a word meaning anything that is inner and occult, a latinate word meaning hidden (from which... Look up spiritual in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Mysticism from the Greek μυστικός (mystikos) an initiate (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, μυστήρια (mysteria) meaning initiation[1]) is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is an... The Temple of the Rosy Cross, Teophilus Schweighardt Constantiens, 1618 The Rosicrucians are a legendary and secretive order dating from the 15th or 17th century, generally associated with the symbol of the Rose Cross, which is also used in certain rituals of the Freemasons. ... Hermeticism should not be confused with the concept of a hermit. ... For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ...

The term is also is used to translate various terms used in the native languages of some east Asian Taoist and Buddhist practises. Neidan and Tantra are considered forms of internal alchemy, but Western commentators often overemphesize sexual practises.^[3] East Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Tantra (Sanskrit: weave), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. ...

Notes

1. ^ Rosicrucian Alchemy and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn by Jean-Pascal Ruggiu, Imperator of Ahathöor Temple No. 7, Paris, France
2. ^ Whitcomb, Bill. The Magician's Companion: A Practical and Encyclopedic Guide to Magical and Religious Symbolism. Llewellyn Publications, 1993. ISBN 0875428681.
3. ^ Tyson, Donald. Sexual Alchemy: Magical Intercourse with Spirits. Llewellyn Publications, 2000. ISBN 1567187412.