: The search for a universal cure for all diseases and a means to achieve immortality or eternal youth.
To write a helpful essay on alchemy, it is important to distinguish between its history as a "proto-science" and its role as a spiritual and psychological philosophy. alchemy
: Known as the "Great Work" ( Magnum Opus ), this involved the purification of the practitioner's soul, using chemical processes as metaphors for inner growth. The Four Stages of the "Great Work" : The search for a universal cure for
: The attempt to turn "base" or impure metals, like lead, into "noble" metals like gold. into "noble" metals like gold. Historically
Historically, alchemists focused on three primary goals, often centered around the discovery of the legendary :